The city is home to many of the earliest skyscrapers, which began to appear towards the end of the 19th century. A major construction boom in the 1920s saw the completion of some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world at the time, including the Chrysler Building in 1930 and the Empire State Building in 1931 in Midtown Manhattan. At 1,250 feet (381m) and 102-stories, the Empire State Building stood as the tallest building in the world for almost four decades; it remains among the city's most recognizable skyscrapers today.[9] Following a lull in skyscraper development during the 1930s to 1950s, construction steadily returned. The Empire State Building was dethroned as the world's tallest building in 1970, when the 1,368-foot (417m)North Tower of the original World Trade Center surpassed it.[10] The North Tower, along with its twin the South Tower, held this title only briefly as they were both surpassed by the Willis Tower (then Sears Tower) in Chicago in 1973. The Twin Towers remained the tallest buildings in New York City until they were destroyed in the September 11 attacks in 2001.[11][12]
Starting from the mid-2000s, New York City would undergo an unprecedented skyscraper boom. The new One World Trade Center, part of the redevelopment of the World Trade Center, began construction in 2006 and was completed in 2014. It surpassed the Empire State Building as the city's tallest, and overtook the Willis Tower to become the tallest building in the United States.[7][13] In Midtown Manhattan, a luxury residential boom led to the completion of Central Park Tower, the second-tallest building in the city at 1,550 feet (472m), with the highest roof of any building outside Asia; 111 West 57th Street, the city's third tallest building and the world's most slender skyscraper at 1,428 feet (435m), and 432 Park Avenue, the city's fifth tallest building at 1,397 feet (426m). The tallest office skyscraper in Midtown, One Vanderbilt, is the fourth-tallest building in the city at 1,401 feet (427m). The Hudson Yards redevelopment added over fifteen skyscrapers to Manhattan's West Side.
The majority of skyscrapers in New York City are concentrated in its two primary business districts, Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan, with Midtown having more skyscrapers, including 15 of the city's 18 supertall skyscrapers when Hudson Yards is included. New York City has the third-most supertall skyscrapers in the world. Other neighborhoods of Manhattan and the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx are also home to a substantial number of high-rises. A popular misconception holds that the relative lack of skyscrapers between Lower and Midtown Manhattan is due to the depth of the bedrock beneath the two districts.[14][15] Since the 2010s, an increasing number of skyscrapers have been built in Downtown Brooklyn and Long Island City, as well as along the East River in Brooklyn and Queens.
Number of skyscrapers by height in New York City at the end of each year, including skyscrapers under construction expected to be completed in 2025. Click on the legend to toggle a specific height on or off. See or edit chart definition.
The history of skyscrapers in New York City began with the construction of the Equitable Life, Western Union, and Tribune buildings in the early 1870s. These relatively short early skyscrapers, sometimes referred to as "preskyscrapers" or "protoskyscrapers", included features such as a steel frame and elevators—then-new innovations that were used in the city's later skyscrapers.[16]:62 Modern skyscraper construction began with the completion of the World Building in 1890; the structure rose to a pinnacle of 349 feet (106m).[17] Though not the city's first high-rise, it was the first building to surpass the 284-foot (87m) spire of Trinity Church.[18] The World Building, which stood as the tallest in the city until 1899,[C] was demolished in 1955 to allow for the construction of an expanded entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge.[19] The Park Row Building, at 391 feet (119m), was the city's tallest building from 1899 to 1908,[20] and the world's tallest office building during the same time span.[21] By 1900, fifteen skyscrapers in New York City exceeded 250 feet (76m) in height.[16]:280
New York has played a prominent role in the development of the skyscraper. Since 1890, ten of those built in the city have held the title of world's tallest.[22][D] New York City went through a very early high-rise construction booms from the 1890s through the 1910s.[23] Notable skyscrapers completed during the first boom include the Singer Building, which was the first skyscraper in New York and the second in the world to exceed 492 feet (150 m) in height, and the Met Life Tower, which is the earliest skyscraper to reach 492 feet (150 m) that still stands today. Another notable landmark was the Woolworth Building, the first building in the world to be taller than 656 feet (200 m). All three buildings held the title of the tallest building in New York City and the world at the time.
