List of tallest buildings in Washington, D.C.

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Aerial image of the Washington Monument, the tallest building structure in Washington, D.C., with the White House visible in the center background WashMonument WhiteHouse.jpg
Aerial image of the Washington Monument, the tallest building structure in Washington, D.C., with the White House visible in the center background

This list of tallest buildings in Washington, D.C. ranks high-rises in the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C. The height of buildings in the District is limited by the Height of Buildings Act of 1910. The tallest structure in the city, excluding radio towers, is the Washington Monument, which rises 555 feet (169 m) and was completed in 1884. The structure, however, is not generally considered a high-rise building as it does not have successive floors that can be occupied. The tallest habitable building in the city is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, which rises 329 feet (100 m).

The second-tallest building in Washington, D.C., is the Old Post Office Building, which is 315 feet (96 m) high. The third-tallest building in the city is the Washington National Cathedral, which rises 301 feet (92 m) above grade. The cathedral is built on high ground known as Mount St. Alban, 400 feet (120 m) above sea level, which makes the central tower the "highest" point in the District. [1] As of November 2011, there are 410 completed high-rises in the city. [2]

History

Diagram of the Principal High Buildings of the Old World, 1884; the Washington Monument is the tallest structure represented. Worlds tallest buildings, 1884.jpg
Diagram of the Principal High Buildings of the Old World, 1884; the Washington Monument is the tallest structure represented.
Arlington's Rosslyn and Crystal City skylines as seen from Georgetown University Georgetown Spires.jpg
Arlington's Rosslyn and Crystal City skylines as seen from Georgetown University

Washington, D.C.'s history of high-rises began with the completion in 1894 of The Cairo, an apartment building, which is considered to be the city's first high-rise. [3] [4] The building rises 164 feet (50 m) and 14 floors. [3] Washington, D.C. went through an early high-rise construction boom from the late 1890s to the mid-1930s, during which time the Old Post Office Building and the Federal Triangle were built. The city then experienced a major building boom from the early 1940s to the late 1990s, during which the city saw the completion of 31 of its 48 tallest buildings, including One Franklin Square and 700 Eleventh Street. However, although the city is home to several high-rises, none are considered to be genuine "skyscrapers"; only two completed buildings surpass 200 feet (61 m).

The height of buildings in Washington is limited by the Height of Buildings Act. The original Act was passed by Congress in 1899 in response to the 1894 construction of the Cairo Hotel, which is much taller than the majority of buildings in the city. The original act restricted the heights of any type of building in the city to be no higher than 110 feet (34 m), 90 feet (27 m) for residential buildings.

In 1910, the 61st United States Congress enacted a new law which raised the overall building height limit to 130 feet (40 m), but restricted building heights to the width of the adjacent street or avenue plus 20 feet (6.1 m); thus, a building facing a 90-foot (27 m)-wide street could be only 110 feet (34 m) tall. [5] However, building heights are measured from the sidewalk or curb to the edge of the roof. Architectural embellishments, mechanical rooms, and common rooftop structures may be exempted from the overall height limit, provided they are set back from the roof line. [6] [7] The heights of buildings listed here may therefore exceed the general height limit as measured for the purpose of the city's zoning laws.

In modern times, the skyline remains low and sprawling, keeping with Thomas Jefferson's wishes to make Washington an "American Paris" with "low and convenient" buildings on "light and airy" streets. [5] Washington's height restriction, however, has been assailed as one of the primary reasons why the city has inflated rents, limited affordable housing, and traffic problems as a result of urban sprawl. Much like La Défense near Paris, many of the region's tallest buildings near the central business district are located in Rosslyn, Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from Georgetown. [5]

One of the most recently completed buildings in Washington, D.C. is Capitol View, which is 171 feet (52 m) high. [8] As of July 2008, there is one high-rise under construction in the city that is expected to rise at least 150 feet (46 m), with one more proposed and one approved for construction. Onyx on First was the first high-rise built in Washington; upon completion, it was the 14th-tallest building in the city. [9] Two other large developments taking place are Square 54 Residential I, which is proposed for construction, and the PNC Bank Building, which is approved. The Square Residential I building at George Washington University is expected to rise to a height of 160 feet (49 m) and 14 stories, [10] [11] while the PNC Bank Building is expected to rise to a height of 151 feet (46 m) and 12 stories. [12]

