The tallest building in every US state

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The tallest building in every US state

Skyscrapers

Debbie Ann Powell/Shutterstock

One World Trade Center is the largest skyscraper in the US.

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  • Skyscrapers are multiplying as US cities appear to be in race toward the sky.
  • Many of the tallest American skyscrapers, such as One World Trade Center and Comcast Technology Center, were built in the past five years.
  • Some states do not have a single building over 200 feet, like Maine.
  • Here's a lit of the tallest skyscrapers in every state.

Many of America's tallest skyscrapers have been built in the past five years - such as the Wilshire-Grand Center in Los Angeles, One World Trade Center in New York City, and the Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia - and it seems as though US cities are racing toward the sky.

Other states, however, aren't feeling the pressure to build upward. South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming, for instance, don't have a single building over 200 feet, according to USA Today.

Some of the tallest US skyscrapers are power plants, while others are college dormitories or office buildings. Many of the rest are owned by big investment banks.

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Here is the tallest skyscraper in every state:

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Alabama: RSA Battle House Tower, Mobile

Alabama: RSA Battle House Tower, Mobile

Alabama's tallest skyscraper — the RSA Battle House Tower located in the port city of Mobile — reaches 745 feet and holds 35 floors of offices inside.

Alaska: ConocoPhillips Building, Anchorage

Alaska: ConocoPhillips Building, Anchorage

Less than half the height of the RSA Battle House Tower, the ConocoPhillips Building is Alaska's largest skyscraper at 296 feet tall and 22 floors. The building was built in 1983 in Anchorage by oil companies.

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Arizona: Chase Tower, Phoenix

Arizona: Chase Tower, Phoenix

This southwestern state's tallest skyscraper, the 40-story Chase Tower in downtown Phoenix, sold in 2018 for $79 million. According to AZ Central, the nearly 50-year-old building will undergo renovations as JPMorgan Chase evaluates its future plans with the building.

Arkansas: Simmons Tower, Little Rock

Arkansas: Simmons Tower, Little Rock

Office dwellers in Arkansas' tallest building, the 40-floor, 546-foot-tall Simmons Tower, get a bird's eye view of downtown Little Rock and the Arkansas River while they work, according to the building's realtor.

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California: Wilshire-Grand Center, Los Angeles

California: Wilshire-Grand Center, Los Angeles

The 1,102-foot Wilshire Grand Center opened in 2017 and dominates the skyline of downtown Los Angeles. It is crowned by a distinctive sloped roof that's meant to emulate Yosemite's Half Dome, Curbed reported.

Colorado: Republic Plaza, Denver

Colorado: Republic Plaza, Denver

Manhattan-based Greenwich Realty Capital is planning to build Colorado's future tallest building — a 1,000-foot tower that will feature a hotel and residences — starting in June 2019, the Denver Post reported.

Until then, the state's loftiest skyscraper is Denver's 714-foot Republic Plaza, which has been Colorado's biggest skyscraper since 1984.

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Connecticut: CityPlace I, Hartford

Connecticut: CityPlace I, Hartford

Hartford is home to a pair of neighboring office buildings simply dubbed CityPlace I and CityPlace II, but only CityPlace I holds the title of tallest building in Connecticut, standing 535 feet tall.

Delaware: River Tower at Christina Landing, Wilmington

Delaware: River Tower at Christina Landing, Wilmington

Wilmington's River Tower at Christina Landing stands out not only because it's the tallest building in Delaware at 339 feet, but also because the condominium high-rise has an eye-catching red facade that reflects on the waters of the Christina River.

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Florida: Panorama Tower, Miami

Florida: Panorama Tower, Miami

The Panorama Tower soars above the Miami skyline at 868 feet; however, it could soon be beat out by the proposed 890-foot flower-shaped Okan Tower, according to Curbed.

Georgia: Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta

Georgia: Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta

At 1,023 feet, not only is the Bank of America Plaza the tallest building in Georgia, but it’s also the tallest skyscraper in the southeastern United States.

