List of tallest buildings in Philadelphia facts for kids

Philadelphia is the biggest city in Pennsylvania. It has over 300 tall buildings, with 58 of them being 330 feet (101 m) or taller. Out of these, 34 are 400 feet (122 m) or taller, and you can find them listed below.
The tallest building in Philadelphia is the 60-story Comcast Technology Center. It reached its full height of 1,150 feet (351 m) in 2017 and opened in 2018. This building is the tallest in the United States outside of New York City and Chicago. It's also the 14th-tallest building in the United States and the 96th-tallest in the world.
The second-tallest building in Philadelphia is the 58-story Comcast Center, which stands at 974 feet (297 m). The third-tallest is One Liberty Place, with 61 floors and a height of 945 feet (288 m). One Liberty Place was the tallest building in Pennsylvania for over 20 years until the Comcast Center was finished in 2008. Seven of the ten tallest buildings in Pennsylvania are in Philadelphia. The others are in Pittsburgh. Philadelphia is one of only five U.S. cities with two or more buildings over 900 feet (274 m) tall.
Philadelphia's history of tall buildings began in 1754. That's when the steeple was added to Christ Church, making it one of America's first very tall structures. For most of the 1900s, a "gentlemen's agreement" (an informal rule) kept buildings from being taller than the 548 feet (167 m) Philadelphia City Hall. Even with this rule, Philadelphia built many high-rise buildings. When One Liberty Place was finished in 1987, it broke this agreement. Since then, eleven more skyscrapers have been built that are taller than City Hall.
Philadelphia has twice had the tallest building in North America. First, it was Christ Church, then City Hall. City Hall was even the world's tallest building from 1894 to 1908. Today, it's the world's second-tallest building made mostly of stone, just a little shorter than the Mole Antonelliana in Turin. Like other big American cities, Philadelphia had a huge building boom in the 1970s and 1980s. This led to 20 skyscrapers being built that were 330 feet (101 m) or taller.
Contents
Philadelphia's Super Tall Buildings
This list shows completed skyscrapers in Center City Philadelphia that are at least 400 feet (122 m) tall. The height includes spires and decorative parts, but not antennas. The "Year" column shows when the building was finished. An equal sign (=) means two or more buildings have the same height.
Rank | Name | Image | Height ft (m) |
Floors | Year | Address | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Comcast Technology Center | ![]() |
1,121 (342) | 60 | 2018 | 1800 Arch Street | Started building in 2014, finished in 2017. It is the tallest building in Pennsylvania. It is also the tallest building in the U.S. outside of Manhattan and Chicago. |
2 | Comcast Center | 974 (297) | 58 | 2008 | 1701 John F. Kennedy Blvd | The 2nd-tallest building in Pennsylvania. It was the tallest building finished in Philadelphia in the 2000s. | |
3 | One Liberty Place | 945 (288) | 61 | 1987 | 1650 Market Street | Philadelphia's first skyscraper taller than City Hall. It was the tallest building finished in Philadelphia in the 1980s. | |
4 | Two Liberty Place | 848 (258) | 58 | 1990 | 1601 Chestnut Street | The tallest building finished in Philadelphia in the 1990s. | |
5 | BNY Mellon Center | ![]() |
792 (241) | 54 | 1990 | 1735 Market Street | Also known as Nine Penn Center. |
6 | Three Logan Square | ![]() |
739 (225) | 55 | 1991 | 1717 Arch Street | Was once called Bell Atlantic Tower and Verizon Tower. |
7 | FMC Tower at Cira Centre South | ![]() |
736 (224) | 49 | 2016 | 2929 Walnut Street | The tallest building in Philadelphia outside Center City. |
8 | G. Fred DiBona Jr. Building | ![]() |
625 (191) | 45 | 1990 | 1901 Market Street | Was known as the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Tower and the IBX Tower. |
9 | The W Philadelphia and Element Philadelphia | ![]() |
617 (188) | 51 | 2020 | 1441 Chestnut Street | The tallest building finished in Philadelphia in the 2020s. |
10 | The Laurel and 1909 Rittenhouse | ![]() |
604 (184) | 50 | 2022 | 1909-11 Walnut Street | The tallest residential building in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. |
11= | One Commerce Square | ![]() |
565 (172) | 41 | 1987 | 2005 W. Market Street | One and Two Commerce Square are the tallest twin buildings in Philadelphia. |
11= | Two Commerce Square | ![]() |
565 (172) | 41 | 1992 | 2001 W. Market Street | One and Two Commerce Square are the tallest twin buildings in Philadelphia. |
13 | Philadelphia City Hall | ![]() |
548 (167) | 9 | 1901 | 1 Penn Square | Was the tallest building in the world from 1894 to 1908. It was the tallest building finished in Philadelphia in the 1900s. |
14 | Arthaus | 528 (161) | 47 | 2022 | 301 S. Broad Street | ||
15 | The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton | ![]() |
518 (158) | 48 | 2009 | 1414 South Penn Square | |
16 | 1818 Market Street | ![]() |
500 (152) | 40 | 1974 | 1818 Market Street | The tallest building finished in Philadelphia in the 1970s. |
