The Tallest Buildings By State

For hundreds of years, the United States has been one of the pioneers in skyscraper architecture. The American architect William Le Baron Jenney designed the first ever skyscraper in Chicago in 1884, and since then, buildings across the country have risen taller and taller. Currently, One World Trade Center in New York City is the tallest skyscraper in the US, standing at 1,776 feet (541 meters). Willis Tower in Chicago is not far behind at 1,451 feet (442 meters). Read on below to discover the tallest buildings in every state and learn about future record-breaking plans for the tallest towers in the country.

Click To Jump To A Specific Section:

• A History of Skyscrapers in the United States
• Future Tallest Buildings Still Under Construction in the United States
• The Tallest Building In The United States: One World Trade Center, New York City
• The 2nd Tallest Building In The United States: Willis Tower, Chicago
• The 3rd Tallest Building In The United States: Comcast Technology Center, Philadelphia

Tallest Buildings in Every US State

History of Skyscrapers in the United States

The story of skyscrapers in the United States actually begins with an Englishman named Henry Bessemer. In 1855, Bessemer patented a process that streamlined the mass production of steel beams. The invention of this process allowed constructors to begin making taller buildings. In 1884, architect and engineer William Le Baron Jenney designed the Home Insurance Building in Chicago. After being completed in 1885, this building became the first skyscraper at ten stories and 138 feet (42.1 meters) tall.

In the late 19th Century, Architect George A. Fuller devised steel beams as a load-bearing skeleton inside the building instead of having the outside walls carry all of the building’s weight. This innovation allowed buildings to support more weight, thus allowing them to rise to greater heights. Using his new method, in 1889, Fuller designed the Tacoma Building, an even more modern skyscraper than the Home Insurance Building, reaching 13 stories and 165 feet (50.3 meters). Since then, there have been many skyscrapers in the US representing significant advancements throughout modern building history, some of these being the Rand McNally Building (Chicago), The Masonic Temple Building (Chicago), The Tower Building (New York), The America Surety Building (New York), and the Flatiron Building (New York).

Tallest Buildings Under Construction in the United States

While the skyscrapers in the chart above are the current tallest of their state, several states have taller ones currently under construction that will soon break their states’ records.

The One World Trade Center In New York City Is 1,776 Feet Tall

Following the tragedy of the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001, people nationwide discussed what should be done with the grounds. In 2002, Daniel Libeskind won an international design competition after submitting a master plan that consisted of a glass tower that would be the tallest building in the world, with memorial gardens on the premises in honor of the fallen Twin Towers. During the following years, safety, political, and practical concerns largely altered the feasibility of Libeskind’s original blueprint.

However, Libeskind proposed that the tower be 1,776 feet in honor of the United States Declaration of Independence year, which remained in the final One World Trade Center tower design. The architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), with David Childs as the chief architect, designed the final building blueprint, and construction began in 2006. The building opened in 2014, and the “One World Observatory” deck on the 100th floor opened in 2015. Having the same name as the World Trade Center North Tower, today, One World Trade Center serves as a memorial filling the void following 9/11.

The Willis Tower In Chicago is 1,451 Feet Tall

Willis Tower, formerly known as Sears Tower, in Chicago, Illinois, is the third tallest building in the United States. The One World Trade Center and Central Park Tower in New York are the only two taller. Architect Bruce Graham and Engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the building and construction, which began shortly after in 1970. The construction was concluded three years later, in 1973. At this time in history, the building was the tallest in the world. In 1982, the famous tower antennas were added to the top of the building. In 2009, the name of the building changed from Sears Tower to Willis Tower. The insurance broking company, now known as Willis Towers Watson, gained naming rights after agreeing to lease over 140,000 square feet (13,000 meters squared) in the building. Willis Tower underwent renovations from 2017 to 2022 and now contains retail, dining, and art installations.

The Comcast Technology Center In Philadelphia Is 1,121 Feet Tall

Comcast Technology Center, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the thirteenth tallest building in the US and the third tallest when excluding buildings in New York and Illinois. Foster and Partners designed the building with Kendall/Heaton associates acting as collaborating architects. Building construction began in 2014 and was completed in 2017. The Four Seasons Hotel of Chicago uses the highest floors of the building, Comcast Corporation uses the central floors, and various television studios and retailers use the lowest floors.

Final Thoughts

New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, California, and Georgia currently have the tallest buildings in the country. However, with new buildings constantly under proposal and construction, these numbers may change in the coming years. Texas and Florida, for example, may soon rise in the charts. With architectural innovation continuing to unfold in the United States, there will certainly be many interesting skyscraper developments in the country’s future.