After a lull in skyscraper construction in the mid-1910s, a second boom occurred from the mid-1920s to the early 1930s.[23] Skyscrapers reached greater heights in Lower Manhattan and especially in Midtown Manhattan. This period saw the completion of 40 Wall Street, the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building, partially driven by increased commercial demand and economic development during the Roaring Twenties and a desire for developers to outdo one another in height.[24] The Chrysler Building was completed in 1930, one year after the onset of the Great Depression; at a height of 1,049 feet (319 m), it became the world's first supertall skyscraper. The Empire State Building was completed one year later. In total, during the early 20th century, 44skyscrapers over492 feet (150m) were built.[25] Many of the buildings during the second boom were built in the Art Deco style.[26]:7
1930s–1950s
The International-style UN Secretariat Building
After the early 1930s, skyscraper construction came to a halt for over 20 years owing to economic pressures during the Depression and World War II. Many office skyscrapers in Midtown Manhattan had large amounts of vacant space years after completion.[27] A notable exception to the hiatus was the early modernist 75 Rockefeller Plaza, built as a northern extension to the Rockefeller Center in 1947.[28] Gradually, skyscraper development resumed in the 1950s.[29]:47,50
The skyline of Lower Manhattan with the original World Trade Center complex
The New York City Zoning Resolution of 1961 incentivized the building of more office skyscrapers in Manhattan.[30] Notable buildings to go up in the 1960s include the octagonal MetLife Building[31] and the General Motors Building.[32] Some early skyscrapers, such as the Singer Building and the City Investing Building, were demolished to make way for new developments.
In 1966, construction began on the World Trade Center complex, including twin supertall skyscrapers measuring 1,368 feet (417 m) and 1,362 feet (415.1 m) in height. Known as the Twin Towers, they reshaped the Lower Manhattan skyline when they topped out in 1970, and over time, became an iconic symbol of New York City.[33] Midtown Manhattan saw increasingly tall skyscrapers like the Citigroup Center and One Penn Plaza in the 1970s; during this decade, the city surpassed 100 skyscrapers above 492 feet (100 m) in height. Another construction surge in the late 1980s increasingly embraced more postmodernist designs, such as CitySpire and 1 Worldwide Plaza.
1990s–present
One WTC and 3 WTC under construction in 2011
After the early 1990s, skyscraper development slowed down once more, with the most significant new skyscraper during this lull being 4 Times Square. The 2000s saw the resumption of office skyscraper development, alongside an growing number of residential skyscrapers. The Bank of America Tower and the New York Times Building became the first supertall skyscrapers to be built in the city since the original Twin Towers. The mid-2010s saw an especially large surge in construction, with office and residential structures reaching new heights. While New York City had only two supertall buildings in 2010, that figure has grown to 18 by 2025.
WTC redevelopment
In 2001, the September 11 attacks led to the collapse of the Twin Towers, and the Empire State Building regained the title of the tallest building in the city. The Twin Towers were the tallest buildings ever to have been destroyed. Plans to rebuild the site were soon proposed, and construction began for a new World Trade Center complex in 2004. The centerpiece of the redevelopment, One World Trade Center, was completed in 2014 at a height of 1,776 ft (541.3 m). The height is a symbolic reference to the year of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. Upon topping out, the building became the tallest building in the city and the United States. Also part of the complex is 3 World Trade Center, a supertall skyscraper completed in 2018. The site for 2 World Trade Center has been repeatedly delayed; excavation commenced in 2008 on a design from British architect Norman Foster, but works were halted in 2013, with construction only occurring up to street level. The proposal was redesigned by Bjarke Ingels of Bjarke Ingels Group in 2015, featuring a terraced, cantilevering structure. As of 2025, no work has started on the rest of the tower.
A boom in the development of supertall residential skyscrapers began with One57 and 432 Park Avenue, the latter surpassing the height of the Empire State Building to become the tallest building in Midtown Manhattan in 2015. This trend culminated with the completion of 111 West 57th Street and Central Park Tower in the early 2020s, both surpassing 1,400 feet (427 m) in height. These buildings are primarily catered towards the luxury market; their prevalence near the southern side of Central Park has led the area around them to be named "Billionaire's Row".
