The United States is home to many of the world's tallest skyscrapers; eleven American buildings have held the title of tallest building in the world, and every titleholder from 1890 to 1998 was in the United States.[1] The 10-story Home Insurance Building, built in Chicago in 1885, is regarded as the world's first skyscraper; the building was constructed using a novel steel-loadbearing frame. As of 2009, 6 of the 25 tallest buildings in the world are in the United States; before 1990, the U.S. had had all of the top ten tallest buildings.
As of 2010, the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) is the tallest skyscraper in the United States, and the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world to the antenna and the fifth-tallest building in the world to the roof, with a height of 1,451 feet (442 meters). Prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, the twin towers of the World Trade Center occupied the second and third positions on the list below. The North Tower stood at 1,368 feet (417 m), while the South was 1,362 feet (415 m) tall. They are the only buildings which would have qualified for the list which are no longer standing. Chicago and New York have always been the centers of U.S. skyscraper building. Of the top twenty-five buildings, eight are in Chicago and seven are in New York.
The 1776 foot (541 m) One World Trade Center (previously known as the Freedom Tower), scheduled for construction on the former World Trade Center site, was intended to become the tallest building in the United States upon completion in 2013. The Chicago Spire (previously known as the Fordham Spire) a tower under construction in Chicago, Illinois is planned for completion in 2011. This tower would be taller than the under-construction 1 World Trade Center with a height of 2,000 feet (610 m) but it is now on hold, so it is uncertain which tower will be completed first. Other tall buildings that are either proposed or under construction include the American Commerce Center (1,510 feet (460 m)) in Philadelphia, Trans National Place in Boston (1,175 feet (351.8m)), the Signature Tower in Nashville, Tennessee (1,057 feet (322 m)), One Bayfront Plaza (1,049 feet (320 m) and the Empire World Towers (1,022 (312 m) in Miami, Florida and Waterview Tower (1,047 feet (319 m)) in Chicago. If all the proposed buildings are completed at the current projections, nine of the ten tallest buildings in the United States would be located in either New York City (5 - 1 World Trade Center, Madison Square Garden Towers I and II, 2 World Trade Center, and Hudson Place Tower) or Chicago (4 - Chicago Spire, Willis Tower, Trump International, and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Residence Tower), with the lone exception being the American Commerce Center in Philadelphia, which would be number three on the list (behind the Chicago Spire and 1 World Trade Center).
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This lists ranks completed and topped out buildings in the United States that stand at least 700 feet (213 m) tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. An equal sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed. Freestanding observation towers, while not habitable buildings, are included for comparison purposes; however, they are not ranked.
Was the world's tallest building upon completion
Rank | Name | Location | Height ft (m) |
Floors | Year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Willis Tower[A] | Chicago |
1,451 (442) | 108 | 1974 | 8th-tallest building in the world; has been the tallest building in Chicago and the U.S. since 1974; tallest building in the world from 1974 until 1998; tallest building constructed in the U.S. and the world in the 1970s; formerly known (but still commonly referred to) as the Sears Tower[2][3] |