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Hawaii: First Hawaiian Center, Honolulu

Hawaii: First Hawaiian Center, Honolulu

The First Hawaiian Center in downtown Honolulu is 429 feet and 30 stories tall, which makes it the tallest building in Hawaii. According to the building's realtor, First Hawaiian Center is the new home of the second largest bank in the state, First Hawaiian Bank.

Idaho: 8th and Main Tower, Boise

Idaho: 8th and Main Tower, Boise

In 2014, Boise's 315-foot 8th and Main Tower revamped a notoriously ugly vacant lot nicknamed the "Boise Hole," transforming the unsightly corner block from an eyesore into a prominent 18-story tower.

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Illinois: Willis Tower, Chicago

Illinois: Willis Tower, Chicago

Illinois's tallest skyscraper sits in the heart of downtown Chicago. The iconic Willis Tower (formerly and often still called the Sears Tower) was completed in 1974 and remained the tallest building in the world for 25 years, until One World Trade in New York City was completed.

Willis Tower is 1,451 feet tall, making it the second tallest high-rise in the United States, according to USA Today.

Indiana: Salesforce Tower, Indianapolis

Indiana: Salesforce Tower, Indianapolis

The 801-foot Salesforce Tower (not to be confused with San Francisco's tallest tower with the same name) has been an Indianapolis landmark since its opening in 1990. According to WTHR, Salesforce occupies 12 floors, which gives them naming rights to the building.

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Iowa: 801 Grand, Des Moines

Iowa: 801 Grand, Des Moines

In Des Moines, the 630-foot, 44-story 801 Grand — simply named after its street address — is the centerpiece of Iowa capital’s skyline. The skyscraper features 970,000 square feet of retail and office space.

Epic Center, Wichita

Epic Center, Wichita

The tallest thing in this notoriously flat state is Wichita's Epic Center, which stands at 320 feet tall (just slightly surpassing the Statue of Liberty). The building showcases a unique diamond-shaped roof that was built to resemble a kite. This is a nod to the city’s nickname "The Air Capital," a result of its long history of airplane manufacturing.

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Kentucky: 400 West Market, Louisville

Kentucky: 400 West Market, Louisville

The distinctive Romanesque dome that towers over all other buildings in Louisville's skyline belongs to the 549-foot 400 West Market. It features a half-acre plaza paved in granite and decorated with four water fountains, according to Hines management company.

Louisiana: One Shell Square, New Orleans

Louisiana: One Shell Square, New Orleans

Louisiana's tallest building is the narrow, all-white edifice known as One Shell Square. It was the first skyscraper built in New Orleans in 1984 and still soars over the city at 697 feet, according to its website.

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Maine: Agora Grand Events Center, Lewiston

Maine: Agora Grand Events Center, Lewiston

Though Maine's Agora Grand Events Center only reaches 220 feet (about the same length of a Boeing 747's wingspan), it’s the oldest building on the list, as it was built in 1890.

Maryland: Transamerica Tower, Baltimore

Maryland: Transamerica Tower, Baltimore

Looking over the city's scenic Inner Harbor, the Transamerica Tower is the tallest building between Philadelphia and Charlotte, according to Emporis. It stands at 529 feet and 40 stories tall along Baltimore's iconic waterfront.



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Massachusetts: 200 Clarendon, Boston

Massachusetts: 200 Clarendon, Boston

The 790-foot 200 Clarendon tower is the tallest building in New England. According to The Boston Globe, Boston is a short city due to the cost of constructing skyscrapers, the city's proximity to its airport, and simply because Bostonians are content to work and live relatively close to the ground.

Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, Michigan

Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, Michigan

Until construction of a planned 800-foot-tall tower in downtown Detroit is complete, the unique circular Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center is the tallest building in the state, peaking over a cluster of skyscrapers at 755 feet.

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Minnesota: IDS Center, Minneapolis

Minnesota: IDS Center, Minneapolis

Minneapolis' IDS Center stands 792 feet above the Minneapolis skyline. The building is famous for more than its height: The IDS Center was featured in the Mary Tyler Moore Show and the music video for Prince's "Purple Rain."

Mississippi: Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, Biloxi

Mississippi: Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, Biloxi

The 346-foot-tall Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi — which was once known as "the crown jewel of Mississippi's Gulf Coast gaming industry" — is a symbol of strength against the many hurricanes (Katrina and Nate) that have tried to bring it down.

