Local Channels by State: How to Find and Watch Your Local TV Stations

How local TV works in the US

A TV market is the group of counties that receives the same local stations. A DMA is Nielsen's name for it, short for designated market area, and there are 210 of them. Each one has its own affiliates: local stations that carry a network such as ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX, plus their own local news, weather and sports.

That is why one network sits on different numbers across the country. The number your TV shows is the station's virtual channel. The frequency it really broadcasts on can be different, which matters for antennas. A subchannel is an extra channel a station broadcasts next to its main one, numbered like 7.2. It lets one station carry a second network, and that is now how ABC reaches viewers in Miami.

Markets also cross state lines. New Jersey watches New York and Philadelphia stations, and much of Northern Virginia watches Washington, D.C. So the right question is not "what state am I in" but "which market is my ZIP code in".

Local channels by state

These are the main channels in 15 large states, using each state's best-known market as the example. Numbers are the over-the-air channels your TV shows, checked against each station's record on Wikipedia on October 18, 2026. The IPTVZ column counts the local network stations from that state in our lineup.

State and main markets	Example	ABC	CBS	NBC	FOX	On IPTVZ
Texas Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and 15 more	Houston	13	11	2	26	69+
California Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, San Diego, Fresno	Los Angeles	7	2	4	11	35+
Florida Tampa, Orlando, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach	Miami	7.2	4	6	7	40+
New York New York City, Buffalo, Albany, Rochester, Syracuse	New York	7	2	4	5	33+
Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre-Scranton	Philadelphia	6	3	10	29	27+
Illinois Chicago, Champaign-Springfield, Peoria, Rockford, Quincy	Chicago	7	2	5	32	19+
Ohio Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo	Cleveland	5	19	3	8	28+
Georgia Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta, Macon, Columbus	Atlanta	2	69	11	5	22+
North Carolina Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro, Greenville-New Bern, Wilmington	Charlotte	9	3	36	46	27+
Arizona Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma	Phoenix	15	5	12	10	10+
Tennessee Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Tri-Cities	Nashville	2	5	4	17	21+
Virginia Washington, D.C. suburbs, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke-Lynchburg	Richmond	8	6	12	35	18+
Missouri St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia-Jefferson City	St. Louis	32.1	4	5	2	24+
South Carolina Greenville-Spartanburg, Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach-Florence	Columbia	25	19	10	57	12+
Wisconsin Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, La Crosse-Eau Claire, Wausau	Milwaukee	12	58	4	6	23+

The "On IPTVZ" count only includes ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, MyNetworkTV and Telemundo stations that our catalogue lists under that state, so the real number is higher. Full station lists, subchannels and antenna tips are in our guide to local channels in Texas and its market guides to Houston TV stations and Dallas-Fort Worth TV stations, with more states coming next.

Local channel changes in 2025 and 2026

Three big markets changed where a major network lives in 2025 and 2026, so an old channel number may now show different shows:

Market	Network	Old channel	New channel	When
Miami-Fort Lauderdale	ABC	10 (WPLG, now independent)	7.2 (WSVN, also on 18.1)	2025
Atlanta	CBS	46 (WANF, now independent)	69 (WUPA, CBS Atlanta)	2025
St. Louis	ABC	30 (KDNL, now independent)	32.1 (KMOV)	September 1, 2026

Our finding: When we checked the main channels of 15 large markets for this guide, 3 of the 60 network stations had changed since the start of 2025. In each case the old station stayed on the air on its old number as an independent, so a viewer who doesn't rescan may not notice that the network has moved.

If a network seems to be missing, run a new channel scan on your TV. Sources: the station records for WSVN, WUPA and KMOV, checked October 18, 2026.

How to find your local channels

Three steps tell you exactly which local stations you can get at home:

1. Enter your address in the FCC DTV reception map. It lists every station you should receive, how strong each signal is, and which direction the towers are.
2. Note which stations are on VHF. The FCC map shows the real broadcast channel. Stations on VHF, channels 2 to 13, are the ones small indoor antennas lose first.
3. Rescan your TV. Stations move and networks change, so scan again after any change, and once or twice a year anyway.

