List of tallest buildings in Chicago facts for kids

Chicago is a huge city in the United States, famous for its amazing buildings! It has over 1,300 tall buildings, and 56 of them are taller than 600 feet (183 meters). The tallest building in Chicago is the Willis Tower, which used to be called the Sears Tower. It stands at a massive 1,451 feet (442 meters) and has 110 floors! When it was finished in 1974, it was the tallest building in the world for many years.

Chicago is also known as the "birthplace of the skyscraper". The very first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, was built here in 1885. It was special because it used a new way of building with a strong steel frame. This allowed buildings to go much higher than before. It started with 10 stories, which was incredibly tall back then, and later grew to 12 stories. Even though it was torn down in 1931, it changed how cities built their tall buildings forever.

Chicago has always been a leader in building skyscrapers. Three different buildings in Chicago have held the title of the tallest building in the United States at different times. The city had a big building boom in the 1920s and 1930s, and an even bigger one started in the 1960s and continues today. You'll find most of these super tall buildings in downtown areas like the Chicago Loop, Streeterville, and River North. Some also stretch north and south along the waterfront.

Many new skyscrapers were built in the 2000s and 2010s, like the Trump International Hotel & Tower and the St Regis Chicago. As of 2021, there were 19 more skyscrapers being planned or built!

Chicago's Tallest Buildings

This list shows Chicago's completed skyscrapers that are at least 550 feet (168 meters) tall. This height includes pointy tops and cool designs, but not antennas. If two buildings have the same height, they share a rank. The "Year" column tells you when the building was finished.