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Missouri: One Kansas City Place, Missouri

Missouri: One Kansas City Place, Missouri

Standing just seven feet shorter than the famed St. Louis Gateway Arch, Kansas City's 623-foot, 42-floor One Kansas City Place office tower can be seen cresting the city skyline with its distinctive Lego-like layered crown.

Montana: First Interstate Center, Billings

Montana: First Interstate Center, Billings

Montana's tallest skyscraper is not in its capital city of Helena, but rather it's largest by population: Billings. The 272-foot First Interstate Center, home to First Interstate Bank, has been a prominent piece of Billings's landscape since 1985.

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Nebraska: First National Bank Tower, Omaha

Nebraska: First National Bank Tower, Omaha

The 634-foot First National Bank Tower looks out over the "Big O" (as the locals say) and beyond.

Nevada: The Palazzo, Las Vegas

Nevada: The Palazzo, Las Vegas

The tallest structure in Nevada is Las Vegas' spaceship-esque Stratosphere Tower, which claims, at 1,149 feet, to be the tallest freestanding observation tower in the US.

However, those who don't consider observation towers to be skyscrapers point to the 642-foot Palazzo at The Venetian complex as the city's tallest building.

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New Hampshire: City Hall Plaza, Manchester

New Hampshire: City Hall Plaza, Manchester

Manchester's 275-foot City Hall Plaza was built in 1992 using brick and granite from the city's historic millyard district, according to Lavallee Brensinger Architects.

And while it's the tallest in New Hampshire, the lower parts of the building were specifically designed to blend in with the size and aesthetic of the low-to-the-ground streetscape that surrounds it.

New Jersey: 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City

New Jersey: 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City

New Jersey’s tallest skyscraper is Jersey City’s 30 Hudson Street (also known as the Goldman Sachs Tower), which stands 781 feet and 42 stories high over the Hudson.

However, Curbed recently reported the planned construction of a condominium complex at 99 Hudson Street that is soon to be NJ’s tallest skyscraper.

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New Mexico: Albuquerque Plaza, Albuquerque

New Mexico: Albuquerque Plaza, Albuquerque

The pyramid-shaped twin roofs of the Albuquerque Plaza Office Tower and adjacent Hyatt Regency Albuquerque give New Mexico's largest skyscraper its signature look.

Albuquerque Plaza stands about 100 feet taller than Hyatt Regency Albuquerque at 351 feet, making it the tallest building in the state.

New York: One World Trade Center, New York City

New York: One World Trade Center, New York City

New York City is home to the tallest building in the United States — the 1,776-foot One World Trade Center. It was erected in 2014 on the site of the World Trade Center towers, which were about 1,368 and 1,362 feet tall.

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North Carolina: Bank of America Corporate Center, Charlotte

North Carolina: Bank of America Corporate Center, Charlotte

Charlotte's tallest high-rise is the world headquarters for Bank of America.

Standing 60 stories high and 871 feet tall, the skyscraper was built to commemorate Queen Charlotte's 60-year reign as Queen of England, according to Emporis. It's topped with a spiny roof that illuminates the skyline in a magical blue hue after twilight.

North Dakota: North Dakota State Capitol, Bismarck

North Dakota: North Dakota State Capitol, Bismarck

North Dakota has a TV tower that stands taller than the World Trade Center at 2,063 feet, which is more than eight times the height of the state’s tallest building, the 242-foot North Dakota State Capitol in Bismarck.

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Ohio: Key Tower, Cleveland

Ohio: Key Tower, Cleveland

It's hard to overlook Cleveland's lofty 947-foot Key Tower. The KeyBank headquarters has a pyramid-shaped crown decorated with the bank’s signature red key logo.

Oklahoma: Devon Energy Tower, Oklahoma City

Oklahoma: Devon Energy Tower, Oklahoma City

Completed in 2012, Oklahoma City's Devon Energy Center is a fairly new addition to the Oklahoma City skyline. Its modern, sparkling glass facade is lonely in the sky, dwarfing the rest of the city at 845 feet high.