For example, ABC 7 in New York and Los Angeles both broadcast on VHF, as do ABC 13 in Houston and WFAA 8 in Dallas. If one of those is missing after a scan, an antenna rated for VHF, placed high, is usually the fix.

Ways to watch local channels without cable

You have five ways to get local channels anywhere in the US, and they trade price against reliability differently:

Option	What it costs	Local channels	Watch out for
Antenna	One-time purchase	Every station you can receive	VHF stations indoors, distance from the towers
Cable or satellite	Varies by provider and city	All main locals	Broadcast TV fees, box rental, price after the first year
Live-TV streaming (YouTube TV, DIRECTV streaming)	YouTube TV $82.99 a month; DIRECTV Entertainment $89.99	Most main locals in large markets	Lineups vary by ZIP code, so check yours first
Free station apps	Free	Local news streams	News only, not the full channel
IPTVZ	From $29.99 for 3 months, $74.99 for 12	800+ local network stations	Needs a steady connection, about 15 Mbps per HD screen

Prices from YouTube TV and DIRECTV, checked October 17, 2026. For a city-level look at a cable bill, see our guides to leaving Spectrum in Dallas-Fort Worth and Xfinity in Houston.

Worth it if you watch live TV most days: the 12-month IPTVZ plan works out to about $6.25 a month, less than one month of most streaming packages.

Local channels on IPTVZ

IPTVZ carries more than 800 local network stations. We counted the distinct station call signs in our panel catalogue on October 16, 2026:

Network	Local stations on IPTVZ
NBC	187
CBS	174
ABC	169
FOX	164
CW and MyNetworkTV	61
Telemundo	48
Total	803

They come from TV markets in every state except Delaware and New Jersey, which are served by Philadelphia, New York and other neighboring markets. PBS stations, Univision and independents are on top of this count. Search the IPTVZ channel list for your station by name.

Because IPTV works over the internet, you are not limited to your own market. You can watch your hometown news after a move, or follow a team's local broadcasts from another state, as in our guides to Dallas-Fort Worth sports without cable and Astros and Rockets without cable.

Local channels FAQ

How do I find out what local channels I can get?

Enter your address in the FCC DTV reception map. It lists every station you should receive, its signal strength and the direction of the towers.

How many TV markets are there in the US?

Nielsen divides the country into 210 TV markets. Each has its own ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX stations, and some markets cross state lines.

Why is ABC on a different channel in Miami now?

In 2025 ABC moved from WPLG on channel 10 to WSVN, which carries it on subchannel 7.2 alongside FOX on 7.1. WPLG is now an independent station.

What channel is CBS in Atlanta?

CBS is on channel 69, WUPA, since 2025. The old CBS station, WANF on channel 46, is now independent and keeps its Atlanta News First newscasts.

Are local channels free?

Yes, over the air. Any full-power station you can receive with an antenna is free. Cable, satellite, streaming and IPTV charge for the service that brings them to you.

Can I watch local channels from another city?

Not with an antenna, which only receives your own market. Over the internet you can: IPTVZ carries local stations from markets across the country.

What is the cheapest way to get local channels without cable?

An antenna, which costs nothing after you buy it. For locals plus sports and cable channels, IPTVZ costs $74.99 a year, compared with YouTube TV at $82.99 a month.

The short version

• The US has 210 TV markets, and each has its own channel numbers.
• Check the FCC reception map for your address, and rescan your TV after any change.
• ABC moved to 7.2 in Miami and 32.1 in St. Louis, and CBS moved to 69 in Atlanta.
• IPTVZ carries more than 800 local network stations for $74.99 a year.

Try your own city's channels first. A free 24-hour IPTVZ trial takes a couple of minutes, and plans start at $29.99 for 3 months.