List of tallest structures in the United States
The height of structures in the United States has historically been poorly documented. However the data is a matter of public record, appearing in documents maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
This list is populated heavily by antenna masts. The engineering aspects of super-tall masts are highly specialized. Only four companies erect the majority of such structures: Doty Moore Tower Services (Cedar Hill, Texas); Kline Towers (Columbia, South Carolina); LeBlanc Royal Telecom (Oakville, Ontario); and Stainless Inc. (North Wales, Pennsylvania). The design and construction are largely governed by RS222E Electronic Industries Alliance standards. A 1,000 ft (305 m) mast costs between $0.7 and $1.1 million to build, while a 2,000 ft (610 m) mast costs $2.4 to $4 million. Prices generally vary depending on tower capacity and wind loading specifications.
A common misperception is that landmarks such as the Stratosphere Tower are the tallest United States structures, but they are in fact the tallest buildings. Likewise Taipei 101 was often misrepresented as the world's tallest structure (although it was the tallest occupied building, before the certification of Dubai's Burj Khalifa as such), but in fact is far eclipsed by antenna towers in over a dozen states in the United States and in other countries.
In the United States, the FAA and the FCC must approve all towers exceeding 200 ft (61 m) high. Furthermore, it is very difficult to get permission for structures over 2,000 ft (610 m) high. The FCC presumes them to be inconsistent with the public interest, while the FAA presumes them to be a hazard to air navigation, resulting in poor airspace usage. A significant burden of proof is placed on the applicant to show that such a structure is in the public's best interests. Only when both agencies have resolved all legal, safety, and management concerns is such an application approved.
Since 1978 the United States has maintained eleven tethered aerostats sites along the southern borders. These balloons rise to 18,000 ft (5,500 m), carrying radar units for drug interdiction purposes. However since the balloons are aided by buoyancy and are not permanent they are not considered true structures.
State-by-state listing
The RSA tower in Mobile
Alaska
- Knik TV Mast
- Height: 808 ft (246 m)
- Knik ()
- Year Built: 1986
- Owner: Alaska Public Telecommunications Inc
Arizona
- Midwest Tower Dolan Springs
- Flue gas stacks of the Navajo Generating Station
- Height: 775 ft (236 m)
- Page ()
- Year built: 1996-1998
- Owner: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (24.3%), SRP (21.7%), Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power (21.2%), Arizona Public Service Co. (14.0%), NV Energy (11.3%), Tucson Electric Power (7.5%)
- The Navajo Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant located 4 miles (6 km) east of Page, has three 775 ft (236 m) lined, reinforced concrete stacks. The plant's original stacks were demolished in the late 1990's after being replaced by larger diameter stacks of the same height. The new stacks were required to accommodate cooler, saturated flue gas that resulted when wet SO2 scrubbers were added.
- The tallest radio tower is the 650 ft (198 m) KSZR (97.5) tower in Oro Valley near Tucson.
Arkansas
California
- KXTV/KOVR Television Tower
- Height: 2,049 ft (624.5 m)
- Walnut Grove ()
- Year built: 2000
- Owner: Gannett/CBS
- This is the sixth tallest structure in the world, just behind KVLY-TV mast and KXJB-TV mast in North Dakota (Burj Khalifa is the tallest man made structure in the world). KXTV (ABC News 10) and KOVR (CBS 13), serve the Sacramento - Stockton - Modesto market. The tower has been used for research ozone sampling at different heights.
- In the same area, there are the 2,000 ft (609.6 m) high Hearst-Argyle Tower () and the 1,994 ft (607.8 m) high Channel 40 Tower ().
Colorado
- Radio communications tower: KTNI, KONN
- Height: 1,996 ft (608 m)
- Hoyt ()
- Year built: 2003
- Owner: Denver Radio Tower Company
- The primary reason for the tower is to get radio stations who do not have a license for the Denver area to get into the Denver area (big advertising bucks). According to Raymond Morris, "I was the previous owner of the land on which the tower was located. I was trying to negotiate a lease with them, but the going got tough and I ended up selling 367.3 acres [1.5 km²] from a larger piece of land, (4,000 feet × 4,000 feet) [1.2 by 1.2 km]."
