The United States has been the home to some of the tallest buildings in the world. From hotels to residential buildings to office towers, there are a variety of skyscrapers that cover the U.S. skyline.
In fact, in 1885 the first skyscraper in the world was built in Chicago. This was the 10-story Home Insurance Building and it is regarded as the first skyscraper in the world.
It was an engineering marvel at that time and surprised the whole world. Since then, 9 American buildings have claimed the title of the tallest building in the world.
Americans’ love of high-rise buildings can be clearly seen when someone visits New York and Chicago. New York and Chicago are two cities that display more skyscrapers than any other city in America(U.S.A.).
Top 10 Tallest Buildings in the U.S.
According to the ranking of the 20 tallest buildings in the U.S., 12 were found in New York City and 5 were located in Chicago. There are many big and beautiful cities in America but these two cities host the majority of the skyscrapers in the country.
These skyscrapers offer great spellbound views and a wonderful feel and experience. Let’s take a look at the top 10 tallest buildings in the U.S. or the U.S.A. as of 2024.
| Name of the Building | Completed/Opened | Height | Location |
| 1. One World Trade Center | 2014 | 541.3 m( 1,776 feet), and 546.2 m(1,992 feet) up to the tip. | 285 Fulton Street, New York. |
| 2. Central Park Tower | 2021 | 472 meters(1,550 feet). | 225 West 57th Street, New York. |
| 3. Willis Tower | 1974 | 442 meters(1,451 feet). | 233 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago |
| 4. 111 West 57th Street | 2021 | 435 meters(1,428 feet). | 111 West 57th Street, New York. |
| 5. One Vanderbilt | 2020 | 427 meters(1,401 feet). | One Vanderbilt Avenue, NY. |
| 6. 432 Park Avenue | 2015 | 425.5 meters(1,396 feet). | 432 Park Avenue, NY. |
| 7. Trump International Hotel and Tower | 2009 | 423 meters(1,389 feet). | 401 N. Wabash Ave. Chicago. |
| 8. 30 Hudson Yards | 2019 | 387 meters(1,270 feet). | 500 West 33rd Street, NY. |
| 9. Empire State Building | 1931 | 381 m( 1,250 feet), and 443.2 m(1,454 feet) up to the tip. | 350 Fifth Avenue, NY. |
| 10. Bank of America Tower | 2009 | 370 meters(1,200 feet). | 1101 Sixth Avenue, NY. |
1. One World Trade Centre
One World Trade Centre is the tallest building in the U.S. and was formerly known as Freedom Tower before it was rebuilt in the Lower Manhattan area.
On April 27, 2006, the construction of One World Trade Center started and topped out on May 10, 2013, with a record expenditure of 3.9 billion dollars. At present time, One World Trade Center is the seventh tallest building in the world.
It was publicly opened in October 2014. It was designed by Skidmore, Owings& Merrill’s designer David Childs. It is the tallest one among the other buildings in the World Trade Centre complex.
Its total height is 1,776 ft. or 541 m and is located in New York City. Actually, it has 94 floors above ground level( +5 floors below ground level), but the top floor is named 104. It has a massive 3 million square feet of rentable area. One World Trade Centre is also counted as the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
2. Central Park Tower
Central Park Tower is commonly known as the Nordstrom Tower. This building exhibits a total number of 98 floors and is located at the heart of New York City in the U.S.A. It has also 3 floors below the ground level.
Central Park Tower is the second tallest building in the US. Its elegance and grace establish a strong and bold presence along the Manhattan skyline.
Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill, together designed this bold, charismatic landmark and refined its beauty to mesmerize. With a total height of 1,550 ft. (472 m), Central Park Tower also holds the title of the tallest residential building in the world.
Due to some controversies, the construction of Central Park Tower was postponed in 2015, but its construction was resumed in 2017 and was finally completed in 2021 with a total cost of 3 billion dollars.
3. Willis Tower
Willis Tower was the tallest building in the world from 1974 to 1998. In this building, more than 100 businesses have been running simultaneously.
It was also designed by the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Willis Tower flaunts its gigantic height of 1,451 ft. (442m) in Chicago and has a gigantic floor area of 4.56 million square feet.
