List of tallest buildings in Oakland facts for kids
Welcome to Oakland, California! This amazing city is home to many super tall buildings, also known as high-rises. Most of these towering structures are found in the heart of downtown. Oakland has 30 buildings that stand taller than 200 feet (about 61 meters). The very tallest building is the Ordway Building, which has 28 stories and reaches an impressive 404 feet (123 meters) into the sky!
Contents
Oakland's Tall Buildings: A Look Back in Time
Oakland's journey with tall buildings began a long time ago. The first big high-rise was the Bank of America Building. It was completed in 1907 and had nine stories. This building was the tallest in the city for several years.
How Oakland's Skyline Grew
In 1914, the Oakland City Hall took over as the tallest building. It stood at 320 feet (98 meters). When it was built, the City Hall was special. It was the first tall government building in the United States. It was also the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at that time!
Many years later, in 1960, the Kaiser Center became the new tallest building. It was 390 feet (119 meters) tall. It held this record for ten years.
The Current Tallest Building
Then, in 1970, the Ordway Building was finished. It rose to 404 feet (123 meters). This made it the tallest building in Oakland. It still holds that title today!
As of 2025, a new tall building at 1900 Broadway has been completed. This skyscraper has 36 stories and is 395 feet (120 meters) tall. It was topped out in March 2023, meaning its highest point was reached.
Oakland's Tallest Buildings: A List
This list shows the tallest buildings in Oakland. We're looking at buildings that are at least 200 feet (about 61 meters) tall. The height includes spires and cool architectural parts. It does not include antenna masts. 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 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ordway Building |  |
404 (123) | 28 | 1970 | The tallest building in Oakland! It's also the tallest in the Bay Area outside of San Francisco. |
| 2 | Atlas |  |
400 (122) | 40 | 2020 | This is the tallest building where people live that was built in the 2020s. |
| 3 | 1900 Broadway |  |
394 (120) | 39 | 2023 | This building was completed in 2023. |
| 4 | Kaiser Center |  |
390 (119) | 28 | 1960 | This was the tallest building built in the 1960s. |
| 5 | 17th and Broadway |  |
380 (116) | 34 | 2019 | This is the tallest residential building built in the 2010s. |
| 6 | Lake Merritt Plaza |  |
371 (113) | 27 | 1985 | This was the tallest building built in the 1980s. |
| 7 | 601 City Center |  |
367 (112) | 24 | 2019 | This is the tallest office building built in the 2010s. |
| 8 | 1111 Broadway |  |
360 (110) | 24 | 1990 | This was the tallest building built in the 1990s. |
| 9 | Kaiser Engineering Building |  |
336 (102) | 25 | 1984 | |
| 10 | Clorox Building |  |
330 (101) | 24 | 1976 | |
| 11= | EM Harris State Office Building |  |
328 (100) | 22 | 1998 | |
| 12= | Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building South |  |
328 (100) | 18 | 1994 | |
| 13= | Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building North | |
328 (100) | 18 | 1994 | |
| 14 | 1200 Lakeshore |  |
325 (99) | 25 | 1964 | |
| 15 | Oakland City Hall | _2.JPG) |
320 (98) | 14 | 1914 | This was the tallest building built in the 1910s. It is also a historic place. |
| 16 | Tribune Tower |  |
310 (94) | 22 | 1906 | This was the tallest building built in the 1920s. |
| 17 | 1330 Broadway |  |
297 (91) | 18 | 1958 | |
| 18 | Pacific Bell Building |  |
296 (90) | 20 | 1985 | |
| 19 | 555 City Center |  |
279 (85) | 20 | 2002 | This was the tallest building built in the 2000s. |
| 20 | Oakland Marriott City Center |  |
273 (83) | 21 | 1983 | |
| 21= | Park Bellevue Tower |  |
270 (82) | 25 | 1969 | |
| 22= | 1721 Webster |  |
270 (82) | 25 | 2020 | |
| 23 | St. Paul's Towers |  |
267 (81) | 22 | 1966 | |
| 24 | 1700 Webster |  |
265 (81) | 23 | 2019 | |
| 25 | The Grand Apartments |  |
263 (80) | 22 | 2008 | |
| 26 | The Skylyne at Temescal |  |
260 (79) | 25 | 2020 | |
| 27 | Central Building |  |
235 (72) | 15 | 1926 | |
| 28 | Bank of America Building |  |
225 (69) | 18 | 1907 | This was the tallest building built in the 1900s. |
| 29 | Financial Center Building |  |
214 (65) | 14 | 1929 | |
| 30 | Pacific Renaissance Plaza |  |
208 (63) | 16 | ||
| 31 | SBC Building |  |
203 (62) | 15 | — |
Who Was Tallest When?
This table shows which building held the title of "tallest in Oakland" over the years.
| Name | Street address | Years as tallest | Height ft (m) |
Floors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America Building | 1200–1212 Broadway | 1907–1914 | 225 (69) | 18 | This was Oakland's first really tall building. |
| Oakland City Hall | 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza | 1914–1960 | 320 (98) | 14 | It was the tallest government building in the U.S. when it was built. |
| Kaiser Center | 300 Lakeside Drive | 1960–1970 | 390 (119) | 28 | This building was the tallest for a decade. |
| Ordway Building | 2150 Valdez Street | 1970–present | 404 (123) | 28 | It has been the tallest building in Oakland since 1970! |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Edificios más altos de Oakland para niños