Connecticut
- WTIC Television Tower (Hartford Fox 61)
- Height: 1,339 ft (408 m)
- Farmington ()
- Year built: 1984
- Owner: Communications Site Management LLC
Delaware
- WBOC Television Tower (Salisbury CBS 16)
- Height: 1,002 ft (305 m)
- Sharptown ()
- Year built: 1982
- Owner: WBOC
District of Columbia
- Hughes Memorial Tower
- Height: 765 ft (232 m)
- Washington ()
- Year built: 1989
- Owner: District of Columbia Office of Property Management
- Operator: Washington, D.C. Police Department
Florida
- WTVY-TV Tower (Dothan, Alabama market)
- Height: 1,901 ft (579 m) 2,049 ft ASL
- Bethlehem ()
- Year built: 1978
- Owner: Gray Television
- WCIX TV Tower Homestead, Florida
- Height: 1,801 ft (549 m)
- Destroyed in 1992
- Rebuilt
Georgia
Hawaii
- Navy VLF Antenna
- Height: 1,503 ft (458 m)
- Lualualei ()
- Year built: 1972
- Owner: U.S. Navy / ROICC Pearl Harbor
- The record-holder is held by two towers, exactly identical, that reach 1,503 ft (458 m) high. They are used to communicate with submarines throughout the Pacific basin. The second tallest structure is the KHON-TV (Honolulu Fox 2) tower at 500 ft (152 m) located at .
Idaho
- KMVT
- Height: 682 ft (208 m)
- Jerome ()
- Year built: 1961
- Owner: KMVT Broadcasting
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
- AFLAC Tower
- Height: 2,000 ft (609.4 m)
- Rowley (42°24'02.0" N, 91°50'37.0" W )
- Year built: 1984
- American Towers Tower Elkhart
- Height: 2,000 ft (609.3 m)
- Elkhart (41°49'48.0" N, 93°36'54.6" W)
- Year built: 2001
Kansas
- KWCH Television Tower (Wichita CBS 12)
- Height: 1,501 ft (458 m)
- Burrton ()
- Year built: 1963
- Owner: Media General Operations
- This was KTVH-TV until 1983, when it became KWCH-TV. Signal also broadcast on DT on Ch 19.
Kentucky
Louisiana
- WCKW/KSTE Radio Tower (New Orleans 92.3/104.1 FM)
- Height: 2,000 ft (610 m)
- Vacherie ()
- Year built: 1986
- Owner: Clear Channel Broadcasting
Maine
- WMTW Television Tower (Portland ABC 8)
- Height: 1,667 ft (508 m)
- Baldwin ()
- Year built: 2001
- Owner: Hearst-Argyle
- This tower was built in 2001 to replace WMTW's transmitting facility atop Mount Washington (New Hampshire) (read about the perils of this site here). It began transmitting on February 5, 2002. The second tallest structure is the WGME (CBS-13) tower in Portland, which measures 1,624 ft (495 m).
Maryland
- WBFF Television Tower (Baltimore Fox 45)
- Height: 1,280 ft (390 m)
- Baltimore ()
- Year built: 1987
- Owner: Cunningham Communications/Sinclair
- Second highest is WMDT-TV ABC/47 (Salisbury) at 1,027 ft (313 m), near Sharptown.
Massachusetts
- WUNI-TV Tower (Worcester/Boston Univision)
- Height: 1,350 ft (411.5m)
- Boylston ()
- Year Built: 1969
- Owner: Entravision Communications Corporation[1]
- WGBH/WBZ/WCVB Cluster (Boston PBS/CBS/ABC)
- Height: 1,296 ft (395 m)
- Needham ()
- Year built: 1957
- Owner: Richland Towers[2]
Michigan
Minnesota
- KPXM Television Tower (Minneapolis ION 41)
- Height: 1,505 ft (459 m)
- Big Lake ()
- Year built: 1997
- Owner: Paxson Minneapolis / KXLI
- This station is licensed to St. Cloud; attempts to cover both that city and Minneapolis/St. Paul from a site between the two cities; and was formerly known as KXLI-TV.
