Antenna TV channels in San Diego
17 stations broadcast free TV around San Diego, carrying 29 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 San Diego
For the big networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS) that reach each home, an indoor antenna is likely enough for about 0% of people in the San Diego market; about 98% need an attic or roof antenna, and for about 2% reception depends on the exact spot. A typical home gets about 29 free channels from 13 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
Each network's reach
| Network | Reaches | Indoor likely |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | 95% | 0% |
| CBS | 95% | 0% |
| NBC | 95% | 75% |
| FOX | 92% | 75% |
| PBS | 97% | 75% |
| The CW | 92% | 75% |
| Univision | 55% | 45% |
| Telemundo | 1% | 0% |
Share of the market's 3,292k people, across its 113 ZIP codes.
Town by town
| Town | Antenna | Point | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego ZIP 92124 | Attic or outdoor | southeast (132°, most) | 28 |
| Chula Vista ZIP 91913 | Attic or outdoor | north-northeast (33°, most) | 29 |
| Oceanside ZIP 92057 | Attic or outdoor | south (174°, most) | 22 |
| Escondido ZIP 92027 | Attic or outdoor | south-southeast (168°, most) | 26 |
| Carlsbad ZIP 92011 | Attic or outdoor | south-southeast (155°) | 49 |
| El Cajon ZIP 92020 | Attic or outdoor | south-southeast (165°, most) | 26 |
| Vista ZIP 92083 | Roof | south-southeast (163°) | 34 |
| San Marcos ZIP 92096 | Roof | south-southwest (195°, most) | 93 |
| Encinitas ZIP 92024 | Attic or outdoor | southeast (142°, most) | 33 |
| La Mesa ZIP 91942 | Attic or outdoor | southeast (137°, most) | 29 |
| Santee ZIP 92071 | Attic or outdoor | south-southeast (164°, most) | 26 |
| National City ZIP 91950 | Attic or outdoor | east (80°, most) | 29 |
| Poway ZIP 92064 | Attic or outdoor | south-southeast (162°, most) | 26 |
| Lemon Grove ZIP 91945 | Attic or outdoor | east-southeast (114°, most) | 29 |
| Imperial Beach ZIP 91932 | Attic or outdoor | northeast (52°, most) | 65 |
For the ZIP nearest each town's centre. Tap a town for its full channel list.
What channel is each network on in San Diego?
| Network | Channel | Station |
|---|---|---|
 CBS | 8.1 | KFMB-TV |
 NBC | 39.1 | KNSD |
 ABC | 10.1 | KGTV |
 FOX | 69.1 | KSWB-TV |
 PBS | 15.1 | KPBS |
 The CW | 51.1 | KUSI-TV |
 Univision | 17.1 | KBNT-CD |
The best TV antenna for San Diego
Get an antenna rated for both VHF and UHF. For most homes an attic or outdoor antenna is the safe choice; by our estimate an indoor one is likely enough for only about 0% of people.
- 14 channels reach ordinary TVs only on VHF (KFMB-TV, KGTV), and many flat indoor antennas are weak on VHF.
- 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 Chula Vista, Oceanside, Carlsbad and nearby
Aim at the main tower site (KPBS, KNSD, KSWB-TV and others). From the largest towns around San Diego:
| From | Point | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Chula Vista, CA | northeast (44°) | 7 mi |
| Oceanside, CA | south-southeast (149°) | 42 mi |
| Carlsbad, CA | southeast (146°) | 36 mi |
| El Cajon, CA | south (169°) | 7 mi |
| National City, CA | east-northeast (77°) | 10 mi |
| Poway, CA | south-southeast (166°) | 21 mi |
3 full-power stations transmit from elsewhere: KGTV (21 mi away), KFMB-TV (21 mi away), KUSI-TV (0 mi away). If you live near one of them, it may need a separate aim.
Where the San Diego TV towers are
Map of 9 tower sites around San Diego. The list below has every site.