2 | Trump International Hotel and Tower | Chicago |
1,389 (423) | 98 | 2009 | 11th-tallest building in the world; tallest building built in the U.S. in the 2000s[4] |
3 | Empire State Building[A] | New York City |
1,250 (381) | 102 | 1931 | 15th-tallest building in the world, tallest building in New York City; tallest building in the world from 1931 until 1973; first building in the world to contain over 100 floors; tallest building built in the U.S. and the world in the 1930s[5][6] |
4 | Bank of America Tower | New York City |
1,200 (366) | 54 | 2009 | second-tallest building in New York City and the 18th-tallest building in the world.[7][8] |
[Note B] | Stratosphere Tower | Las Vegas |
1,149 (350) | 12 | 1996 | Tallest observation tower in the United States, second-tallest in the Western Hemisphere after the CN Tower in Toronto; second-tallest free-standing structure in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River, after the Kennecott Smokestack in Utah; has been the tallest structure in Las Vegas and Nevada since 1996[9][10][10][11] |
5 | Aon Center | Chicago |
1,136 (346) | 83 | 1973 | 22nd-tallest building in the world[12][13] |
6 | John Hancock Center | Chicago |
1,127 (344) | 100 | 1969 | 24th-tallest building in the world; first trussed-tube building in the world; contains the highest residential units in the world; tallest building built in the U.S. in the 1960s[14][15] |
7= | Chrysler Building[A] | New York City |
1,046 (319) | 77 | 1930 | 33rd-tallest building in the world; tallest man-made structure in the world from 1930 until 1931, surpassing the Eiffel Tower; tallest brick building in the world.[16][17] |
7= | New York Times Building | New York City |
1,046 (319) | 52 | 2007 | 33rd-tallest building in the world, its record is tied with the Chrysler Building[18][19] |
9 | Bank of America Plaza | Atlanta |
1,023 (312) | 55 | 1992 | 37th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Atlanta and the Southern United States; tallest building located in a state capital; tallest building built in the U.S. in the 1990s[20][21] |
10 | U.S. Bank Tower | Los Angeles |
1,018 (310) | 73 | 1989 | 42nd-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Los Angeles; tallest building west of the Mississippi River and on the U.S. West Coast [22][23] |
11 | AT&T Corporate Center | Chicago |
1,007 (307) | 60 | 1989 | 42nd-tallest building in the world[24][25] |
12 | JPMorgan Chase Tower | Houston |
1,002 (305) | 75 | 1982 | 45th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Houston; tallest 5-sided building in the world[26][27] |
13 | Two Prudential Plaza | Chicago |
995 (303) | 64 | 1990 | 47th-tallest building in the world[28][29] |
14 | Wells Fargo Plaza | Houston |
992 (302) | 71 | 1983 | 48th-tallest building in the world[30][31] |
Sutro Tower | San Francisco |
977 (297) | 1972 | 59th-tallest structure in the world; tallest structure in San Francisco | ||
15 | Comcast Center | Philadelphia |
975 (297) | 57 | 2007 | 60th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Philadelphia; tallest building in Pennsylvania; tallest LEED certified building in the U.S. [32][33] |
16 | 311 South Wacker Drive | Chicago |
961 (293) | 65 | 1990 | 57th-tallest building in the world[34][35] |
17 | American International Building | New York City |
952 (290) | 66 | 1932 | 59th-tallest building in the world[36][37] |
18 | Key Tower | Cleveland |
947 (289) | 57 | 1991 | 60th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Cleveland and Ohio; tallest building in the U.S. between New York City and Chicago until the 2007 completion of Comcast Center[38][39] |
19 | One Liberty Place | Philadelphia |
945 (288) | 61 | 1987 | 61st-tallest building in the world[40][41] |
20 | Columbia Center | Seattle |
932 (284) | 76 | 1985 | 63rd-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Seattle[42] |
21 | The Trump Building[A] | New York City |