Mississippi
Missouri
- KOZK Television Tower (Springfield PBS 21)
- Height: 1,960 ft (597.4 m)
- Fordland ()
- Year built: 1971
- Owner: Missouri State University (Former SW Missouri State University)
Montana
Nebraska
- KLKN Television Tower (Lincoln ABC 8)
- Height: 1,854 ft (565 m)
- Genoa ()
- Year built: 1969
- Owner: Citadel Communications
- The KDUH-TV tower of 1,965 ft (599 m) at Hemingford, NE collapsed in early 2003 during reinforcement work. The Duhamel Broadcasting Tower Angora was constructed about 30 miles (48 km) away and was completed in September 2003. The replacement tower is 160 m (about 500 ft) shorter than the original. KXVO and KPTM in Omaha (which are co-owned) have an FCC construction permit to build a taller tower that would put their antennas 577 m (roughly 1,900 ft) up. There also a 2,000 ft (610 m)-mast at Hemingford, Nebraska, which collapsed in 2002.
Nevada
- BREN Tower
- Height: 1,527 ft (465 m)
- Nevada Test Site ()
- Year built: 1962
- Owner: Department of Energy
- The BREN Tower, located in Jackass Flats (Area 25) of the Nevada Test Site, is a mast that was built for nuclear radiation testing. The 345 ton structure was constructed by Columbus, Ohio based Dresser-Ideco in 1962. It was originally erected in Yucca Flat (Area 4) before being dismantled in 1966 and moved to Area 25. The mast is owned by the Department of Energy and maintained by National Security Technologies. The second tallest structure in Nevada is the Moapa Entravision Tower at Moapa, a 426.7 metres tall guyed TV mast at Moapa erected in 2008, the third tallest 401 metres tall Moapa Kemp Tower at Moapa, the fourth tallest is Stratosphere Tower near downtown Las Vegas, which was erected in 1994-96 and reaches 1,149 ft (350 m) and 921 ft (281 m) without the mast. It is also the second-tallest freestanding structure in the western U.S. after the Kennecott Smokestack in Utah; BREN Tower is secured by wires.
New Hampshire
- Abandoned WRLP tower
- Height: 663 ft (202 m)
- Winchester ()
- Year built: 1966
- Owner: Gunn Mountain Communications
- Formerly was used for WRLP-32. Antenna and transmitter site has been abandoned since 1978.
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
- WRAL HDTV Mast
- Height: 2,000 ft (609.5 m)
- Auburn ()
- Built in 1989 as replacement for two masts of the same height, which collapsed during a blizzard.
North Dakota
- KVLY Television Tower (Fargo NBC 11)
- Height: 2,063 ft (629 m)
- Blanchard ()
- Year built: 1963
- Owner: Meyer Broadcasting
- This tower was known as the KTHI Television Tower until June 1995. It is the second tallest structure in the world, eclipsed only by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, completed in 2009. From 1974 until its collapse in 1991, the Warsaw Radio mast in Poland also eclipsed the KVLY-TV mast.
- KXJB Television Tower (Fargo/Valley City CBS 4)
- Height: 2,060 ft (628 m)
- Galesburg ()
- Year built: 1998
- The KXJB tower is the world's third tallest man-made structure. It had collapsed three times due to winter and summer storms, though the first time it collapsed in 1968, it was caused from a Marine helicopter cutting four guy wires of the tower. The KVLY TV tower, the world's second tallest man-made structure is only about six miles (10 km) from the KXJB tower.and can not
Ohio
- WNWO Television Tower (Toledo NBC 24)
- Height: 1,437 ft (438 m)
- Oregon ()
- Year built: 1983
- Owner: Barrington Broadcasting
- There was a taller tower from 1987 or 1988 until 1994 or 1995 when it was dismantled. It belonged to WCOM-TV (Mansfield Ind 68) and was located just south of Butler, Ohio. WCOM-TV signed on March 3, 1988. Height of the tower was 1,576 ft (480 m). WCOM-TV used the tall tower and a directional antenna to try to serve the Columbus market. The station went dark in 1991 and the tower was sold to a religious broadcaster in South Carolina to be used as two separate 800 ft (240 m) towers. An engineer recently reported that part of the tower was still on the ground in Sumter, South Carolina.
Oklahoma
- Perry Broadcasting Tower (KVSP 103.5 FM)
- Height: 2,000 ft (609.5 m)
- Carnegie ()
- FCC database lists tower as being in Alfalfa, Oklahoma, a nonincorporated community north of Carnegie, Oklahoma
- At 2,000 ft (610 m), this is the tallest structure in Oklahoma.
