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List of tallest buildings in Philadelphia facts for kids

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A610, Philadelphia skyline from Boathouse Row, 2019
The Philadelphia skyline from Boathouse Row in June 2019.
Philadelphia from the Delaware River
The Philadelphia skyline from the Delaware River in February 2023.

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.

Philadelphia's Super Tall Buildings

Philadelphia skyscrapers
A comparison of Philadelphia's seven tallest skyscrapers.

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 View of Center City (Comcast Technology Center).jpg 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 Two liberty place.JPG 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 The Laurel Rittenhouse.jpg 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

ft (m)

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

ft (m)

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

Skyscrapers of Philadelphia, 1898
An 1898 poster showing skyscrapers in Philadelphia.

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

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Edificios más altos de Filadelfia para niños

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List of tallest buildings in Philadelphia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.