As of July 2008, there is a total of four high-rise buildings under construction, approved for construction and proposed for construction in Washington. [2]

Tallest buildings

The Washington Monument is the tallest structure in the District of Columbia. Washington Monument Dusk Jan 2006.jpg
The Washington Monument is the tallest structure in the District of Columbia.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the tallest building in Washington. Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.jpg
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the tallest building in Washington.
The Old Post Office Building, the second-tallest building in Washington Old Post Office Building Washington DC.JPG
The Old Post Office Building, the second-tallest building in Washington
The Washington National Cathedral, the third-tallest building in Washington Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C..jpg
The Washington National Cathedral, the third-tallest building in Washington
The United States Capitol, the fourth-tallest building in Washington US Capitol Building at night Jan 2006.jpg
The United States Capitol, the fourth-tallest building in Washington
Georgetown University's Healy Hall, the sixth-tallest building in Washington 0710AA22-Georgetown.jpg
Georgetown University's Healy Hall, the sixth-tallest building in Washington
The Thomas Jefferson Building, the ninth-tallest building in Washington Thomas Jefferson Building Aerial by Carol M. Highsmith.jpg
The Thomas Jefferson Building, the ninth-tallest building in Washington
The National Archives Building, the sixteenth-tallest building in Washington USNationalArchives.JPG
The National Archives Building, the sixteenth-tallest building in Washington

This lists ranks Washington, D.C.'s high-rises that stand at least 150 feet (46 m), 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. Freestanding towers, while not habitable buildings, are included for comparison purposes; however, they are not ranked. The majority of the tallest structures in the city are tall broadcasting towers located in the northern and western sections of the district.

RankNameHeight
ft (m)		FloorsYearNotes
Hughes Memorial Tower [A] 761 (232)01989Tallest free-standing structure in the District of Columbia and second tallest in the wider Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area after the River Rd. tower in Bethesda. [13]
WTTG TV Tower [14] 705 (215)01963
WJLA TV Tower [15] 692 (211)01972
WRC TV Tower [16] 662 (202)01989
Washington Monument [A] 555 (169)31884Tallest concrete structure in the District. Was the tallest structure in the world from 1884 until 1889, and the tallest monument in the U.S. until the completion of San Jacinto in 1939. [17] [18]
Washington Police Department Tower [19] 506 (154)0
WETA-FM [20] 495 (151)02014
WAVA-FM Tower [21] 457 (139)01992
Old WRC TV Tower [22] 443 (135)01957
American University Tower [23] 428 (129)02011
Old WJLA TV Tower [24] 375 (114)01947
1 Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 329 (100)11959Tallest building in Washington, D.C. since 1959. Tallest constructed in the city in the 1950s. [25] [26]
2 Old Post Office Pavilion 315 (96)121899Tallest building constructed in the city in the 1890s. [27] [28]
3 Washington National Cathedral 301 (92)71910–1990Tallest building completed in the city in the 1990s. [29] [30]
4 United States Capitol 289 (88)31863Tallest building constructed in the city in the 1860s. [31] [32]
5 One Franklin Square 210 (64)121989Tallest commercial building in Washington, D.C. Tallest constructed in the city in the 1980s. [33] [34] Home to the headquarters of The Washington Post since 2015. [35]
6 700 Eleventh Street 200 (61)131992 [36] [37]
Healy Hall 200 (61)4½1879 [38]
8 Onyx on First 197 (60)142008Tallest residential building in Washington, D.C. Tallest completed in the city in the 2000s. [9]
9 Thomas Jefferson Building 195 (59)71897 [39] Originally named the Library of Congress building
10The Westin DC Downtown187 (57)151986 [40] [41]
1090 Vermont Avenue 187 (57)121979Tallest building constructed in the city in the 1970s. [42] [43]
12 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue 180 (55)141968Tallest building constructed in the city in the 1960s. [44] [45]
13 The Tower Building 177 (54)141929Tallest building constructed in the city in the 1920s. [46] [47]
Avalon at Foxhall 177 (54)141982Tallest residential building in the city from 1982 until 2008. [48]
15 1900 K Street 171 (52)131996 [49]
Capitol View 171 (52)132007 [8]
17 National Archives Building 167 (51)81935Tallest building constructed in the city in the 1930s. [50] [51]
1150 K Street167 (51)142005 [52]
19 The Pennsylvania North 164 (50)141990 [53]
The Cairo 164 (50)141894 [3] [4]
21 Capitol Place III164 (50)121985 [54] [55] [56]
1101 New York Avenue 164 (50)122007 [55] [57]
23 1625 Eye Street 161 (49)122003 [58] [59]
World Bank Headquarters161 (49)131997 [60] [61]
25 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue 161 (49)141987 [62] [63]
1201 Pennsylvania Avenue 161 (49)131981 [64] [65]
600 Thirteenth Street 161 (49)121997 [55] [66]
28 The Watergate Hotel and Office Building 157 (48)141967 [55] [67]
Republic Building 157 (48)131991 [55] [68]
Army and Navy Club Building 157 (48)121987 [55] [69]
1620 L Street 157 (48)121989 [55] [70]
1333 H Street 157 (48)121982 [55] [71]
1111 19th Street 157 (48)121979 [55] [72]
1010 Mass157 (48)152007 [55] [73]
35 1099 14th Street (Franklin Court)155.6 (47.4)111992Tallest tower in the city when built in 1992. [74] [75]
36 The Investment Building 154 (47)132001 [76] [77]
Capital Hilton 154 (47)131943Tallest building constructed in the city in the 1940s. [78] [79]
1875 K Street 154 (47)122001 [55] [80]
1430 K Street 154 (47)122006 [55] [81]
1310 G Street 154 (47)121992 [55] [82]
Westin Washington, D.C. City Center154 (47)141982 [55] [83]
Executive Tower 154 (47)122001 [84]
1701 Pennsylvania Avenue 154 (47)131962 [85] [86]
44 Washington Gas Building 151 (46)151941 [87] [88]
The Watergate South 151 (46)141970 [55] [89]
World Bank Headquarters I151 (46)122001 [90] [91]
World Bank Headquarters H151 (46)121983 [92] [93]
William T. Golden Center for Science and Engineering 151 (46)121996 [94] [95] [96]
Connecticut Connection 151 (46)121978 [97] [98]
455 Massachusetts Avenue 151 (46)122007 [99] [100]

