Boston is the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the largest city in New England. It is home to over 580 completed high-rises,[1] 73 of which stand taller than 300 feet (91 m) as of 2025. Boston's skyline is by far the largest in New England, and the city has the second most skyscrapers taller than 492 ft (150 m) in the Northeastern United States, after New York City. The tallest building in Boston is the 62-story 200 Clarendon, better known as the John Hancock Tower; the office skyscraper rises 790 ft (241 m) in the Back Bay district, southwest of Downtown Boston.
The history of skyscrapers in Boston began early with the completion of the 13-story Ames Building in 1893. The Greek Revival style Custom House Tower, which was Boston's tallest building from 1915 to 1964, was among the first skyscrapers outside of New York City. Boston went through a major building boom from the 1960s to the early 1990s, resulting in the construction of over 30 buildings taller than 300 ft (91 m), including the John Hancock Tower and the city's second-tallest building, the Prudential Tower. At the time of the Prudential Tower's completion in 1964, it stood as the tallest building in North America outside of New York City.[2]
After a hiatus in the 1990s, high-rise development resumed in the 2000s, with a higher share residential or mixed-use buildings. Since 2016, several major projects have significantly altered the city's skyline, including four skyscrapers taller than 600 ft (183 m): Millennium Tower in 2016, One Dalton in 2020, and both Winthrop Center and One Congress in 2023. A fifth, South Station Tower, is under construction atop Boston's historic South Station, and is expected to be complete by 2025. Around the same period, the West End neighborhood has seen an influx in high-rises, such as The Hub on Causeway. The regeneration of the Seaport District since the 2000s has added many new high-rises to the former industrial area, although none of them surpass 300 ft in height.
Although Boston's skyscrapers are concentrated in the Financial District in downtown, its three tallest buildings—John Hancock Tower, Prudential Tower, and One Dalton—are located in Back Bay. Boston's skyline is shaped by the roughly 2.5 mile unofficial High Spine urban corridor,[3] bypassing surrounding low-rise residential areas like Beacon Hill and the North End. In addition to the Seaport District southeast of downtown, the skyline has stretched westwards towards Fenway–Kenmore beginning in the 2010s. In the wider metropolitan area, there is an ongoing high-rise boom in neighboring Cambridge, as well as in Somerville to a lesser extent. Regulations on building shadows and the proximity of Logan International Airport to downtown have limited the height of skyscrapers in downtown Boston to below 800 ft (244 m).[4]
History
Number of buildings by height in Boston by the end of each year. Click on the legend to toggle a specific height on or off. See or edit chart definition.
Cityscape
A panorama of the Boston skyline as viewed from Prospect Hill in 2025
The map below shows the location of buildings taller than 300 feet (91.4 m) in Boston. Each marker is colored by the decade of the building's completion.
Boston skyscrapers that stand at least 300feet (91m) tall, based on standard height measurements, including spires and other architectural details, but not including antenna masts, are listed below. The "Year" column indicates the year when a building was completed.
Was the tallest building in Boston upon completion
Tallest residential building in Boston and New England.[11][12] Tallest building in Boston completed in the 2020s. Mixed-use residential and hotel building.
Tallest building in Boston outside of Back Bay. Second tallest building in Boston completed in the 2020s. Mixed-use residential and office building.[13][14]
Tallest all-hotel building in Boston. Tallest building in Boston completed in the 1910s. Was the tallest building in Boston before being surpassed by the Prudential Tower.[43][44][45]
Boston skyscrapers based on their pinnacle height, which includes radio masts and antennas, are listed below. Standard architectural height measurement, which excludes antennas in building height, is included for comparative purposes.[110]
Tallest building in Cambridge. Also known as Site 4 at Kendall Square, 290 Main Street, or MIT Site 4. Mixed-use residential, educational, and office building.[120]
Tallest under construction or proposed
Under construction
The table ranks high-rises under construction in Boston that are expected to be at least 300 ft (91 m) tall as of 2025, based on standard height measurement. The “Year” column indicates the expected year of completion. Buildings that are on hold are not included. Table entries with dashes (—) indicate that information about the building is unknown or has not yet been released.
The table ranks proposed high-rises in Boston that are expected to be at least 300 ft (91 m) tall., based on standard height measurement. Table entries with dashes (—) indicate that information about the building is unknown or has not yet been released.
For most of Boston's earlier years, the tallest buildings in the city were churches with their steeples. The first skyscraper in the city is generally considered the Ames Building, completed in 1893.[131] However, since the 13-story building did not surpass the steeple of the Church of the Covenant,[132] it never became a city record holder. The first skyscraper to have the distinction of being Boston's tallest building was the Custom House Tower, completed in 1915.[44]
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