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Oregon: Wells Fargo Center, Portland

Oregon: Wells Fargo Center, Portland

This 546-foot marble tower, known as the Wells Fargo Center, is the tallest in Oregon — not to be confused with the historic Wells Fargo Building that opened in 1907.

Pennsylvania: Comcast Center, Philadelphia

Pennsylvania: Comcast Center, Philadelphia

The Comcast Center is currently the tallest building in Philadelphia at 974 feet, although a new skyscraper is soon to become the tallest in Philadelphia and ninth tallest in the US.

At 1,121 feet, the Comcast Technology Center will hold the title of Pennsylvania's tallest skyscraper once it’s completed and open to the public. It's equipped with offices, 13 three-story sky gardens, and television studios for NBC.

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Rhode Island: Bank of America Building, Providence

Rhode Island: Bank of America Building, Providence

The Bank of America Building is Rhode Island's tallest skyscraper at 428 feet. It bears the nickname the “Superman Building,” since it looks like the newspaper building from the 1950s "Superman" television show.

South Carolina: Capitol Center, Colombia

South Carolina: Capitol Center, Colombia

If you've driven through Columbia, South Carolina, you may recall the white-striped facade that belongs to Capitol Center, a 349-foot office building located in the heart of the city’s Central Business District.

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South Dakota: CenturyLink Tower, Sioux Fall

South Dakota: CenturyLink Tower, Sioux Fall

CenturyLink Tower in Sioux Falls is 174 feet tall and 11 stories high, making it the tallest in South Dakota.

Tennessee: AT&T Building, Nashville

Tennessee: AT&T Building, Nashville

The AT&T Building's soaring twin spires, which scrape the sky at 617 feet high, are iconic pieces of the Music City skyline.

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Texas: JPMorgan Chase Tower, Houston

Texas: JPMorgan Chase Tower, Houston

Everything's bigger in Texas, as the age-old saying goes, and Houston's JPMorgan Chase Tower is certainly big.

The 1,002-foot tower features a "Sky Lobby" that puts spectators on the 60th floor, although it closed in 2016 due to complaints from tenants about the constant traffic flow, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Utah: Wells Fargo Center, Salt Lake City

Utah: Wells Fargo Center, Salt Lake City

Wells Fargo has a thing for occupying tall buildings, it seems, because both Salt Lake City's and Portland's Wells Fargo Centers are the loftiest high-rises in their respective states. Wells Fargo’s Utah tower is 422 feet and 26 stories tall.

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Vermont: Decker Towers, Burlington

Vermont: Decker Towers, Burlington

At 124 feet tall, Decker Towers is Vermont's tallest building, although a power plant called Joseph C. McNeil Generating Station stands about 10 feet higher.

Virginia: The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center, Virginia Beach

Virginia: The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center, Virginia Beach

Along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the 508-foot Westin Virginia Beach Town Center stole the title of Virginia's tallest building from the James Monroe Building in the capital of Richmond in 2007.

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Washington: Columbia Center, Seattle

Washington: Columbia Center, Seattle

On the 73rd floor of Columbia Center, a dark column that ascends over the Emerald City, there is an observation deck that looks out over all of Seattle, the iconic Space Needle, Mt. Rainier, and the Olympic Mountains, according to Seattle Southside. Columbia Center, which stands 967 feet tall, is Washington’s tallest skyscraper.

West Virginia: West Virginia State Capitol, Charleston

West Virginia: West Virginia State Capitol, Charleston

West Virginia's State Capitol, built during the 1930s, is a neoclassical building that features nine different types of marble, a gold dome, and a spire that reaches 292 feet, making it the tallest building in West Virginia.

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Wisconsin: US Bank Center, Milwaukee

Wisconsin: US Bank Center, Milwaukee

Located on the banks of Milwaukee Bay, the US Bank Center skyrockets over this Midwestern city at a height of 601 feet.

Wyoming: The White Hall Building, Laramie

Wyoming: The White Hall Building, Laramie

The Cowboy State is unique in that its tallest building is a college dormitory. The University of Wyoming in Laramie houses students in its landmark tower, a 20-story building that stands 146 feet tall.

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