927 (283) | 70 | 1930 | 68th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in the world for two months in 1930 until the completion of the Chrysler Building; also known as 40 Wall Street.[43][44] |
22 | Bank of America Plaza | Dallas |
921 (281) | 72 | 1985 | 69th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Dallas[45][46] |
23 | Citigroup Center | New York City |
915 (279) | 59 | 1977 | 73rd-tallest building in the world.[47][48] |
24 | Williams Tower | Houston |
901 (275) | 64 | 1983 | 78th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in the world located outside of a city's central business district[49][50] |
25 | Renaissance Tower | Dallas |
886 (270) | 56 | 1974 | 81st-tallest building in the world; originally constructed at a height of 710 feet (216 m); rooftop spires were added in 1987, increasing the building's structural height to 886 feet (270 m).[51][52] |
26 | The Beekman | New York City | 876 / 267 | 76 | 2010 | Topped out[53][54] |
26= | 900 North Michigan | Chicago |
871 (265) | 66 | 1989 | 90th-tallest building in the world[55][56] |
26= | Bank of America Corporate Center | Charlotte |
871 (265) | 60 | 1992 | 90th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Charlotte[57][58] |
26= | SunTrust Plaza | Atlanta |
871 (265) | 60 | 1992 | 90th-tallest building in the world.[59][60] |
29 | Trump World Tower | New York City |
861 (262) | 72 | 2001 | 99th-tallest building in the world; tallest residential building in the world from 2000 until 2002[61][62] |
30 | Water Tower Place | Chicago |
859 (262) | 74 | 1976 | 101st-tallest building in the world[63][64] |
31 | Aon Center | Los Angeles |
858 (262) | 62 | 1974 | 104th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River from 1974 until 1982[65][66] |
32 | Transamerica Pyramid | San Francisco |
853 (260) | 48 | 1972 | 109th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in San Francisco; tallest building in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River from 1972 until 1974[67][68] |
33= | Chase Tower | Chicago |
850 (259) | 60 | 1969 | 116th-tallest building in the world[69][70] |
33= | GE Building | New York City |
850 (259) | 69 | 1933 | 116th-tallest building in the world[71][72] |
35 | Two Liberty Place | Philadelphia |
848 (258) | 58 | 1990 | 120th-tallest building in the world[73][74] |
36 | Park Tower | Chicago |
844 (257) | 67 | 2000 | 123rd-tallest building in the world[75][76] |
37 | U.S. Steel Tower | Pittsburgh |
841 (256) | 64 | 1970 | 125th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Pittsburgh; largest roof in the world at its height or taller[77][78][79] |
38 | Chase Tower | Indianapolis |
830 (253) | 49 | 1990 | 133rd-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Indianapolis; tallest building in the Midwest outside of Chicago and Cleveland[80] |
39 | One Atlantic Center | Atlanta |
820 (250) | 50 | 1987 | 141st-tallest building in the world. Also known as the IBM Tower.[81][82] |
40= | Aqua | Chicago |
819 (250) | 82 | 2009 | 148th-tallest building in the world[83] |
40= | The Legacy at Millennium Park | Chicago |
819 (250) | 72 | 2009 | 148th-tallest building in the world[84] |
42 | CitySpire Center | New York City |
814 (248) | 75 | 1987 | 155th-tallest building in the world.[85][86] |
43 | One Chase Manhattan Plaza | New York City |
813 (248) | 60 | 1960 | 157th-tallest building in the world[87][88] |
44 | Conde Nast Building | New York City |
809 (247) | 48 | 1999 | 161st-tallest building in the world; also known as 4 Times Square[89][90] |
45 | MetLife Building | New York City |
808 (246) | 59 | 1963 | 162nd-tallest building in the world; formerly known as the PanAm Building[91] |
46 | Bloomberg Tower | New York City |
806 (246) | 54 | 2005 | 163rd-tallest building in the world.[92][93] |
47= | IDS Tower | Minneapolis |
