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Antenna TV channels in Kansas City

18 stations broadcast free TV around Kansas City, carrying 40 channels including Subchannel An extra channel a station sends alongside its main one, like 2.2 or 2.3. More in the glossary . The full-power stations transmit from several sites, so the direction to aim depends on where you live.

Updated from FCC data

How well antenna TV works around Kansas City

For the big networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS) that reach each home, an indoor antenna is likely enough for about 92% of people in the Kansas City market; about 8% need an attic or roof antenna. A typical home gets about 38 free channels from 19 stations, some from neighbouring markets.

Estimates from our terrain predictions for an antenna about 30 ft up, adjusted for indoor use. They are not yet checked against real channel scans; VHF channels never count as indoor. How we work it out

92% indoor antenna likely 5% attic or outdoor 3% roof antenna <1% spotty: depends on the spot

Each network's reach

NetworkReachesIndoor likely
ABC 99% 93%
CBS 99% 92%
NBC 99% 94%
FOX 98% 92%
PBS 99+% 96%
The CW 98% 92%
Telemundo <1% <1%

Share of the market's 2,288k people, across its 230 ZIP codes.

Town by town

Town Antenna Point Channels
Kansas City ZIP 64120 Indoor likely south-southwest (204°, most) 41
Overland Park ZIP 66213 Indoor likely northeast (43°, most) 38
Kansas City ZIP 66112 Indoor likely east-southeast (109°) 38
Olathe ZIP 66061 Indoor likely northeast (54°) 60
Independence ZIP 64057 Indoor likely west (274°, most) 38
Lee's Summit ZIP 64081 Indoor likely northwest (320°, most) 38
Shawnee ZIP 66218 Indoor likely east (81°) 38
Blue Springs ZIP 64014 Indoor likely west-northwest (286°, most) 38
Lenexa ZIP 66220 Indoor likely east-northeast (65°) 38
Leavenworth ZIP 66048 Indoor likely southeast (129°) 41
Leawood ZIP 66209 Indoor likely north-northeast (21°, most) 38
Liberty ZIP 64068 Indoor likely south-southwest (205°) 38
Raytown ZIP 64133 Indoor likely northwest (308°, most) 38
Gladstone ZIP 64118 Indoor likely south (176°, most) 41
Grandview ZIP 64030 Indoor likely north (354°) 38

For the ZIP nearest each town's centre. Tap a town for its full channel list.

What channel is each network on in Kansas City?

NetworkChannelStation
CBS 5.1 KCTV
NBC 41.1 KSHB-TV
ABC 9.1 KMBC-TV
FOX 4.1 WDAF-TV
PBS 19.1 KCPT
The CW 29.1 KCWE
MyNetworkTV 62.1 KSMO-TV
ION 50.1 KPXE-TV

The best TV antenna for Kansas City

Get a UHF antenna. Across most of the area an indoor antenna is likely enough (about 92% of people, by our estimate); farther out, use an attic or roof antenna.

  • Every channel reaches ordinary TVs on UHF, so a UHF antenna is enough.
  • The towers are spread out, so a wide-beam (multi-directional) antenna is safer than a narrow directional one.

Not sure about VHF Lower frequencies (RF 2–13). Needs an antenna with longer elements; many flat indoor antennas are weak here. More in the glossary and UHF Higher frequencies (RF 14–36). Most stations are here; almost any antenna picks it up. More in the glossary ? See the glossary. Any brand of the right type will do.

Which way to point your antenna from Overland Park, Independence, Lee's Summit and nearby

Aim at the main tower site (KPXE-TV and others). From the largest towns around Kansas City:

FromPointDistance
Overland Park, KS northeast (47°) 13 mi
Independence, MO west-southwest (242°) 10 mi
Lee's Summit, MO northwest (315°) 10 mi
Leavenworth, KS southeast (133°) 31 mi
Leawood, KS northeast (38°) 10 mi
Liberty, MO south-southwest (198°) 16 mi
Gladstone, MO south (169°) 14 mi
Basehor, KS east-southeast (109°) 24 mi

8 full-power stations transmit from elsewhere: KCWE (4 mi away), KMBC-TV (4 mi away), KCTV (5 mi away), WDAF-TV (6 mi away), KCPT (5 mi away), KSMO-TV (5 mi away), KMCI-TV (3 mi away), KSHB-TV (3 mi away). If you live near one of them, it may need a separate aim.

