List of tallest structures facts for kids

The World's Tallest Structures in 2024:
1. The amazing Burj Khalifa skyscraper
2. The Merdeka 118 skyscraper
3. The Tokyo Skytree
4. The Shanghai Tower skyscraper
5. The KRDK-TV mast

Have you ever wondered what the tallest things built by humans are? This article explores the most gigantic structures around the world! The very tallest structure is the Burj Khalifa, a super-tall building in Dubai. It stands at an incredible 828 meters (2,717 feet) high.

This list includes all kinds of tall structures. You'll find skyscrapers (like the Willis Tower), tall towers (like the CN Tower), and even huge guyed masts used for broadcasting. We also look at oil platforms and other massive constructions. Everything is listed by its total height, from the very top.

What Do These Words Mean?

When we talk about tall structures, we use specific terms. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat helps us define them.

• A guyed mast is a tall pole held up by strong wires called "guy wires." Think of a tent pole held up by ropes.
• A tower stands on its own without any extra support wires.
• A building (or skyscraper) is also self-supporting, but it has many floors inside where people can live or work. At least half of its space must be usable by people.

The Tallest Structures on Earth

These lists show structures that are at least 500 meters (1,640 feet) tall. We measure their height to the very top, including any spires or antennas.

Structures 600 meters (1,969 feet) and Taller

Here's a look at the absolute giants! Some of these structures are no longer standing, and some are mostly underwater.

Name	Height	Year Built	Type	Main Use	Country	City	Fun Facts
Burj Khalifa	829.8 m (2,722 ft)	2010	Skyscraper	Offices, hotel, homes	UAE	Dubai	The tallest human-built structure in the world! Its height includes a very tall spire.
Merdeka 118	678.9 m (2,227 ft)	2023	Skyscraper	Offices, hotel, homes	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	The second tallest structure in the world.
Warsaw Radio Mast	646.4 m (2,121 ft)	1974	Guyed mast	Radio signals	Poland	Gąbin-Konstantynów	This giant mast collapsed in 1991 during repairs.
Petronius Platform	640 m (2,100 ft)	2000	Offshore platform	Oil drilling	(US waters)	Petronius field, Gulf of Mexico	Located far out in the Gulf of Mexico.
Tokyo Skytree	634.0 m (2,080.1 ft)	2012	Lattice tower	Observation, TV signals	Japan	Tokyo	The tallest tower in the world and the tallest structure in Japan.
Shanghai Tower	632.0 m (2,073.5 ft)	2015	Skyscraper	Homes, observation	China	Shanghai	The tallest structure in China and the third tallest skyscraper globally.
KRDK-TV mast	627.8 m (2,060 ft)	1998	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Galesburg, North Dakota	It was rebuilt after collapsing twice before.
KXTV/KOVR tower	624.5 m (2,049 ft)	1985	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Walnut Grove	The tallest structure in California.
KATV tower	609.6 m (2,000 ft)	1965	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Barraque Township, Arkansas	This mast collapsed in 2008.
KCAU TV Tower	609.6 m (2,000 ft)	1965	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Sioux City	One of the tallest structures in Iowa.
KCCI Tower	609.6 m (2,000 ft)	1972	Guyed mast	TV, radio signals	United States	Alleman	Another one of Iowa's tallest structures.
WTTO Tower	609.6 m (2,000 ft)	1986	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Windham Springs	The tallest structure in Alabama.
WCTV Tower	609.6 m (2,000 ft)	1987	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Metcalf	The tallest structure in Georgia.
KDLT Tower	609.6 m (2,000 ft)	1998	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Rowena	The tallest structure in South Dakota.
KMOS TV Tower	609.6 m (2,000 ft)	2002	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Syracuse, Missouri	The tallest structure in Missouri.
Perry Broadcasting Tower	609.5 m (2,000 ft)	2004	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Alfalfa	The tallest structure in Oklahoma.
Abraj Al Bait Hotel Tower	601 m (1,972 ft)	2011	Skyscraper	Hotel, homes	Saudi Arabia	Mecca	The tallest structure in Saudi Arabia.
Canton Tower	600 m (1,969 ft)	2009	Concrete tower	Observation, TV signals	China	Guangzhou	A very popular observation tower.

Structures Between 550 and 600 meters (1,804 and 1,969 feet)

These structures are also incredibly tall, just a bit shorter than the giants above.