Rank	Name	Image	Height ft (m)	Floors	Year	Fun Facts
01.01	Willis Tower		1,451 (442)	108	1974	This building was once called Sears Tower. It was the tallest building in the world from 1974 to 1998. It's still the 3rd tallest in the U.S. and the tallest in the Midwest!
02.02	Trump International Hotel and Tower		1,388 (423)	98	2009	This is the 7th tallest building in the United States. It was the tallest building built in Chicago in the 2000s.
03.03	St. Regis Chicago		1,198 (363)	101	2020	This building was once known as the Wanda Vista Tower. It's the 11th tallest building in the U.S. It's also the tallest skyscraper in the world designed by a woman!
04.04	Aon Center		1,136 (346)	83	1973	This building is the 12th tallest in the U.S. It used to be called the Standard Oil Building. It was the tallest in Chicago before the Willis Tower.
05.05	875 North Michigan Avenue		1,127 (344)	100	1969	This building was once known as the John Hancock Center. It was the first building outside New York City to be over 1,000 feet tall.
06.06	Franklin Center		1,007 (307)	61	1989	This building was previously called the AT&T Corporate Center. It was the tallest building built in Chicago during the 1980s.
07.07	Two Prudential Plaza		995 (303)	64	1990	This is the 30th tallest building in the U.S. It was the tallest building finished in Chicago in the 1990s.
8	One Chicago East Tower		973 (296)	78	2022	This building is the 34th tallest in the U.S. It was topped out (reached its full height) in July 2021.
9	311 South Wacker Drive		961 (293)	65	1990	This is the 37th tallest building in the United States.
10	NEMA Chicago		896 (273)	76	2019	This is the tallest apartment building in Chicago where all units are for rent. It was the tallest building built in Chicago in the 2010s.
10.011	900 North Michigan		871 (266)	66	1989
11.012=	Aqua		860 (262)	82	2009	This building was designed by a female-led architecture firm. It was the first skyscraper in Chicago to have a hotel, condos, apartments, and shops all in one building.
11.012=	Water Tower Place		860 (262)	74	1976
13.014	Chase Tower		850 (259)	60	1969	This building is also known as First National Plaza. It was the tallest building in Chicago before the John Hancock Center was built.
14.015	Park Tower		844 (257)	67	2000
15.016	One Bennett Park		837 (255)	69	2018
16.017	Salesforce Tower Chicago		835 (255)	60	2023	This building used to be called Wolf Point South Tower.
16.018	The Legacy at Millennium Park		822 (251)	73	2010
17.019	110 North Wacker		814 (248)	51	2020
18.020	1000M		805 (245)	73	2024	Construction on this building stopped for a bit in 2020 but started again in 2021. It reached its full height in July 2023.
18.021	300 North LaSalle		784 (239)	60	2009
22	Three First National Plaza		767 (234)	57	1981
20.023	Grant Thornton Tower		755 (230)	50	1992
21.024	150 North Riverside		752 (229)	54	2017	This is the tallest building in Chicago located west of the Chicago River.
22.025	Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower		744 (227)	57	2010	The first part of this building was finished in 1997, and then 24 more floors were added in 2010.
23.026	River Point		732 (223)	52	2017
24.027	Olympia Centre		731 (223)	63	1986
25.028	BMO Tower		729 (222)	51	2022	This building reached its full height in 2021.
26.029	One Museum Park		726 (221)	62	2009
26.030	330 North Wabash		695 (212)	52	1973	This building is also known as the IBM Building.
27.031	Waldorf Astoria Chicago		686 (209)	60	2010
32	111 South Wacker Drive		681 (208)	51	2005
33	181 West Madison Street		680 (207)	50	1990
30.034	71 South Wacker		679 (207)	48	2005
31.035	One Magnificent Mile		673 (205)	57	1983
32.036	340 on the Park		672 (205)	64	2007
33.037=	77 West Wacker Drive		668 (204)	49	1992	This building was also known as the United Building.
33.037=	Wolf Point East Tower		668 (204)	60	2020
35.039	One North Wacker		652 (199)	50	2001	This building is also known as the UBS Tower.
36.040	Richard J. Daley Center		648 (198)	32	1965	This was the tallest building in Chicago before the Chase Tower.
37.041	55 East Erie Street		647 (197)	56	2003	This is the second tallest building in Chicago that is only for homes.
42=	Lake Point Tower		645 (197)	70	1968	This is the only tall building in Chicago that sits on the east side of Lake Shore Drive.
42=	River East Center		644 (196)	58	2001
40.044	Grand Plaza I		641 (195)	57	2003
41.045	155 North Wacker		638 (195)	45	2009
42.046	Leo Burnett Building		635 (194)	50	1989
43.047	The Heritage at Millennium Park		631 (192)	57	2005
44.048	OneEleven		630 (192)	59	2014	This was the tallest building built in Chicago in 2014.
45.049	NBC Tower		627 (191)	37	1989
46.050	353 North Clark		624 (190)	44	2009
47.051	Essex on the Park		620 (189)	57	2019
52	Millennium Centre		610 (186)	58	2003
53	Chicago Place		608 (185)	49	1991
50.054	Chicago Board of Trade Building		605 (184)	44	1930	This building is a famous example of Art Deco style. It was the tallest building in Chicago before the Richard J. Daley Center.
51.055=	One Prudential Plaza		601 (183)	41	1955	This was the tallest building built in Chicago in the 1950s.
51.055=	CNA Center		601 (183)	44	1972
53.057	Heller International Building		600 (183)	45	1992
54.058	200 West Madison		599 (182)	44	1982
55.059	The Grant		595 (181)	54	2010
56.060	1000 Lake Shore Plaza		590 (180)	55	1964
57.061	The Clare		589 (179)	52	2008
62=	Accenture Tower		588 (179)	42	1987
62=	Marina City I		588 (179)	61	1964	Marina City was the first building in the U.S. to use special climbing cranes. These two towers were the tallest homes and concrete buildings in the world when they were finished.
62=	Marina City II		588 (179)	61	1964	Marina City was the first building in the U.S. to use special climbing cranes. These two towers were the tallest homes and concrete buildings in the world when they were finished.
61.065	Optima Signature		587 (179)	57	2017
62.066	Mid-Continental Plaza		583 (178)	49	1972
63.067	Crain Communications Building		582 (177)	41	1983
64.068	North Pier Apartments		581 (177)	61	1990
65.069	Citadel Center		580 (177)	39	2003
66.070	The Fordham		574 (175)	52	2003
67.071	One Chicago West Tower		574 (174)	49	2022	This tower reached its full height in July 2021.
72	190 South LaSalle Street		573 (175)	40	1987
73	One South Dearborn		571 (174)	39	2005
74	Onterie Center		570 (174)	60	1986
70.075	Loews Hotel Tower		569 (174)	52	2015	This was the tallest building finished in Chicago in 2015.
71.076=	Chicago Temple Building		568 (173)	21	1924	This was the tallest building built in Chicago in the 1920s. It was the tallest in Chicago before the Chicago Board Of Trade Building.
71.076=	151 North Franklin		568 (173)	35	2018	This building became the new main office for CNA Insurance in 2018.
72.078	Palmolive Building		565 (172)	37	1929
73.079=	Kluczynski Federal Building		562 (171)	42	1974
73.079=	Cirrus		562 (171)	37	2022
74.081=	Huron Plaza		560 (171)	56	1983
74.081=	Boeing International Headquarters		560 (171)	36	1990
76.083=	The Parkshore		556 (169)	56	1991
76.083=	North Harbor Tower		556 (169)	55	1988
85	Civic Opera House		555 (169)	45	1929
86=	Harbor Point		554 (169)	54	1975
86=	Atwater Apartments		554 (169)	55	2009