Where the Kansas City TV towers are

Map of 11 tower sites around Kansas City. The list below has every site.

full-power site low-power only Bigger dot = more stations. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
3 more single low-power sites

KUKC-LDKCKS-LDKMJC-LD

NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) in Kansas City

2 stations (KSMO-TV, KMCI-TV) now send the newer NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) A newer broadcast format. Older TVs can't decode it, so stations also send the old format from a partner station. More in the glossary format. Older TVs can't decode it, so stations share: each channel that moved is also sent in the old format by a partner station (a Lighthouse (channel sharing) One station switches to NextGen TV and carries other stations' 3.0 versions; partners carry its old-format version. More in the glossary arrangement). Your TV shows the same number; at most you need a Rescan Asking your TV to search for channels again. Fixes most missing channels. More in the glossary .

KSMO-TV sends NextGen TV on RF 32

  • 62.1 MyNetworkTV: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
  • 62.2 network unknown: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
  • 62.3 Dabl: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
  • 62.4 network unknown: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
  • 62.5 Comet: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data

KMCI-TV sends NextGen TV on RF 25

  • 38.1 Independent: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
  • 38.2 Bounce TV: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
  • 38.3 network unknown: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
  • 38.4 QVC365: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data

Every Kansas City station and subchannel

Including Class A and low-power stations Smaller stations with a shorter range than full-power ones. More in the glossary stations. 3 subchannels have no confirmed network; we show them as "network unknown" rather than guess.

Full power (9)

  • WDAF-TV Kansas City, MO · UHF
    • 4.1 Fox
    • 4.2 Antenna TV
    • 4.3 Rewind TV
    • 4.4 Roar
  • KCTV Kansas City, MO · UHF
    • 5.1 CBS
    • 5.2 365BLK
    • 5.3 Start TV
    • 5.4 Quest
    • 5.5 Outlaw
  • KMBC-TV Kansas City, MO · UHF
    • 9.1 ABC
    • 9.2 MeTV
    • 9.3 Story Television
  • KCPT Kansas City, MO · UHF
    • 19.1 PBS
    • 19.2 KCPT2
    • 19.3 Create
    • 19.4 PBS Kids
  • KCWE Kansas City, MO · UHF
    • 29.1 The CW
    • 29.2 True Crime Network
    • 29.4 HSN
  • KMCI-TV Lawrence, KS · UHF · NextGen TV
    • 38.1 Independent
    • 38.2 Bounce TV
    • 38.3 network unknown
    • 38.4 QVC365
  • KSHB-TV Kansas City, MO · UHF
    • 41.1 NBC
    • 41.2 Grit
    • 41.3 Laff
    • 41.4 Great
  • KPXE-TV Kansas City, MO · UHF
    • 50.1 Ion Television
    • 50.2 Ion Mystery
    • 50.3 Ion Plus
    • 50.4 Busted
    • 50.5 Game Show Central
    • 50.6 QVC2
    • 50.7 QVC
    • 50.8 HSN2
  • KSMO-TV Kansas City, MO · UHF · NextGen TV
    • 62.1 MyNetworkTV
    • 62.2 network unknown
    • 62.3 Dabl
    • 62.4 network unknown
    • 62.5 Comet

Low power (9)

  • KAJF-LD Kansas City, MO · UHF

    No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.

  • KCKS-LD Kansas City, KS · UHF

    No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.

  • KMJC-LD Kansas City, KS · UHF

    No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.

  • KCMN-LD Kansas City, MO · UHF

    No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.

  • K15MB-D Kansas City, MO · UHF

    No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.

  • KCDN-LD Kansas City, MO · UHF

    No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.

  • KGKC-LD Kansas City, MO · UHF

    No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.

  • KQML-LD Kansas City, MO · UHF

    No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.

  • KUKC-LD Kansas City, MO · UHF

    No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.