- It currently is used solely for the broadcast of KVSP 103.5 FM (Power 103.5), with studios in Oklahoma City.
- Year built: 2004
- Owner: Perry Broadcasting of Southwest Oklahoma
- KTUL Television Tower (Tulsa ABC 8)
- Height: 1,909 ft (582 m)
- Coweta ()
- Year built: 1988
- Owner: KTUL, LLC
Oregon
- KPDX Television Tower (Portland PDX 49)
- Height: 1,081 ft (329 m)
- Portland ()
- Year built: 1994
- Owner: KPDX-TV (PDX 49) / Meredith Corporation
Pennsylvania
- WPVI Television Tower (Philadelphia ABC 6)
- Height: 1,276 ft (389 m)
- Philadelphia ()
- Year built: 1998
- Owner: WPVI Inc./CBS
- KDKA AM Radio Tower (Pittsburgh AM 1020)
- Height: 718 ft (219 m)
- Pittsburgh ()
- Year built: 1987
- Owner: KDKA Radio/CBS
Rhode Island
- WLNE Television Tower (Providence ABC 6)
- Height: 1,001 ft (305 m)
- Tiverton ()
- Year built: 1965
- Owner: Freedom Communications
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
- WIMZ-FM Tower
- Height: 1,752 ft (534 m)
- Knoxville ()
- Year built: 1963
- Owner: South Central Communications
- The tower is home to WIMZ-FM 103.5, whose antenna is at the top. The tower itself is located one mile (1.6 km) east of House Mountain, and stands 1,752 ft (479 m) above ground level. When used for television broadcasts by its former owner, Multimedia, Incorporated (former licensee of WBIR-TV, Knoxville) it was shielded by mountains from the audience in the western Knoxville suburbs like Farragut, Oak Ridge, and Oliver Springs. This tower was built, because the owners of WBIR-TV could not obtain land atop nearby House Mountain, because the only land suitable for a television tower base on the mountain, had been purchased by the station's main competitor WATE-TV, Knoxville. It was when completed for a short time the tallest man-made structure on earth.
Texas
- Winnie Cumulus Broadcasting Tower
- Height: 2,000 ft (609.6 m)
- Winnie ()
- Year built: 2005
- Owner: Cumulus Broadcasting
- KLDE Radio Tower (Houston 107.5 FM Oldies)
- Height: 1,999 ft (609.3 m)
- Liverpool ()
- Year built: 1986
- Owner: Clear Channel Broadcasting
- Salem Radio Properties Tower
- Height: 1,999 ft (609.3 m)
- Collinsville ()
- Year built: 2002
- Owner: Salem Radio Properties
- Stowell Cumulus Broadcasting Tower
- Height: 1,999 ft (609.3 m)
- Stowell ()
- Year built: 2001
- Owner: Cumulus Broadcasting
- Service Broadcasting Tower Decatur
- Height: 1,994 ft (608.1 m)
- Decatur ()
- Year built: 2000
- Owner: Service Broadcasting Corp.
- Liberman Broadcasting Tower Devers
- Height: 1,993 ft (607.7 m)
- Devers ()
- Year built: 2006
- Owner: Liberman Broadcasting
Height data according to FCC's ASR entries.
Utah
- Kennecott Smokestack
- Height: 1,215 ft (370 m)
- Magna ()
- Year built: 1978
- Owner: Kennecott Copper Corporation
- This incredibly tall smokestack was designed to help the Garfield smelter comply with the Clean Air Act. It is a prominent structure along the shore of the Great Salt Lake adjacent to Interstate 80, about 10 miles (16 km) west of Salt Lake City. The smoke rises to an altitude of 5,540 ft (1,689 m) MSL. The tallest non-smokestack structure is a 660 ft (201 m) radio mast near Plain City, owned by the Bible Broadcasting Network.
Vermont
Virginia
- American Towers Tower Suffolk
- Height: 1,254.9 feet (382.5 m)
- Suffolk at 36°48'31.8" N and 76°30'11.3"
- Year Built: 2003
- Owner: American Towers Corp. (ATC)
- WTKR-DT, WHRO-DT, WTVZ-TV/DT, WPVX-TV/DT
Washington
- Columbia Center
- Height: 967 ft (295 m)
- Seattle, 701 Fifth Avenue ()
- Year built: 1982-85
- Owner: Equity Office Properties
- The Columbia Center was intended to be 1,005 ft (306 m) tall but was disapproved by the FAA. It was built in 1982-85 and has 76 floors.