Tallest Buildings by Pinnacle Height

This list ranks Chicago skyscrapers by their "pinnacle height." This means we include things like radio masts and antennas on top of the building. The "Standard height" is just the building's height without those extra parts.

Buildings Being Built or Planned

900 West Randolph Street

This section lists buildings that are currently being built or are planned for construction in Chicago.

Under Construction Buildings

These are buildings that are currently being built in Chicago and are planned to be at least 300 feet (91 meters) tall. The "Year" column shows when they are expected to be finished.

Approved and Proposed Buildings

These are buildings that are planned for construction in Chicago and are expected to be at least 300 feet (91 meters) tall. The "Year" column shows when construction is expected to start.

Timeline of Tallest Buildings

This list shows which building was the tallest in Chicago over different periods of time.

Name	Image	Years as tallest	Height ft (m)	Floors	Notes
First Holy Name Cathedral		1854–1869	245 (75)	1
Saint Michael's Church		1869–1885	290 (88)	1
Chicago Board of Trade Building		1885–1895	322 (98)	10
Masonic Temple Building		1895–1899	302 (92)	21
Montgomery Ward Building		1899–1922	394 (120)	22
Wrigley Building		1922–1924	438 (134)	30
Chicago Temple Building		1924–1930	568 (173)	23
Chicago Board of Trade Building		1930–1965	605 (184)	44
Richard J. Daley Center		1965–1969	648 (198)	32
Chase Tower (Chicago)		1969	850 (260)	60
John Hancock Center		1969–1973	1,127 (344)	100
Aon Center		1973–1974	1,136 (346)	83
Willis Tower		1974–present	1,451 (442)	108

Other Notable Tall Buildings

• The Park Place Tower in Lakeview is 530.5 feet (162 meters) tall. It's the tallest building in Illinois outside of downtown Chicago.
• The Park Tower in Edgewater is 513 feet (156 meters) tall. It's the second tallest building in Illinois outside of downtown Chicago.
• The Oakbrook Terrace Tower in Oakbrook Terrace is 418 feet (127 meters) tall. It's the tallest building in Illinois outside of the city of Chicago.
• The Two Pierce Place in Itasca is 395 feet (120 meters) tall. It's the second tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago.

Images for kids

• 

  Chicago skyline during sunrise

• 

  Many towers in downtown Chicago, looking towards Lake Michigan

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  Tallest buildings in Chicago

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  The Chicago skyline in 2010 from the Adler Planetarium

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Edificios más altos de Chicago para niños

• Architecture of Chicago
• List of Chicago Landmarks
• List of cities with most skyscrapers
• List of tallest buildings in the United States
• List of buildings with over 100 floors