Two significant commercial supertall skyscrapers, both exceeding 1,300 feet (396 m), have topped out in the 2020s: One Vanderbilt, forming a new peak in the skyline around Grand Central Terminal; and 270 Park Avenue, which will serve as the new headquarters of JPMorgan Chase. The skyline of the western side of Midtown Manhattan was also massively transformed with the Hudson Yards development. Built on the eastern side of West Side Yard, Phase I of the development began construction in 2012 and was completed in 2019. Within the development are three supertall skyscrapers: 35 Hudson Yards, 30 Hudson Yards, and The Spiral, alongside several other skyscrapers. Additionally, located near Hudson Yards is One Manhattan West, another supertall skyscraper completed in 2019. Phase II of Hudson Yards is under planning, and could potentially include more supertall buildings and a casino.[34]
In the 21st century, development of skyscrapers became more common in boroughs other than Manhattan. After the completion of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower in Brooklyn in 1929, the building remained the tallest building in the borough for 80 years. However, since the late 2000s, a growing number of residential high-rises have been built in Downtown Brooklyn, which has since formed a significant high-rise skyline of its own.[39] As of 2025, Brooklyn is home to 17 skyscrapers taller than 492 feet (150 m). The tallest, the Brooklyn Tower, was completed in 2022 at 1,066 feet (325 m); it is the first and only supertall skyscraper in the city outside of Manhattan.[40]
The neighborhood of Long Island City (LIC), in Queens, also developed a skyline due to construction during the 2010s.[41]One Court Square, an office building built in 1990, was the only skyscraper in Queens for over a decade, until the addition of residential high-rises in the late 2000s; the borough now has 14 skyscrapers taller than 492 feet (150 m). The tallest, The Orchard, is topped out and will be complete in 2016.[42] Residential skyscrapers have also been built on the waterfront of East River in Brooklyn and Queens since the late 2010s, particularly in the Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Hunters Point neighborhoods. On a lesser scale, high-rises developments have become more common in the areas of Flushing,[43]Gowanus,[44]Jamaica,[45] and South Bronx.[46]
Although not located in New York City, the neighborhood of Exchange Place in Jersey City has seen a similar boom in tall buildings since the 2000s.[47] More recently, in the 2020s, the area of Journal Square has also seen an influx in skyscrapers.[48]
Cityscape
Nine-mile (14km) high-resolution panorama of Manhattan's west side, from 115th Street to The Battery, taken from Weehawken, NJ, March 26, 2020. View of Chrysler Building blocked by One Vanderbilt.
Map of tallest buildings
The map below shows the location of every building taller than 650 ft (198 m) in New York City. Each marker is colored by the decade of the building's completion.
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Buildings taller than 650 ft (198 m) in New York City
This list ranks completed and topped out New York City skyscrapers that stand at least 650 feet (198m) tall based on standard height measurements. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. An equal sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.
Was New York City's tallest building upon completion
Also known as the Freedom Tower. Tallest building in the Western Hemisphere by architectural height. Tallest building in New York City and the United States. 7th-tallest building in the world. Roof height is 1,368 feet (417m), the same as the original World Trade Center. Footprint of the building is 200 by 200 feet (61 by 61m), the same as each of the Twin Towers.[49]
Tallest building in New York City by roof height at 1,550 feet; highest roof height of any building outside Asia, surpassing the Willis Tower by 100 feet (30m). Also known as Nordstrom Tower. 15th-tallest building in the world. Tallest building in Midtown Manhattan. The building is also the tallest residential building in the world both by roof height and architectural height. The top floor is marketed as the 130th floor, but the building only has 98 actual floors.[50][51][52]
Second-tallest office building in NYC.[55] Tallest all-office building in Midtown Manhattan. 31st-tallest building in the world. Due to floor ceilings between 14 and 20 feet in height, it has fewer stories than most buildings of similar height; its top floor is numbered 93. Has the highest panoramic elevator in the world.[56][57]
Tallest building in Hudson Yards. 53rd-tallest building in the world. It has the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere and highest open-air building ascent in the world. Top floor marketed as 101.[65]
Tallest building in Brooklyn, the tallest building in the outer boroughs, the tallest building on Long Island, and the tallest building in New York State outside Manhattan Island.[72][73][74][75]
First building in the world to rise higher than 1,000 feet (305m); stood as the tallest building in the world from 1930 until 1931 when it was surpassed by the Empire State Building; tallest steel-framed brick building in the world. During construction, it and 40 Wall Street overtook the Eiffel Tower as the world's tallest human-made structures.[78][79]
Formerly known as the American International Building and the Cities Service Building.[98][99] 70 Pine was transformed into a residential skyscraper with 644 rental residences, 132 hotel rooms and 35,000 square feet of retail space, opening in 2015.[100] It was the third-tallest building in the world upon completion. It stood as the tallest building in Lower Manhattan from the time of its completion until the construction of the original World Trade Center towers in the 1970s, then regained that status after 9/11, holding it until the construction of the new One World Trade Center building.