- KREM Tower
- The tallest antenna tower is the 940 ft (287 m) KREM (CBS-2) tower at Spokane.
West Virginia
- WOWK Television Tower (Huntington-Charleston CBS 13)
- Height: 1,112 ft (339 m)
- Huntington ()
- Year built: 1975
- Owner: West Virginia Media Holdings
- Became the top tower by default after the 2003 collapse of the WVAH tower. The FCC database lists a Huntington tower at 1,158 ft (353 m) but does not indicate that it was constructed. The WVAH tower of 1,551 ft (473 m) at Scott Depot collapsed around 10:15 am on February 19, 2003 due to excessive loading from ice during a winter storm. WVAH was the Fox 11 affiliate. The tower was located at N38 25' 15" W81 55' 26", and was built around 1980.
Wisconsin
Wyoming
- Gillette Wyoming Legends Communication Tower [2]
- Height: 1,153 ft (351.4 m)
- Gillette ()
- Year built: 2009
- LORAN-C facility antenna
- Height: 700 ft (213 m)
- Gillette ()
- Year built: ?
- Owner: U.S. Coast Guard
- A Coast Guard site in Wyoming is part of the worldwide LORAN marine navigation network, which is gradually becoming obsolete due to GPS. The tower is especially useful to ships plying the Great Lakes. The antenna puts out 540 kW of power
Puerto Rico
An incomplete lists of tallest structures in Puerto Rico. Main reference: U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) database
| Structure |
Height (ft) |
Height (metres) |
Year of built |
Structure Type |
Use |
Place |
Comments |
| Aguada VLF transmission mast |
1,205 ft (367 m) |
367.3 m |
? |
Guyed mast |
VLF/LF-transmission |
Aguada |
operated by US Navy |
| Telemundo WKAQ TV Tower |
1,105 ft (337 m) |
336.8 m |
1971 |
Guyed mast |
UHF/VHF-transmission |
Cayey |
| Cayey Pegasus Broadcasting Tower |
1,091 ft (333 m) |
332.5 m |
1966 |
Guyed mast |
UHF/VHF-transmission |
Cayey |
| Arso Radio Tower |
682 ft (208 m) |
208 m |
1996 |
Guyed mast |
UHF/VHF-transmission |
Cabo Rojo |
|
| La Cadena del Milagri Tower |
548 ft (167 m) |
167 m |
1991 |
Guyed mast |
UHF/VHF-transmission |
Utuado |
| Arecibo Observatory |
492 ft (150 m) |
150 m |
1963 |
Radio telescope |
Radio and Radar astronomy |
Arecibo |
World's largest radio telescope |
By structural type
Tallest structures in the United States for different uses/structural types. Please expand and/or correct, if necessary
| Category |
Structure |
City |
Height (ft) |
| Guyed mast |
KVLY-TV mast |
Blanchard, ND |
2,063 feet |
| Skyscraper |
Willis Tower |
Chicago, IL |
1,451 feet |
| Tower for exclusive scientific use |
BREN-Tower |
Nevada Test Site |
1,527 feet |
| Guyed mast insulated against ground |
VLF transmitter Lualualei |
Lualualei, HI |
1,503 feet |
| Chimney |
Homer City Generating Station |
Homer City, PA |
1,217 feet |
| Concrete tower |
Stratosphere Tower |
Las Vegas, NV |
1,149 feet |
| Free-standing lattice tower |
WITI TV Tower |
Shorewood, WI |
1,078 feet |
| Bridge |
Royal Gorge Bridge |
Cañon City, CO |
1,053 feet |
| Suspension Bridge |
Golden Gate Bridge |
San Francisco, CA |
746 feet |
| Dam |
Hoover Dam |
Boulder City, NV |
726 feet |
| Industrial building |
VAB |
Kennedy Space Center, FL |
526 feet |
| Church |
St. Patrick's Cathedral |
New York City, NY |
330 feet |
| Aerial tramway support pillar |
Roosevelt Island Tramway |
New York City, NY |
250 feet |
| Stone tower/Obelisk |
Washington Monument |
Washington, DC |
555 feet |
See also
References
External links