Antenna structures in McDowell County, West Virginia
At a glance
McDowell County, West Virginia has 17 FCC-registered antenna structures, 13 of them marked constructed. That is the 40th-largest count among the 55 West Virginia counties with registrations, and 0.87% of the state's 1,958. The tallest constructed structure in the county is registration 1282651 near Welch at 151 m (495 ft).
Dataset updated . Refreshed from the FCC ASR weekly bulk database.
How does McDowell County compare with the rest of West Virginia?
With 17 registrations, McDowell County ranks 40th of 55 counties in West Virginia; Kanawha County leads the state with 178. The average registered overall height here is 91 m, about 19% above the West Virginia average of 77 m. The tallest standing structure, at 151 m, is about 65% above the county average.
What kinds of structures are registered in McDowell County?
The most common filed structure type in McDowell County is tower (code TOWER), with 7 registrations (41.2%). It is followed by lattice tower (6) and guyed tower (1). In all, 5 different FCC structure-type codes appear in the county.
By registration status: 13 constructed, 2 canceled, 1 dismantled and 1 granted (not yet constructed). Only constructed registrations describe structures the registry treats as standing; canceled, dismantled and terminated records stay listed as history.
Who owns the towers in McDowell County?
West Virginia Emergency Management Division holds the most registrations in McDowell County, with 3 of the 17. The next largest are American Towers LLC (2), Appalachian Power Company (2) and TowerNorth Development, LLC (2). 11 owners with two or more registrations nationwide hold structures in the county.
Which places in McDowell County have registered structures?
Registrations in McDowell County list 9 different city or place names. The most frequent are Welch (8), Iaeger (2), Kimball (1), Northfork (1) and War (1).
Every registration
All 17 structures in McDowell County, tallest first
| # | Structure | Height | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welch · 1282651 | 151 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 2 | Kimball · 1035182 | 137 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 3 | Welch · 1291160 | 109 m | Lattice tower | Canceled |
| 4 | Welch · 1307482 | 107 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 5 | Northfork · 1306862 | 94 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 6 | Welch · 1275057 | 94 m | Monopole | Constructed |
| 7 | War · 1272237 | 94 m | Mast | Canceled |
| 8 | Iaeger · 1310389 | 93 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 9 | Elkhorn · 1310696 | 93 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 10 | Panther · 1253516 | 91 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 11 | Bartley · 1260619 | 91 m | Guyed tower | Constructed |
| 12 | Welch · 1200717 | 88 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 13 | Welch · 1034082 | 69 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 14 | Welch · 1032147 | 61 m | Tower (type not specified) | Dismantled |
| 15 | Welch · 1255482 | 61 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 16 | Iaeger · 1308486 | 61 m | Lattice tower | Granted (not yet constructed) |
| 17 | Gary · 1033616 | 58 m | Unspecified structure | Constructed |
Frequently asked questions
How many cell towers are in McDowell County, WV?
The FCC Antenna Structure Registration database lists 17 registered antenna structures in McDowell County, West Virginia, 13 of them constructed. Registration is generally required only for structures taller than about 60 m or near airports, so shorter cell sites may not appear.
What is the tallest tower in McDowell County?
The tallest constructed registered structure in McDowell County is registration 1282651, a tower near Welch at 151 m (495 ft) overall height.
Who owns the most towers in McDowell County?
West Virginia Emergency Management Division holds the most registrations in McDowell County (3), followed by American Towers LLC (2).
What kind of towers are in McDowell County?
Tower (type not specified) is the most common filed type (7 of 17 registrations), then lattice tower (6).
More in West Virginia
About this data
Source: FCC Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) database, as published October 13, 2026 — TowerCensus refreshes it weekly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: TowerCensus, “Antenna structures in McDowell County, West Virginia”, https://towercensus.com/towers/west-virginia/county/mcdowell-county (data as of October 13, 2026).