Now, Willis Tower is the tallest building in Chicago and the third tallest building in the U.S. It was constructed from 1970 to 1973 and its construction cost was more than 175 million dollars. It is also the third tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Actually, it has 108 floors but up to the mechanical penthouse roof, it is counted as 110 no.
4. 111 West 57th Street
On July 8, 2015, the construction of this residential tower “111 West 57th Street” in New York City started and was completed in October 2021.
Over 2 billion dollars were spent to build this historical landmark in the U.S.A. It has over 60 luxurious residential homes with a total floor area of 572,348 sq. ft and was designed by a company called SHoP Architects.
111 West 57th Street is currently the 4th tallest building in the United States. It is also known as Steinway Tower and is the second-tallest residential building in the U.S.A. It has 84 floors and a total height of 1,428 ft. (435 m).
5. One Vanderbilt
One Vanderbilt is the 5th tallest building in the U.S. and a piece of art done by the architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox. It is also the fourth tallest building in New York and is located on 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan.
It is an office building consisting of 93 floors with a massive floor area of 1,750,212 sq ft. Construction of One Vanderbilt was started on 14 February 2017 and it was opened on 14 September 2020. It is about 1,401 ft. (427 m) tall and the cost is more than 3.31 billion dollars for the entire project.
6. 432 Park Avenue
432 Park Avenue is the 6th tallest building in the U.S.A. and one of the most luxurious residential skyscrapers. The residential homes of the building showcase stunning views overlooking Central Park in Manhattan, New York.
The entire building was designed by famous architect Raphael Vinoly. The foundation of the building started in September 2011 and the whole construction was fully completed on December 23, 2015, with a total expenditure of 1.25 billion dollars. It has 85 floors and a total height of 1,396ft. (426 m).
7. Trump International Hotel and Tower
Trump International Hotel and Tower holds 7th place among the tallest buildings in the U.S. as of 2024. At a total height of 1,389 ft. (423 m), it is also the 32nd tallest building in the world. It is a skyscraper hotel and is named for Donald Trump.
Trump Tower was designed by the renowned architect Adrian Smith who works for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. On March 17, 2005, Bovis Lend Lease started constructing this hotel with a total budget of 847 million dollars.
Trump International Hotel and Tower was inaugurated on January 30, 2009, with a total number of 98 floors. The height of the top floor and roof is 1,171 feet (357 m) and 1,116 feet (340.2 m) respectively.
8. 30 Hudson Yards
30 Hudson Yards which is also known as the North Tower is the 8th tallest building in the United States of America. The construction of this building started in October 2014 in New York City, and after 5 years, it was opened on March 15, 2019.
The height of this building is 1270 ft. (387 m) which makes it also the 46th tallest building in the world. With a total carpet area of 2.6 million sq. ft., the 30 Hudson Yards exhibition spacious interior with massive ceiling heights.
Kohn Pedersen Fox designed this mesmerizing gigantic building. The triangular observation deck offers unbelievable views of Manhattan and surrounding areas.
9. Empire State Building
The Empire State Building was the first building that had more than 100 stories and became the tallest man-made structure in the world during the years 1931 to 1967. Currently, the Empire State Building is the 9th tallest building in the U.S.A.
It was built from March 17, 1930, to April 11, 1931, and was designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon. The total cost for the construction exceeded 40.9 million dollars which is around 564 million dollars in the current economical valuation.
It has a total number of 102 floors which creates more than 2.24 million sq. ft. of total carpet area. Its height is about 1,250 ft. (381 m) and 1,453 ft. (443 m) up to the tip.
10. Bank of America Tower
Bank of America Tower acquires 10th position in the list of the tallest buildings in the U.S. It is located near Bryant Park and is diagonally opposite “Bryant Park”, and it is also known as 1 Bryant Park.
Bank of America Tower is the 8th tallest building in New York City with a total height of 1,200 ft. or 366 m up to the tip. This building was designed by Cookfox and Adamson Associates with a total number of 55 stories.
It is an office building, with 2.1 million sq. ft. of office space. It was constructed between August 2, 2004, and 2009 at an expense of 1 billion dollars.
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