Formerly known as the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building. Also known as the Trump Building, a more permanent name is 40 Wall Street. Was the world's tallest building for less than two months before being surpassed by the Chrysler Building.[104][105]
Tallest building in the world from 1913 until 1930, before being surpassed by 40 Wall Street. Now a mixed-use office and residential building.[149][150]
It houses the Courtyard & Residence Inn Manhattan/Central Park hotel. Tallest hotel-only skyscraper in New York City. Tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere.[177][178][179]
Tallest twin buildings in the United States. Originally constructed as the AOL Time Warner Center; in 2021 the complex was renamed the Deutsche Bank Center.[186][187]
Formerly known as the City Bank-Farmers Trust Building. Was the fourth-tallest building in New York City when it was finished, behind Chrysler, 40 Wall, and Woolworth Bldgs.[202][203]
Foundation work began in December 2022, and the building rose above street level in March 2023 and topped off in July 2024. The building will be residential, with 921 units and ground-floor commercial space.[210]
Tallest building in the world from 1909 until 1913 before being surpassed by the Woolworth Building. Currently a mixed-use office and hotel building.[226][227]
Also known as 605 West 42nd Street and Atelier II. Largest single tower residence in New York City.[247]Sky comprises 1,175 luxury units and includes more than 70,000 sq ft of amenity space.[248]
Tallest buildings in NYC, by pinnacle height, including all masts, antennae, poles, etc., whether architectural or not.
This list ranks buildings in New York City based on pinnacle height measurement, which includes antenna masts. Standard architectural height measurement, which excludes non-architectural antennas in building height, is included for comparative purposes. An equal sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.
This lists the tallest building in each borough of New York City based on standard height measurement. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.
This lists buildings that are currently under construction in New York City and are expected to rise to a height of at least 650 feet (198m). Buildings under construction that have already been topped out are included in the table above. The "year" column indicates the expected year of completion. A dash "–" indicates information about the building is unknown or not publicly available. For buildings whose heights have not yet been released by their developers, this table uses a floor count of 50stories as the cutoff.
Proposed by developer Sedesco with a design by OMA.[283] Demolition work was completed on the site as of August 2021.[284] Demolition is underway as of 2025.[285]
Also known as "The Torch". Approved by the city in December 2021.[286] Excavation underway as of October 2022.[287] Plans call for a hotel, with a "vertical-drop" ride and observation tower.[288][289]
Approved by the New York City Council in September 2018.[293][294] The development will have two buildings; excavation on the site of the shorter building began in late 2021.[295]
Excavation work on the site was first reported in June 2023 and was still underway as of October 2023.[296][297] The building will include 462 residential units, 7,000 square feet of commercial space, and a 60-foot-long rear yard.[297]
This lists buildings that were previously under construction in New York City that were expected to reach a height of 650 feet (198 ft) where work has stopped.
Would become the second-tallest building in the new World Trade Center complex upon completion. As of June 2020, construction is on hold after the completion of foundation work due to a lack of tenants. Both Bjarke Ingels and Norman Foster have proposed designs for the building, the final design will depend upon a prospective tenant's needs.[299][300][301][302]
Formerly known as GiraSole.[305] The project remains on hold, though the developer's head of commercial leasing said in November 2021 that he is "hopeful that we'll have more significant news in the next six months or so" about the status of the project.[306]
This table lists buildings that are approved for construction in New York City and are expected to rise at least 650 feet (198m) in height. For buildings whose heights have not yet been released by their developers, this table uses a floor count of 50 stories as the cutoff.
