List of tallest buildings in Iowa facts for kids
The state of Iowa is home to many impressive buildings! Did you know that 32 buildings in Iowa are taller than 150 feet (about 45 meters)? Most of the really tall ones, often called skyscrapers, are found in the city of Des Moines. A skyscraper is usually a building taller than 330 feet (100 meters). The very tallest building in Iowa is called the 801 Grand. It stands an amazing 630 feet (192 meters) tall and has 45 floors! It was finished in 1991 and is a true landmark in Des Moines.
Contents
Iowa's Tallest Buildings
This list shows the tallest buildings in Iowa, ranked by their height. This height includes any spires or special architectural parts at the top, but not antenna masts. The "Year" column tells us when the building was completed.
| Rank | Name | Image | Height
ft (m) |
Floors | Year | City | What it's Used For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 801 Grand (also known as The Principal Building) |  |
630 (192) | 45 | 1991 | Des Moines | Offices |
| 2 | Ruan Center |  |
460 (140) | 36 | 1975 | Des Moines | Offices |
| 3 | Des Moines Marriott Hotel |  |
365 (111) | 33 | 1981 | Des Moines | Hotel |
| 4 | Financial Center |  |
345 (105) | 25 | 1973 | Des Moines | Offices |
| 5 | Plaza Building |  |
340 (104) | 25 | 1985 | Des Moines | Homes |
| T6 | HUB Tower |  |
325 (99) | 25 | 1986 | Des Moines | Offices |
| T6 | EMC Insurance Building |  |
325 (99) | 19 | 1997 | Des Moines | Offices |
| 8 | Equitable Building |  |
318 (97) | 19 | 1924 | Des Moines | Homes |
| 9 | Alliant Tower |  |
285 (87) | 21 | 1972 | Cedar Rapids | Offices - This is the tallest building outside of Des Moines! |
| 10 | Iowa State Capitol |  |
275 (84) | 4 | 1884 | Des Moines | Government Offices |
| 11 | CenturyLink Complex |  |
273 (83) | 15 | 1928 | Des Moines | Offices |
| 12 | Davenport Bank and Trust |  |
255 (77) | 19 | 1927 | Davenport | Offices/Homes - This is the tallest building outside of Des Moines and Cedar Rapids! |
| 13 | Register and Tribune Building |  |
243 (74) | 14 | 1916 | Des Moines | Offices |
| 14 | Cedar River Tower |  |
237 (72) | 25 | 1974 | Cedar Rapids | Homes/Offices |
| 15 | MidAmerican Building |  |
220 (67) | 15 | 1995 | Davenport | Offices |
| 16 | Plaza 425 |  |
207 (63) | 14 | 1983 | Cedar Rapids | Offices |
| 17 | Dubuque County Courthouse |  |
205 (62) | 5 | 1893 | Dubuque | Government Offices |
| 18 | The Chauncey |  |
191 (58) | 15 | 2019 | Iowa City | Hotel/Homes |
| 19T | Des Moines Building |  |
190 (58) | 14 | 1930 | Des Moines | Offices/Homes |
| 19T | Quaker Oats Plant | .jpg) |
190 (58) | 13 | 1927 | Cedar Rapids | Factory |
| 21 | OpenLoop Tower (formerly Bank of America Building) |  |
186 (57) | 14 | 1966 | Des Moines | Offices |
| 22 | Two Ruan Center |  |
185 (56) | 14 | 1982 | Des Moines | Offices |
| 23 | CRST Tower |  |
180 (54) | 11 | 2017 | Cedar Rapids | Offices |
| 24 | Veterans Memorial Building |  |
175 (53) | 10 | 1927 | Cedar Rapids | Government Offices |
| 25T | Liberty Building | .jpg) |
174 (53) | 12 | 1923 | Des Moines | Mixed Use (Offices and Homes) |
| 25T | Fleming Building |  |
174 (53) | 11 | 1909 | Des Moines | Homes |
| 27T | Hippee Building |  |
172 (52) | 12 | 1913 | Des Moines | Hotel |
| 27T | Davis Brown Tower |  |
172 (52) | 13 | 2008 | Des Moines | Offices |
| 29 | Badgerow Building |  |
169 (52) | 12 | 1933 | Sioux City | Offices |
| 30 | US Bank Building |  |
166 (50) | 12 | 1926 | Cedar Rapids | Offices |
| 31 | Polk County Courthouse |  |
160 (48) | 4 | 1906 | Des Moines | Government Offices |
| 32 | Hubbell Building |  |
150 (45) | 10 | 1913 | Des Moines | Homes |
Note: This list does not include churches.
Future Tall Buildings in Iowa
Here are some exciting new tall buildings that are currently being built or planned for Iowa!
| Name | Picture | Height (ft) | Floors | Status | Expected Completion Year | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 515 Walnut | 359 | 33 | Under Construction | 2027 (estimated) | Des Moines |
A Look Back: Iowa's Tallest Buildings Over Time
It's fun to see how the tallest building in Iowa has changed throughout history!
| Years as Tallest | Name | Height
ft (m) |
Floors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1884–1924 | Iowa State Capitol | 275 (84) | Not available |
| 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 |
Early Tall Buildings in Iowa's History
Before 1884, people didn't keep detailed records of the tallest buildings in Iowa. But we can still look at some of the impressive structures from those early days (not counting church steeples).
| Years as Tallest | Name | Height
ft (m) |
Floors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840–1856 | Old Capitol, Iowa City | 114 (35) | Not available |
| 1856–1884 | Shot Tower, Dubuque | 120 (37) | 10 |
Other interesting tall buildings from early Iowa history include:
- Mount Ida Female College, Davenport, built in 1856. This was one of the first four-story buildings. Later, a tall dome was added, making it possibly as tall as the Old Capitol!
- Fort Madison, built in 1808. These were likely the very first two-story buildings in what would become Iowa.
See also
- List of tallest buildings in the Quad Cities
- List of tallest buildings in Cedar Rapids
 | Aurelia Browder |
 | Nannie Helen Burroughs |
 | Michelle Alexander |