792 (241) | 57 | 1973 | 186th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Minneapolis[94] |
47= | Mellon Bank Center | Philadelphia |
792 (241) | 54 | 1990 | 186th-tallest building in the world[95] |
47= | Woolworth Building[A] | New York City |
792 (241) | 57 | 1913 | 186th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in the world from 1913 until 1930; tallest building built in the U.S. and the world in the 1910s[96][97] |
50 | Hancock Place | Boston |
790 (241) | 60 | 1976 | 191st-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Boston and New England; also known as the John Hancock Tower[98][99] |
51 | Four Seasons Hotel & Tower | Miami |
789 (240) | 64 | 2003 | 193rd-tallest building in the world; tallest building in Miami[100][101] |
52 | Comerica Bank Tower | Dallas |
787 (240) | 60 | 1987 | 195th-tallest building in the world. Formerly known as Bank One Center and Chase Center.[102][103] |
53 | 300 North LaSalle | Chicago |
785 (239) | 60 | 2009 | [104][105] |
54 | 30 Hudson Street | Jersey City |
781 (238) | 42 | 2003 | Tallest building in Jersey City[106][107] |
55 | Bank of America Center | Houston |
780 (238) | 56 | 1983 | [108][109] |
56 | 555 California Street | San Francisco |
779 (237) | 52 | 1969 | Tallest building on the West Coast from 1969 to 1972. Renamed from Bank of America Center in 2005. Tallest building constructed in the city in the 1960s.[110][111] |
57 | One Worldwide Plaza | New York City |
778 (237) | 50 | 1989 | [112] |
58 | Capella Tower | Minneapolis |
776 (237) | 56 | 1992 | Formerly known as First Bank Place and US Bancorp Tower[113][114] |
59 | Wells Fargo Center | Minneapolis |
773 (236) | 57 | 1988 | 199th-tallest building in the world[115] |
60 | 1201 Third Avenue Tower | Seattle |
771 (235) | 55 | 1988 | Formerly known as the Washington Mutual Tower[116][117] |
62 | 191 Peachtree Tower | Atlanta |
770 (235) | 50 | 1991 | [118][119] |
63 | Three First National Plaza | Chicago |
767 (234) | 57 | 1981 | [120][121] |
64= | Duke Energy Center* | Charlotte |
764 (233) | 48 | 2009 | Under construction; has been topped out[122][123] |
64= | Wachovia Financial Center | Miami |
764 (233) | 55 | 1984 | [124][125] |
66 | Heritage Plaza | Houston |
762 (232) | 53 | 1987 | [126][127] |
67 | Carnegie Hall Tower | New York City |
757 (231) | 60 | 1991 | [128][129] |
68= | Chicago Title and Trust Center | Chicago |
756 (230) | 50 | 1992 | [130][131] |
68= | Enterprise Plaza | Houston |
756 (230) | 55 | 1980 | [132][133] |
70 | 383 Madison Avenue | New York City |
755 (230) | 47 | 2001 | Formerly known as the Bear Stearns World Headquarters[134][135] |
71 | AXA Center | New York City |
752 (229) | 54 | 1986 | [136][137] |
72= | 1251 Avenue of the Americas | New York City |
750 (229) | 54 | 1971 | [138][139] |
72= | One Penn Plaza | New York City |
750 (229) | 57 | 1972 | [140][141] |
72= | Time Warner Center Tower North Tower | New York City |
750 (229) | 55 | 2004 | [142][143] |
72= | Time Warner Center Tower South Tower | New York City |
750 (229) | 55 | 2004 | [143][144] |
72= | Two California Plaza | Los Angeles |
750 (229) | 52 | 1992 | [145][146] |
77= | Gas Company Tower | Los Angeles |
749 (228) | 52 | 1991 | [147][148] |
77= | Goldman Sachs World Headquarters* | New York City |
749 (228) | 44 | 2009 | Topped out[149] |
77= | Prudential Tower | Boston |
749 (228) | 52 | 1964 | Stood as the tallest building in North America outside of New York City upon its completion[150] |
80= | 60 Wall Street | New York City |
745 (227) | 56 | 1989 | [151] |
80= | One Astor Plaza | New York City |
745 (227) | 54 | 1972 | [152][153] |
80= | RSA Battle House Tower | Mobile |
745 (227) | 35 | 2007 | Tallest building in Mobile and Alabama[154][155] |
83= | Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower | Chicago |
743 (227) | 54 | 2010 | Topped out[156][157] |
83= | One Liberty Plaza | New York City |