Tallest demolished

This lists buildings in Washington that have been demolished and at one time stood at least 150 feet (46 m) in height.

NameHeight
ft (m)		FloorsYear
completed		Year
demolished		Notes
Munsey Trust Building 171 (52)1319051982 [101] [102]
1000 Connecticut Avenue 156 (48)1319562008Was replaced with another building carrying the same address. [103]

Timeline of tallest buildings

This lists buildings that once held the title of tallest building in Washington, D.C. This list excludes the 555-foot (169 m) Washington Monument, which has stood as the tallest non-building structure in the city since 1884. [17]

NameStreet addressYears as tallestHeight
ft (m)		FloorsReference
United States Capitol Pennsylvania Avenue, Capitol Hill1863–1899289 (88)3 [32]
Old Post Office 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW1899–1959315 (96)18 [27]
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 400 Michigan Avenue NE1959–present329 (100)1 [25]

Notes

A. ^ Not a habitable building and is therefore not ranked, but it is included in this list for comparative purposes.

See also

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "National Cathedral". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "High Rises of Washington". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 "Condominiums". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  4. 1 2 "Cairo Condominiums". Skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 Grunwald, Michael (July 2, 2006). "D.C.'s Fear of Heights". The Washington Post. pp. B02. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Zoning in the District of Columbia" (PDF). Office of Zoning. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  7. ↑ Lewis, Roger K. (April 23, 1994). "Testing the Upper Limits of D.C. Building Height Act". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Capitol View". Skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  9. 1 2 "Onyx on First". Skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Square 54 Residential I". Skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Square 54 Residential I (Southeast Residential)". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  12. ↑ "PNC Bank Building". Skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  13. ↑ "Antenna Structure Registration 1035708". FCCInfo.com. Cavell, Mertz & Associates, Inc.
  14. ↑ "FCCInfo Structure Registration Results".
  15. ↑ "FCCInfo Structure Registration Results".
  16. ↑ "FCCInfo Structure Registration Results".
  17. 1 2 "Washington Monument". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  18. ↑ "Washington Monument". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  19. ↑ "FCCInfo Structure Registration Results".
  20. ↑ "FCCInfo Structure Registration Results".
  21. ↑ "FCCInfo Structure Registration Results".
  22. ↑ "FCCInfo Structure Registration Results".
  23. ↑ "FCCInfo Structure Registration Results".
  24. ↑ "FCCInfo Structure Registration Results".
  25. 1 2 "Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception". National Shrine. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  26. ↑ "The National Shrine". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  27. 1 2 "Old Post Office". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  28. ↑ "Old Post Office". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2006. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  29. ↑ "Washington National Cathedral". Cathedral.org. Archived from the original on April 5, 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  30. ↑ "Washington National Cathedral". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  31. ↑ "United States Capitol building". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  32. 1 2 "United States Capitol". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  33. ↑ "One Franklin Square". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  34. ↑ "One Franklin Square". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  35. ↑ O'Connell, Jonathan (September 4, 2015). "Inside the wild ride that landed The Washington Post on K Street". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  36. ↑ "700 Eleventh Street". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  37. ↑ "700 Eleventh Street". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  38. ↑ Weeks, Christopher (1994). AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington (Third ed.). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp.  223–4. ISBN   9780801847134.
  39. ↑ Cole, John Young; Reed, Henry Hope (January 1, 1997). The Library of Congress: The Art and Architecture of the Thomas Jefferson Building. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN   978-0-393-04563-5.