350 Park Avenue has been quietly proposed by Vornado Realty Trust after a marketing brochure leaked renderings; the Foster and Partners-designed building would replace BlackRock's current headquarters after the company moves to 50 Hudson Yards in 2022.[308] In January 2023, Bloomberg reported that Citadel intended to occupy roughly half the building's office space.[309] In December 2023, the developer bought the air rights from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.[310]
An Environmental Assessment Statement for 109 East 42nd Street in Midtown East reveals details for a proposed development called Project Commodore, a 1,581-foot-tall skyscraper on the site currently occupied by the Hyatt Grand Central New York. The building will be developed by RXR Realty and TF Cornerstone to designs by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.[311] Some images of plans for the new structure were released by SOM in early 2021.[312] Scott Rechler, CEO of RXR, anticipates the building will be complete by 2030.[313]
Class A office building proposed by property owner McCourt Global and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Construction was planned to commence in 2024.[314]
New design unveiled in February 2021.[315][316] Construction was anticipated to begin in 2025.[317]
260 South Street Tower I
798 (243)
73
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Approved by the City Planning Commission in December 2018.[318][319]
260 South Street Tower II
748 (228)
67
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Approved by the City Planning Commission in December 2018.[318][319]
259 Clinton Street
730 (223)
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Approved by the City Planning Commission in December 2018.[318][320][321]
One Third Avenue
725 (221)
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Approved by the City Council in 2018 and part of the Alloy Block development, One Third Avenue will include 583 apartments, retail, and office space. Upon completion, it will be the tallest Passive House in the world.[322]
10 West 57th Street
672 (205)
52
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Ultra-luxury condominium tower proposed by Sheldon Solow; the former buildings on the site were under demolition as of May 2020.[323]
Proposed
This table lists buildings that are proposed for construction in New York City and are expected to rise at least 650 feet (198m) in height. For buildings whose heights have not yet been released by their developers, this table uses a floor count of 50 stories as the cutoff.
Wynn New York City was a proposed integrated resort and casino which had been proposed as part of the Hudson Yards development. Proposed by Related and Wynn Resorts, construction would only have occurred if Wynn was awarded a casino license for downstate New York. The resort would have featured 1,750 rooms and suites, making it one of the largest hotels in New York City.[327] Wynn Resorts withdrew their proposal in May 2025.[328][329]
SHoP Architects building being developed by JDS Development Group. Initial plans revealed in April 2016 and approved by the City Planning Commission in December 2018.[318][330][331] As of 2022, the developer is facing legal challenges to the site.[332]
Initially proposed by Vornado prior to the 2008 financial crisis; as of 2024 the developer is still seeking an anchor tenant to justify construction.[333] Demolition work was underway in 2023, although, since early 2024, Vornado is still proposing covering the site the site with tennis courts and an event space. Its height has been reduced from 1270 to 1000 feet, but no construction date is certified. The building's location is only 2 blocks away from the Empire State Building.[334][335][336][337]
HDSN
984 (300)
72
David Adjaye designed a proposal for the site, at 418 11th Avenue, for developer Don Peebles, referred to as the "Affirmation Tower".[338] The request for proposal for which the plan was submitted was later revised by New York governor Kathy Hochul and now requires affordable housing.[339][340][341] In 2024, a revised plan for the site from a partnership that does not include Peebles was submitted and approved.[342] The newly proposed development, called HDSN, would include two towers with 1,349 residential units, a hotel, and retail space.[342]
100 Gold Street
891 (272)
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A rendering of a 2000-unit residential skyscraper at this site was presented by Mayor Eric Adams as part of his State of the City address.[343]
Also known as JPMorgan Chase Tower and formerly the Union Carbide Building.[350][351] Demolition of the current building started in 2019, making it the tallest building in the world to be voluntarily demolished. The JPMorgan Chase Building topped out on the site in 2023 as the sixth tallest building in New York.[64]
1 2 3 4 The building is 104 standard floors tall and most references supply this figure. However, only 94 actual, physically usable, stories are present; see the skyscraper's main article for more details.
↑ Prior to 1985, the pinnacle height was 1,472 feet (449m). This was reduced to the current value when the original antenna was replaced by a shorter one.[275]
↑ The floor count of the World Building has been disputed. Upon construction, the building was said to contain up to 26 floors, but in recent years the building has been said to contain as few as 16 floors.[363]
↑ This building was constructed as the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building, but is now more commonly known as 40 Wall Street and officially known as the Trump Building.
↑ "Congregation History". The (Collegiate) Reformed Protestant Dutch Church Of the City of New York. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
1 2 "Trinity Church". Skyscraper Source Media. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
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