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3 stations · 8 mi west of the centre
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3 stations · 15 mi northeast of the centre
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2 stations · 14 mi southeast of the centre
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2 stations · 14 mi southeast of the centre
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2 stations · 14 mi southeast of the centre
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2 stations · 14 mi southeast of the centre
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1 station · 8 mi west of the centre
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1 station · 14 mi southeast of the centre
1 more single low-power sites
NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) in San Diego
2 stations (KRPE-LD, KUSI-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 .
KRPE-LD sends NextGen TV on RF 6
Our data lists no channels of its own on the NextGen signal yet.
KUSI-TV sends NextGen TV on RF 18
- 51.1 The CW: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
- 51.2 Rewind TV: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
Every San Diego 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.
Full power (6)
- KFMB-TV San Diego, CA · VHF
- 8.1 CBS
- 8.2 Independent with MyNetworkTV
- 8.3 Quest
- 8.4 True Crime Network
- 8.5 Court TV
- 8.6 The Nest
- KGTV San Diego, CA · VHF
- 10.1 ABC
- 10.2 Bounce TV
- 10.3 Grit
- 10.4 Ion Mystery
- 10.5 Laff
- 10.6 Busted
- 10.7 HSN
- 10.8 QVC
- KPBS San Diego, CA · UHF
- 15.1 PBS
- KNSD San Diego, CA · UHF
- 39.1 NBC
- 39.2 Cozi TV
- 39.3 NBC True CRMZ
- 39.4 Oxygen
- KUSI-TV San Diego, CA · UHF · NextGen TV
- 51.1 The CW
- 51.2 Rewind TV
- KSWB-TV San Diego, CA · UHF
- 69.1 Fox
- 69.2 Antenna TV
- 69.3 Court TV
- 69.4 Ion
Class A (2)
Low power (8)
- KUAN-LD Poway, Etc., CA · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- KDTF-LD San Diego, CA · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- KRPE-LD San Diego, CA · VHF · NextGen TV
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- KSDX-LD San Diego, CA · VHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- KSDY-LD San Diego, CA · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- KVSD-LD San Diego, CA · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- KZSD-LD San Diego, CA · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- KZTC-LD San Diego, CA · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
Translator (1)
- K25RF-D Vista, CA · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
Questions about antenna TV in San Diego
What channels are CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX on antenna in San Diego?
What local channels can I get with an antenna in San Diego?
What is the best TV antenna for San Diego?
Which way should I point my antenna in San Diego?
Do I need a new TV for NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) in San Diego?
For the curious: tower and licence details
- KBNT-CD · facility 4035 · RF 24 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2019-03-18
- KDTF-LD · facility 13022 · RF 16 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2020-12-15
- KGTV · facility 40876 · RF 10 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 20.7 kW · HAAT 227 m · licensed 2010-04-12 · newer construction permit granted
- KFMB-TV · facility 42122 · RF 8 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 19.8 kW · HAAT 227 m · licensed 2011-05-10 · newer construction permit granted
- KRPE-LD · facility 129651 · RF 6 (VHF-low) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 0.65 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2021-11-17
- KSDX-LD · facility 168576 · RF 9 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 0.28 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2009-11-02
- KPBS · facility 6124 · RF 19 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 285 kW · HAAT 572.7 m · licensed 2019-04-05
- KSDY-LD · facility 56830 · RF 31 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2019-04-04
- KNSD · facility 35277 · RF 17 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 387 kW · HAAT 577 m · licensed 2019-03-26 · newer construction permit granted
- KUAN-LD · facility 35609 · RF 17 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 387 kW · HAAT 577 m · licensed 2019-03-26
- KSWB-TV · facility 58827 · RF 26 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 350 kW · HAAT 596 m · licensed 2024-01-08
- KZSD-LD · facility 57054 · RF 20 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 7.3 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2019-02-06
- KUSI-TV · facility 10238 · RF 18 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 355 kW · HAAT 576 m · licensed 2024-01-08
- KZTC-LD · facility 11608 · RF 25 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2026-08-10
- KVSD-LD · facility 14910 · RF 35 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2021-10-04
- KSKT-CD · facility 58927 · RF 36 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2024-06-06
- K25RF-D · facility 70394 · RF 25 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 1 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2020-03-04
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