Name	Height	Year Built	Type	Main Use	Country	City	Fun Facts
KDUH-TV Mast Hemingford	599 m (1,965 ft)	1969	Guyed mast	TV signals		Hemingford, Nebraska	This mast fell down in 2003.
Ping An Finance Centre	599 metres (1,965 ft)	2017	Skyscraper	Offices	China	Shenzhen, Guangdong	A modern skyscraper in a busy city.
KOLR/KOZK Tower	597.3 m (1,960 ft)	1971	Guyed mast	TV signals		Fordland, Missouri	This tower collapsed in 2018.
Goldin Finance 117	597 metres (1,959 ft)	2015	Unfinished skyscraper	Offices	China	Tianjin	This skyscraper is still being built.
Baldpate Platform	579.7 m (1,902 ft)	1998	Offshore platform	Oil drilling	High Seas (US waters)	Garden Banks, Gulf of Mexico	Located off the coast of Louisiana.
WTVY-TV Tower	579.42 m (1,901.0 ft)	1978	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Bethlehem, Florida	The tallest structure in Florida.
Lotte World Tower	555.7 metres (1,823 ft)	2016	Skyscraper	Hotel, homes	South Korea	Seoul	A very tall building in South Korea.
CN Tower	553 m (1,814 ft)	1976	Concrete tower	Observation, TV signals, restaurant	Canada	Toronto, Ontario	The tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere.

Structures Between 500 and 550 meters (1,640 and 1,804 feet)

These structures are also very impressive in height!

Name	Height	Year Built	Type	Main Use	Country	City	Fun Facts
KATC Tower Kaplan	546.6 m (1,793 ft)	1978	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Kaplan, Louisiana	This tower collapsed in 2018 after a plane hit it.
One World Trade Center	546.2 m (1,792 ft)	2013	Skyscraper	Offices, TV signals	United States	New York City	The tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere.
Ostankino Tower	540.1 m (1,772 ft)	1967	Concrete tower	Observation, TV signals	Russia	Moscow	The tallest structure in Russia.
WTVM/WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower	533 m (1,749 ft)	1962	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Cusseta, Georgia	This was the tallest structure in the world from 1962-1963!
Tianjin CTF Finance Centre	530.4 m (1,740 ft)	2017	Skyscraper	Hotel, homes, offices	China	Tianjin	A very tall building in China.
Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre	530 m (1,740 ft)	2015	Skyscraper	Hotel, homes, offices	China	Guangzhou, Guangdong	Completed in 2014.
Bullwinkle Platform	529.1 m (1,736 ft)	1989	Offshore platform	Oil drilling	High Seas (US waters)	Manatee Field, Gulf of Mexico	Located southwest of New Orleans.
China Zun	528 m (1,732 ft)	2018	Skyscraper	Hotel, homes, offices	China	Beijing	A unique skyscraper in Beijing.
Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower)	527 m (1,729 ft)	1974	Skyscraper	Offices, observation, TV signals	United States	Chicago, Illinois	This was the tallest building in the world from 1974 to 1998.
World Trade Center, Tower 1	526.3 m (1,727 ft)	1973	Skyscraper	Offices, TV signals	United States	New York City	Sadly, this building was destroyed on September 11, 2001.
Benguela-Belize Lobito-Tomboco Platform	512 m (1,680 ft)	2008	Offshore platform	Oil drilling	High Seas (Angola waters)	lower Congo basin	An oil platform off the coast of Angola.
KFVS TV Mast	631.5 m (2,072 ft)	1960	Guyed mast	TV signals	United States	Cape Girardeau County, Missouri	This was the tallest structure in the world from 1960-1961.
Taipei 101	509.2 m (1,671 ft)	2004	Skyscraper	Offices, observation, TV signals	Taiwan	Taipei	This was the tallest building in the world from 2004-2007.

Structures on Hold or Cancelled

Sometimes, plans for super-tall structures don't quite work out. Here are some that were put on hold or cancelled.

Tallest Structures by Continent

Let's see which structures are the tallest on each continent!

Current Tallest Structures by Continent

This table shows the tallest structures that are standing right now.

All-Time Tallest Structures by Continent

This table shows the tallest structures ever built on each continent, even if they are no longer standing.

Learn More

• List of tallest buildings and structures
• List of tallest structures – 400 to 500 metres
• List of tallest structures – 300 to 400 metres
• List of tallest buildings
• List of tallest freestanding structures
• List of tallest bridges
• List of tallest dams
• List of cities with most skyscrapers
• List of tallest statues