Questions about antenna TV in Kansas City

What channel is CBS on antenna in Kansas City?
CBS is channel 5.1 in Kansas City, broadcast by KCTV.
What channel is NBC on antenna in Kansas City?
NBC is channel 41.1 in Kansas City, broadcast by KSHB-TV.
What channel is ABC on antenna in Kansas City?
ABC is channel 9.1 in Kansas City, broadcast by KMBC-TV.
What channel is FOX on antenna in Kansas City?
FOX is channel 4.1 in Kansas City, broadcast by WDAF-TV.
What local channels can I get with an antenna in Kansas City?
18 stations broadcast free in the Kansas City area, carrying 40 channels including subchannels. The main networks: CBS 5.1, NBC 41.1, ABC 9.1, FOX 4.1, PBS 19.1, The CW 29.1, MyNetworkTV 62.1, ION 50.1. How many you get depends on where you live.
What is the best TV antenna for Kansas City?
Get a UHF antenna. Across most of the area an indoor antenna is likely enough (about 92% of people, by our estimate); farther out, use an attic or roof antenna.
Which way should I point my antenna in Kansas City?
Toward the main tower site, where 1 of the 9 full-power stations transmit. From Overland Park, point northeast (13 miles). From Independence, point west-southwest (10 miles). From Lee's Summit, point northwest (10 miles). From Leavenworth, point southeast (31 miles).
Do I need a new TV for NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) in Kansas City?
No. KSMO-TV and KMCI-TV send ATSC 3.0, but the channels involved are also sent in the older format by partner stations, so any digital TV still gets them after a rescan.
For the curious: tower and licence details
  • KCWE · facility 64444 · RF 31 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 1000 kW · HAAT 332 m · licensed 2021-08-23
  • KMBC-TV · facility 65686 · RF 29 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 1000 kW · HAAT 358 m · licensed 2021-08-23
  • KCTV · facility 41230 · RF 24 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 1000 kW · HAAT 344 m · licensed 2021-08-23
  • WDAF-TV · facility 11291 · RF 34 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 1000 kW · HAAT 347 m · licensed 2021-08-23
  • KCPT · facility 53843 · RF 18 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 1000 kW · HAAT 355 m · licensed 2025-12-23
  • KSMO-TV · facility 33336 · RF 32 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 750 kW · HAAT 358 m · licensed 2024-02-20
  • KUKC-LD · facility 191352 · RF 14 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2021-04-07
  • K15MB-D · facility 49176 · RF 15 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2022-03-21
  • KCDN-LD · facility 67837 · RF 23 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2020-05-01
  • KGKC-LD · facility 130417 · RF 33 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2018-11-26
  • KPXE-TV · facility 33337 · RF 30 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 1000 kW · HAAT 339 m · licensed 2015-07-06
  • KAJF-LD · facility 184187 · RF 17 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2021-01-05
  • KCMN-LD · facility 184190 · RF 28 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2021-01-05
  • KQML-LD · facility 184191 · RF 35 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 10 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2021-01-05 · newer construction permit granted
  • KMCI-TV · facility 42636 · RF 25 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 1000 kW · HAAT 306 m · licensed 2024-01-24 · newer construction permit granted
  • KSHB-TV · facility 59444 · RF 36 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 1000 kW · HAAT 325 m · licensed 2021-08-23 · newer construction permit granted
  • KCKS-LD · facility 187964 · RF 19 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2020-04-23 · reduced power · newer construction permit granted
  • KMJC-LD · facility 184373 · RF 22 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2016-12-06

Where this comes from

  • Stations, towers, channels and power: FCC Licensing and Management System (LMS) public database, data of .
  • Networks and subchannels: our affiliations dataset, built from Wikipedia (used under CC BY-SA 4.0), the network field stations file with the FCC, and station websites; checked . Credits.
  • Towns and distances: US Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 city population estimates (SUB-EST2025) and 2026 Gazetteer place coordinates; distances are straight-line from each town's Census centre point.
  • Reception: Reception predictions over USGS terrain for every ZIP, FCC data 2026-11-03 00:00:00 (model 2026-11-11.4)
  • Market area: Market area: counties assigned by FCC service-contour coverage of each market's full-power stations (FCC LMS market list, Census 2020).

Updated How we work this out