US Cities With the Most Skyscrapers

New York has the most skyscrapers in the United States.
New York has the most skyscrapers in the United States.

If a building has over 40 or 50 floors, or is over 328 feet tall, it is considered a skyscraper. Most skyscrapers have a steel framework with non-structural outer walls. Below are the US cities with the most skyscrapers. The quoted figures refer to the number of skyscrapers standing at 490 feet tall and higher.

Which City in the United States Has the Most Skyscrapers?

New York City – 257 Skyscrapers

New York City has the highest number of skyscrapers in the US with 257 buildings towering above 490 feet. The city had an estimated population of 8,537,673 in 2016, making it the highest populated city in the US. The One World Trade Centre, built in 2013, is the tallest building in New York with 104 floors and standing at 1,776 feet tall. The Empire State Building ranks second at 1,250 feet tall with 102 stories. The building was built in 1931 and is located on Fifth Avenue, Midtown Manhattan. The Bank of America Tower is the third tallest building in New York at 1,200 feet. The building was completed in 2009 and has 55 floors.

Chicago – 119 Skyscrapers

Chicago has 1,315 tall buildings. 44 of these buildings are above 600 feet tall and 119 are over 490 feet tall. Willis Tower, previously named Sears Tower, is the tallest building in the city standing at 1,451 feet tall. The Tower has 110 floors and was built in 1974; it was the tallest building in the US up to May 2013 when the One World Trade Centre took over. Trump International Hotel and Tower is the second tallest building in the city at 1,171 feet tall with 98 floors. The hotel tower is located on Wabash Avenue, Chicago and was completed and opened in 2009. The building is the fourth tallest in the US. Aon Centre is the third tallest building in Chicago; completed in 1974 the building stands at 1,136 feet tall and has 83 floors. Chicago is home to four of the tallest ten buildings in the US. Chicago City is considered the birthplace of the skyscraper, as the first skyscraper in the world was built in the city.

Miami – 45 Skyscrapers

Miami has more than 300 high-rise buildings with 45 of them rising over 490 feet tall. Panorama Tower is the tallest building in Miami standing at 868 feet tall, and it is set to be completed in 2018. Burdine’s department store was the first high-rise building in Miami with six floors. The department store was completed in 1912. The Federal Aviation Administration in Miami has set a height limit of about 1,010 feet for high-rise buildings in the city. The height limit on buildings in downtown Miami was set as the city is close to the Miami International Airport. The Four Seasons Hotel Miami is the second tallest building at 789 feet tall. The hotel had 70 floors and was completed in 2003. The southeast Financial Centre comes third at 764 feet. The building was completed in 1984 and has 764 floors.

What City in the World Has the Most Skyscrapers?

Hong Kong has the highest number of skyscrapers in the world, followed by New York and Dubai. Five of the top 10 cities with the tallest buildings in the world are in China.

US Cities With the Most Skyscrapers

RankCityNumber of Skyscrapers
1New York257
2Chicago119
3Miami45
4Houston36
5Los Angeles24
6San Francisco24
7Dallas20
8Seattle19
9Boston19
10Atlanta16
11Las Vegas14
12Philadelphia12
13Jersey City10
14Minneapolis10
15Pittsburgh10
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