17 | The St. James | 498 (152) | 45 | 2004 | 200 West Washington Square | When built, it was the tallest apartment building in Philadelphia. | |
18 | Loews Philadelphia Hotel | ![]() |
492 (150) | 36 | 1932 | 1200 Market Street | Was the PSFS Building. It was the tallest hotel until the Four Seasons opened in the Comcast Technology Center. |
19 | PNC Bank Building | ![]() |
491 (150) | 40 | 1983 | 1600 Market Street | |
20= | Centre Square II | ![]() |
490 (149) | 40 | 1973 | Market and 15th streets | |
20= | Five Penn Center | ![]() |
490 (149) | 36 | 1970 | 1601 Market Street | |
22 | Murano | ![]() |
475 (145) | 43 | 2008 | 2101 Market Street | |
23 | One South Broad | ![]() |
472 (144) | 28 | 1932 | 1 S. Broad Street | Was known as the Lincoln-Liberty Building and the PNB Building. |
24= | 2000 Market Street | ![]() |
435 (133) | 29 | 1973 | 2000 Market Street | |
24= | Two Logan Square | ![]() |
435 (133) | 35 | 1987 | 100 N. 18th Street | |
26 | Cira Centre | 434 (132) | 28 | 2005 | 30th and Arch streets | ||
27= | 1700 Market | ![]() |
430 (131) | 32 | 1968 | 1700 Market Street | The tallest building finished in the 1960s. |
27= | Evo at Cira Centre South | ![]() |
430 (131) | 33 | 2014 | 2930 Chestnut Street | |
29 | 1835 Market Street | ![]() |
425 (130) | 29 | 1986 | 1835 Market Street | Its name changed from Eleven Penn Center in 2003. |
30 | Centre Square I | ![]() |
417 (127) | 32 | 1973 | Market and 15th streets | |
31 | Jefferson Tower | 412 (126) | 32 | 1984 | 1101 Market Street | Was known as One Reading Center and the Aramark Tower. | |
32 | Wells Fargo Building | 405 (123) | 29 | 1927 | 123 S. Broad Street | The tallest building finished in Philadelphia in the 1920s. | |
33 | 1706 Rittenhouse | ![]() |
401 (122) | 33 | 2010 | 1706 Rittenhouse Square | |
34 | One Logan Square | ![]() |
400 (122) | 31 | 1983 | 130 N. 18th Street |
Future Giants: Buildings Being Built or Planned
This section lists buildings that are at least 400 feet (122 m) tall and are currently being built, have been approved, or are planned for the future.
Under Construction
Name | Height | Floors | Year
(est.) |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Mark | 414 (126) | 34 | This building will offer student housing in University City. |
Approved
Name | Height ft (m) |
Floors | Year (est.) |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Harper Square | 620 (189) | 52 | If built, it will be the tallest residential building in Philadelphia. | |
1826 Chestnut Street | 550 (168) | 42 |
Proposed
Name | Height | Floors | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Transit Terminal Tower | 1,200 (366) | 85 | This would be the tallest building in Pennsylvania if it gets built. |
3101 Market | 1,095 (334) | 70 | This would be the second tallest in the city if built. It's part of the Schuylkill Yards project. |
3001 JFK Boulevard | 512 (156) | 34 | Also part of the Schuylkill Yards development. |
Two Cathedral Square | 470 (143) | 34 | Part of the Cathedral Square development. |
1301 Market Street | 460 (140) | 32 | |
Mellon Independence Center Tower | 429 (131) | 30 | Also known as the MIC Tower. |
The Arbour House | 414 (126) | 35 | Also known as 708 Sansom Street. |
How Philadelphia's Tallest Buildings Changed Over Time

Philadelphia has not had many different "tallest buildings" compared to other cities. Even though churches are not usually called skyscrapers, Christ Church became the tallest building in 1754 when its tall spire was added. It held this title for 102 years. Then, the spire of Tenth Presbyterian Church (which is no longer there) became the tallest. After that, City Hall took the top spot in 1894.
Because of a "gentlemen's agreement" (an unwritten rule) not to build higher than the statue of William Penn on top of City Hall, City Hall remained the city's tallest building for 93 years. It was also the world's tallest building that people could live or work in from 1894 until the Singer Building was finished in New York City in 1908.
Name | Image | Street address | Years as tallest | Height ft (m) |
Floors | Architect | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independence Hall | ![]() |
520 Chestnut Street | 1748–1754 | 134 (41) | 2 | Edmund Woolley and Andrew Hamilton | |
Christ Church | ![]() |
20 North American Street | 1754–1856 | 196 (60) | — | Robert Smith | |
Tenth Presbyterian Church | ![]() |
17th & Spruce Streets | 1856–1894 | 250 (76) | — | John McArthur Jr. | |
Philadelphia City Hall | ![]() |
Broad & Market Streets | 1894–1987 | 548 (167) | 9 | John McArthur Jr. | |
One Liberty Place | ![]() |
1650 Market Street | 1987–2008 | 945 (288) | 61 | Helmut Jahn | |
Comcast Center | ![]() |
1701 John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 2008–2017 | 974 (297) | 57 | Robert A. M. Stern Architects | |
Comcast Technology Center | ![]() |
1800 Arch Street | 2017–present | 1,121 (342) | 60 | Norman Foster |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Edificios más altos de Filadelfia para niños
- Buildings and architecture of Philadelphia
- List of tallest buildings in Pittsburgh
- List of tallest buildings in Pennsylvania
- List of tallest buildings in Camden
- List of tallest buildings in the United States