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List of tallest buildings in Iowa facts for kids

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Des Moines skyline
Skyline of Des Moines

This list of tallest buildings in Iowa ranks skyscrapers in the US state of Iowa by height for existing and proposed structures.

Tallest buildings

Rank Name Image Height

ft (m)

 Floors Year City Notes
1 801 Grand (previously The Principal Building) 801 Grand, since 1991 the tallest building in Des Moines and Iowa 630 (192) 45 1991 Des Moines Office
2 Ruan Center Ruan Center, from 1975 until 1991 the tallest building in Des Moines 460 (140) 36 1975 Des Moines Office
3 Des Moines Marriott Hotel Des Moines Marriott Hotel 365 (111) 33 1981 Des Moines Hotel
4 Financial Center Financial Center, from 1973 until 1975 the tallest building in Des Moines 345 (105) 25 1973 Des Moines Office
5 Plaza Building The Plaza Building 340 (104) 25 1985 Des Moines Residential
T6 HUB Tower HUB Tower 325 (99) 25 1986 Des Moines Office
T6 EMC Insurance Building EMC Insurance Building 325 (99) 19 1997 Des Moines Office
7 Equitable Building The Equitable Building, from 1924 until 1973 the tallest building in Des Moines 318 (97) 19 1924 Des Moines Residential
8 Alliant Tower Alliant Tower 01.jpg 285 (87) 21 1972 Cedar Rapids Office
9 Bank of America Building 280 (85) 16 1966 Des Moines Office
10 Iowa State Capitol The State Capitol, from 1984 until 1924 the tallest building in Des Moines 275 (84) 4 1884 Des Moines Government
11 CenturyLink Complex 273 (83) 15 1928 Des Moines Office
12 Davenport Bank and Trust Davenport Bank and Trust 02.jpg 255 (77) 19 1927 Davenport Office/Residential
13 Register and Tribune Building 715LocustDesMoines.jpg 243 (74) 14 1916 Des Moines Office
14 Cedar River Tower Cedar River Tower.jpg 237 (72) 25 1974 Cedar Rapids Residential/Office
15 The Chauncey Chauncey Building Iowa City 233 (71) 20 2019 Iowa City Hotel/Residential
16 MidAmerican Building Mid-American Energy Bldg, Davenport, Iowa.jpg 220 (67) 15 1995 Davenport Office
17 Plaza 425 Plaza 425.jpg 207 (63) 14 1983 Cedar Rapids Office
18 Des Moines Building The Des Moines Building.jpeg 190 (58) 14 1930 Des Moines Office/Residential
19 CRST Tower CRST Center.jpg 180 (54) 11 2017 Cedar Rapids Office
Years as Tallest Name Height

ft (m)

 Floors
1884–1924 Iowa State Capitol 275 (84) n/a
1924–1973 Equitable Building 318 (97) 19
1973–1975 Financial Center 345 (105) 25
1975–1991 Ruan Center 460 (140) 36
1991–Present 801 Grand 630 (192) 45

Tall buildings prior to 1884

Ladies college 1856
Ladies' College Building, Davenport, 1856, later Mount Ida Female College.
Mount ida 1858
Mount Ida Female College in 1858, after dome was added.

There does not seem to have been any effort to document the tallest building in Iowa prior to the construction of the State Capitol in 1884. This list shows buildings which may have been the tallest in Iowa prior to 1884, excluding church steeples.

Years as Tallest Name Height

ft (m)

 Floors
1840–1856 Old Capitol, Iowa City 114 (35) n/a
1856–1884 Shot Tower, Dubuque 120 (37) 10

Other early tall building include:

  • Mount Ida Female College, Davenport, 1856. First four-story dwelling, later had a high dome placed on top, may have rivaled Old Capitol in height.
  • Fort Madison, 1808, probably the first two-story buildings in what would become Iowa.
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