  40. ↑ "Renaissance Washington DC Hotel". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  41. ↑ "Renaissance Washington DC Hotel". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  42. ↑ "1090 Vermont Avenue". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  43. ↑ "1090 Vermont Avenue". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  44. ↑ "1111 Pennsylvania Avenue". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  45. ↑ "1111 Pennsylvania Avenue". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on May 28, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  46. ↑ "The Tower Building". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  47. ↑ "The Tower Building". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  48. ↑ "Avalon at Foxhall". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  49. ↑ "1900 K Street". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  50. ↑ "National Archives Building". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2006. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  51. ↑ "The Archives Building". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  52. ↑ "1150 K Street".
  53. ↑ "The Pennsylvania North". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  54. ↑ "Capitol Place III". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  55. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "High-rises in Washington". Skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
  56. ↑ Murray, Barbra. "Glenborough Takes Capitol Place III for $70M". Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  57. ↑ "1101 New York Avenue". Skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  58. ↑ "1625 Eye Water Street". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  59. ↑ "1625 I Street". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
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  66. ↑ "600 Thirteenth Street". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  67. ↑ "The Watergate Hotel and Office Building". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  68. ↑ "The Republic Building". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  69. ↑ "Army and Navy Club Building". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  70. ↑ "1620 L Street". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  71. ↑ "1333 H Street". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  72. ↑ "1111 19th Street". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  73. ↑ "1010 Mass". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  74. ↑ Forgey, Benjamin. "The Sky's the Limit." Washington Post. January 26, 1992.
  75. ↑ "Franklin Court." Emporis.com. 2012. [ usurped ] Accessed 2012-10-05; "Franklin Court." SkyscraperPage.com. 2012. Accessed 2012-10-05.
  76. ↑ "The Investment Building". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  77. ↑ "The Investment Building". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  78. ↑ "Capitol Hilton". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  79. ↑ "Capitol Hilton". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  80. ↑ "1875 K Street". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  81. ↑ "1430 K Street". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  82. ↑ "1310 G Street". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  83. ↑ "Wyndham Washington DC". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  84. ↑ "The Executive Tower". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  85. ↑ "1701 Pennsylvania Avenue". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  86. ↑ "1701 Pennsylvania Avenue". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  87. ↑ "Washington Gas Building". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  88. ↑ "Washington Gas Building". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  89. ↑ "The Watergate South". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  90. ↑ "World Bank Headquarters I". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
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  92. ↑ "World Bank Headquarters H". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  93. ↑ "World Bank Headquarters H". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  94. ↑ "William T. Golden Center for Science and Engineering". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  95. ↑ "William T. Golden Center for Science and Engineering". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  96. ↑ "AAAS National Headquarters". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  97. ↑ "Connecticut Connection". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  98. ↑ "Connecticut Connection". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  99. ↑ "455 Massachusetts Avenue". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  100. ↑ "455 Massachusetts Avenue". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  101. ↑ "Munsey Trust Building". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  102. ↑ "Munsey Trust Building". Skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  103. ↑ "(Original) 1000 Connecticut Avenue". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on May 28, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
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