The history of skyscrapers in San Diego began with the completion of the U.S. Grant Hotel in 1910. Standing at 211 ft (64 m), it was the tallest building in the city for 17 years, symbolizing early 20th century economic growth and urban development. In 1927, the El Cortez Hotel surpassed it with a height of 310 ft (94 m), becoming a prominent landmark and reflecting the city’s expanding ambitions during the Roaring Twenties.[5] For much of the mid-20th century, high-rise development in San Diego remained modest compared to other major American cities, largely due to the city’s size and geographic constraints. A significant shift occurred in 1969 when 530 B Street was completed, reaching 388 ft (118 m) and holding the title of tallest building for two decades. This period marked the beginning of more modern office towers and a move toward vertical urbanization.
An uptick in construction took place from the 1980s to early 1990s, which saw the emergence of major skyscrapers such as Symphony Towers, completed in 1989 at 499 feet (152 m), and One America Plaza, which overtook it in 1991. All three buildings that surpassed 492 ft (150 m) in height were completed between 1989 and 1992. The late 1990s and 2000s onwards saw a surge in new high-rise construction, particularly residential skyscrapers, which introduced twin tower designs and modern architectural styles to the city.[2] This era coincided with broader urban renewal efforts aimed at revitalizing downtown neighborhoods and accommodating a growing population seeking urban living. In contrast to Los Angeles and San Francisco, over half of the city's 300-foot buildings were completed after 2000.
The FAA's height restrictions created a skyline that is relatively uniform in height, compared to other American cities. As a result, San Diego’s skyline is often noted for its integration with the natural coastal environment, preserving sightlines to the bay and surrounding hills. While most tall buildings are located downtown, there are a number of residential high-rises in the University City neighborhood. South of the Mexico-United States border is the Mexican city of Tijuana, which has a significant skyline of its own. San Diego and Tijuana form the San Diego-Tijuana transborder agglomeration, which together has nearly 50 buildings taller than 100 m (328 ft).
History
Number of buildings by height in San Diego by the end of each year. Click on the legend to toggle a specific height on or off. View chart definition.
After the completion of Cortez Hotel in 1927, it remained the tallest building in San Diego for 36 years, until it was surpassed by the Executive Complex in 1963.
The FAA's height restrictions—introduced in the 1970s due to the proximity of San Diego International Airport—limited downtown building heights to a maximum of 500 feet (152 m). This restriction has significantly influenced the architectural character and scale of San Diego's skyline, resulting in a cluster of buildings that generally adhere to the 500-foot limit. This has created a relatively uniform skyline height compared to other major cities, with an emphasis on horizontal spread and mid-rise development in surrounding neighborhoods. As a result, San Diego’s skyline is often noted for its integration with the natural coastal environment, preserving sightlines to the bay and surrounding hills. During the 1990s, the city was compared to a "handful of tools in a scarcely stocked toolbox" and a "mouth with a lot of missing teeth".[2] The late 1990s and 2000s saw a surge in new high-rise construction, particularly residential skyscrapers, which introduced twin tower designs and modern architectural styles to the city.[2] This era coincided with broader urban renewal efforts aimed at revitalizing downtown neighborhoods and accommodating a growing population seeking urban living.
I believe that our skyline is a collective composition of many buildings. We don't have to have one landmark like the Empire State Building or Petronas towers. I think the landmark is the entire Downtown.
—Garry Papers, manager of architecture and planning for the Center City Development Corporation[2]
As of October2025[update], there are around 9buildings that have been proposed, approved, undergoing review, or are currently undergoing construction which will join the tallest buildings in San Diego (over 300feet).[6][7]
Cityscape
San Diego skyline from Coronado Island in 2021, looking northeast (Click or hover over image to identify buildings)
Downtown San Diego skyline in 2009, looking eastwards towards the northern part of the Embarcadero.
Map of tallest buildings
The map below shows the location of buildings taller than 300 feet (61 m) in San Diego. Each marker is numbered by height and colored by the decade of the building's completion.
Map all coordinates usingOpenStreetMapDownload coordinates asKML
This list ranks San Diego skyscrapers that stand at least 300 feet (91m) tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed
Was the tallest building in San Diego upon completion
Formerly known as Advanced Equities Plaza from 2007 to 2012, and First Allied Plaza from 2012 to 2024. Mixed-use residential and office building with retail.[47][48][49]
This lists buildings that are under construction in San Diego and are planned to rise at least 300 feet (91 meters). The "year" column indicates the estimated year of completion.
Andia will be a 40-story luxury condominium tower with 393 units and ground-floor retail.[102]
Proposed
This lists ranks proposed buildings in San Diego that are planned to be taller than 300 ft (91 m). A dash “–“ indicates information about the building is unknown or has not been released.
A planned 30-story mixed-use tower that will replace an empty lot that was the former spot of the 4th and B venue. Will contain office and hotel space.[104]
Phase 2 of Kettner Crossing is the next development stage of a mixed-use project in San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood. This phase includes additional residential units and retail spaces.[106]
A planned mixed-use tower in Little Italy, expected to bring 444 units of residential space and 33,752 sq. ft. of retail space. The spot is currently a vacant building.[107]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
