The United States is the birthplace of skyscrapers. In 1885, the world has witnessed the first skyscraper in the city of Chicago. There is no looking back since then as the US is home to some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers.
Off late, the global skyscraper construction boom is slowly shifting towards the Middle East and China. There are more than 230 skyscrapers in the US as of 2021 that either built or topped out to be over 200m.
We have compiled a list of the top 10 tallest buildings in the United States. Continue reading for more details!
List of the Top 10 Tallest Buildings in the US
The minimum height required for a skyscraper is 656 ft, 200m. There are around 840 buildings in the US that are beyond 492 ft, 150m which also falls under the technical definition of a skyscraper by a few.
There are 28 supertall skyscrapers in the US as of October 2021 and many are still under construction across the country.
Below is the list of the top 10 tallest buildings in the United States as of 2021.
The buildings are ranked in descending order from the tallest to the shortest. The height of the building includes the height of the spire, however, the antenna is not included.
1. One World Trade Center -1776 ft (541 m)
Year of Completion: 2014
Location: New York City
The tallest building by standard height in the US is the One World Trade Center located in the city of New york. However if one were to consider it by roof height then probably it will lose its leadership position.
The skyscraper has the same name as the original World Trade Center’s north tower that was wrecked in the deadly terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. David Childs is the architect of this building who is known for designing famous skyscrapers like the Burj Khalifa and the Willis Tower.
2. Central Park Tower – 1550 ft (472 m)
Year of Completion: 2021
Location: New York City
Central Park Tower ranks second in our list of tallest buildings in the US. It is a residential tower that was completed a few months back in July 2021 located on 57th Street in New York City. Going by roof height, it is the tallest building in America.
The roof of the building is taller than any other structure in Western Hemisphere at about 180 ft. The height of 1,550 ft was accomplished without adding a spire or antenna on the top.
3. Willis Tower – 1,451 ft (442 m)
Year of Completion: 1974
Location: Chicago
The Willis Tower was earlier known as Sears Tower and it was the tallest building in the world for 24 years from 1974 to 1998, and in the US for 40 years from 1974 to 2014.
Willis Tower was the tallest building in the US based on roof height until Central Park tower was completed in 2019.
4. 111 West 57th Street – 1,428 ft (435 m)
Year of Completion: 2019
Location: New York City
Yet another skyscraper from New york city is America’s fourth-tallest building located at 111 West 57 Street that is very close to the Central Park Tower. It is the world’s thinnest skyscraper with a width-to-height ratio of 1:23. This skyscraper is also known as Steinway Tower.
5. One Vanderbilt – 1,401 ft (427 m)
Year of Completion: 2020
Location: New York City
One Vanderbilt tower was proposed by Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City as a part of the planned Midtown East rezoning. The skyscraper is located adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.
It is the tallest office building in Midtown New York and the observation deck at the top floor of the building is open to the public from last month onwards.
6. 432 Park Avenue – 1,396 ft (426 m)
Year of Completion: 2016
Location: New York City
432 Park Avenue is New York’s second-tallest building according to roof height. It is one of the tallest residential buildings in the world and the world’s second thinnest skyscraper.
7. Trump International Hotel and Tower – 1,389 ft (423 m)
Year of Completion: 2009
Location: Chicago
The Trump International Hotel and Tower, named after Ex-US President Donald Trump is a skyscraper condo-hotel located in Illinois. It was designed by three architects – Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill. The 98-story structure is 1,388 feet (423.2 m) in height making it the seventh tallest building in the US including its spire and rooftop.
In 2001, Trump made an announcement that the skyscraper will be the tallest building in the world post-completion however post the September 11 terror attack on Twin Towers in the same year, the building plan was scaled back and its original design was revised.
8. 30 Hudson Yards – 1270 ft (387 m)
Year of Completion: 2019
Location: New York City
30 Hudson Yards tower is also known as the North Tower of Hudson Yards. The supertall skyscraper is the tallest building of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project. The observation deck on the top floor of the building was opened to the public in March 2020.
The designer of this building is Kohn Pedersen Fox and is now occupied by many international companies like Wells Fargo, Warner Media, Facebook, KKR, etc from 2019 onwards.
9. Empire State Building – 1,250 ft (381 m)
Year of Completion: 1931
Location: New York City
For more than 41 years, the Empire State Building was the world’s tallest building between 1931 to 1972. Even though it is not the tallest building in the world now, still it is a very famous skyscraper recognized for its iconic shape and the fact that it held the crown of the world’s tallest building for four decades.
It is the second most tourist attraction visited by more than 3.5 million visitors in a year. Visitors flock to the observation deck on the 86th floor of this skyscraper to have a panoramic view of the city.
10. Bank of America Tower – 1,200 ft (366 m)
Year of Completion: 2009
Location: New York City
1 Bryant Park also popular as the Bank of America Tower, is a 55-story skyscraper located in the city of New York. Cookfox and Adamson Associates was the designer of this skyscraper. It was built exclusively for Bank of America.
Bank of America Tower ranks tenth in the list of the tallest buildings in the United States as of 2021 and the eighth tallest building in New York with a height of 1,200 feet (370 m). The tower is spread across a total area of 2.1 million square feet of office space, the majority of which is occupied by Bank of America.
Hope you enjoyed taking a virtual tour of the top 10 tallest buildings in the United States. If you have been to any of these skyscrapers, do share your experience with us.