743 (227) | 54 | 1974 | [158][159] |
85= | 7 World Trade Center | New York City |
741 (226) | 52 | 2006 | [160] |
85= | 20 Exchange Place | New York City |
741 (226) | 57 | 1931 | [161][162] |
85= | Centerpoint Energy Plaza | Houston |
741 (226) | 53 | 1974 | [163] |
88 | Two Union Square | Seattle |
740 (226) | 56 | 1989 | [164] |
89= | Bell Atlantic Tower | Philadelphia |
739 (225) | 55 | 1991 | Also known as Verizon Tower[165][166] |
89= | Three World Financial Center | New York City |
739 (225) | 51 | 1986 | [167][168] |
91 | JPMorgan Chase Tower | Dallas |
738 (225) | 55 | 1987 | [169][170] |
92= | Bank of America Plaza | Los Angeles |
735 (224) | 55 | 1975 | [171][172] |
92= | Fontainebleau Resort Las Vegas* | Las Vegas |
735 (224) | 63 | 2009 | Under construction; the Fontainebleau Resort was topped out in early 2009, becoming the tallest building in Las Vegas and Nevada.[173][174] |
94 | One Museum Park | Chicago |
734 (224) | 62 | 2009 | Tallest all-residential building in Chicago, second-tallest all-residential building in the U.S. after the Trump World Tower in New York City[175][176] |
95 | Bertelsmann Building | New York City |
733 (223) | 45 | 1990 | [177] |
96 | Continental Center One | Houston |
732 (223) | 53 | 1984 | [178][179] |
97 | Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center | Detroit |
727 (222) | 70 | 1977 | Tallest all-hotel building in the world upon completion; now stands as the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere.[180][181] |
98= | 777 Tower | Los Angeles |
725 (221) | 53 | 1991 | [182] |
98= | Fullbright Tower | Houston |
725 (221) | 52 | 1982 | [183][184] |
98= | One Mellon Center | Pittsburgh |
725 (221) | 54 | 1983 | [185][186] |
98= | Olympia Centre | Chicago |
725 (221) | 63 | 1986 | [187][188] |
102 | Times Square Tower | New York City |
724 (221) | 49 | 2004 | [189] |
103= | Wells Fargo Tower | Los Angeles |
723 (220) | 54 | 1982 | [190][191] |
103= | Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel | Atlanta |
723 (220) | 70 | 1973 | [192] |
105 | Seattle Municipal Tower | Seattle |
722 (220) | 62 | 1990 | [193] |
106 | Fountain Place | Dallas |
720 (220) | 63 | 1986 | [194] |
107 | Figueroa at Wilshire | Los Angeles |
717 (219) | 53 | 1990 | [195][196] |
108 | Metropolitan Tower | New York City |
716 (218) | 68 | 1987 | [197][198] |
109= | One Shell Plaza | Houston |
714 (218) | 50 | 1971 | [199][200] |
109= | Republic Plaza | Denver |
714 (218) | 56 | 1984 | Tallest building in Denver[201][202] |
111= | Revel Casino — North Tower* | Atlantic City |
710 (216) | 47 | 2011 | Under construction; has been topped out. Tallest building in Atlantic City (tied with sister tower)[203][204] |
111= | Revel Casino — South Tower* | Atlantic City |
710 (216) | 47 | 2011 | Under construction; has been topped out. Tallest building in Atlantic City (tied with sister tower)[203][204] |
113= | 500 Fifth Avenue | New York City |
709 (216) | 58 | 1931 | [205] |
113= | 1801 California Street | Denver |
709 (216) | 53 | 1982 | [206] |
114 | Terminal Tower | Cleveland |
708 (216) | 52 | 1930 | Tallest building in North America outside of New York City until the completion of the Prudential Tower in Boston in 1967[207] |
115 | JPMorgan Chase World Headquarters | New York City |
707 (216) | 52 | 1960 | [208][209] |
116 | General Motors Building | New York City |
705 (215) | 50 | 1968 | [210][211] |
117= | Marquis Miami | Miami |
700 (213) | 63 | 2008 | [212] |
117= | Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower[A] | New York City |
700 (213) | 50 | 1909 | Tallest building in the world from 1909 until 1913; Tallest building built in the U.S. and the world in the first decade of the 1900's[213][214] |
* indicates building is still under construction, but has been topped out
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