The U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 city of Houston, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 has over 360 completed high-rises, the majority of which are located in the downtown area

Downtown Houston

Downtown Houston is the largest business district of Houston, Texas, United States. Downtown Houston, the city's central business district, contains the headquarters of many prominent companies. There is an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connecting the buildings of the district...

. In the city, there are 45 skyscraper

Skyscraper

A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...

s that rise higher than 400 feet (122 m), 31 skyscrapers at least 492 feet (150 m) in height, including 10 which rank among the tallest in the United States. The tallest building in Houston is the 75-story

Storey

A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...

 JPMorgan Chase Tower

JPMorgan Chase Tower (Houston)

JPMorgan Chase Tower, formerly Texas Commerce Tower, is a , 75-story skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It is currently the tallest building in the city, the tallest building in Texas, the tallest five-sided building in the world, 12th tallest building in the United States, and the 54th tallest building...

, which rises 1002 feet (305 m) in Downtown Houston and was completed in 1982. It also stands as the tallest building in the state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Texas and the 12th-tallest building in the United States. The second-tallest skyscraper in the city and the state is the Wells Fargo Plaza, which is 992 feet (302 m) tall. Seven of the ten tallest buildings in Texas are located in Houston.

The history of skyscrapers in Houston began with the 1904 completion of the Lomas & Nettleton Building

Franklin Lofts

Franklin Lofts, originally known as the Lomas & Nettleton Building, is a low-rise building in Downtown Houston, Texas. The building is generally regarded as the first "skyscraper" in the city. The Lomas & Nettleton Building was completed in 1904, and rises 8 floors in height...

; this 8-story structure is often regarded as the first skyscraper in the city. It was also the tallest steel-framed

Steel frame

Steel frame usually refers to a building technique with a "skeleton frame" of vertical steel columns and horizontal -beams, constructed in a rectangular grid to support the floors, roof and walls of a building which are all attached to the frame...

 building west of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 at the time of its completion. The building originally housed offices, but was converted into a residential loft tower in 1999 and renamed "Franklin Lofts". As Franklin Lofts is a low-rise building, 711 Main

Capitol Lofts

The Capitol Lofts is a building located at 711 Main Street in downtown Houston, Texas. Constructed in 1908, the building was originally used for office space and was converted to residential lofts in the 1990s. The building was the tallest building in Houston and Texas until being surpassed by the...

, which was completed in 1908, was actually the city's first high-rise to rise at least 10 floors. Although originally constructed as a commercial building, 711 Main was given a new glass and granite facade

Facade

A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....

 in 1980 and also renovated into a residential tower. Houston went through a small building boom in the early 1920s, and then experienced a much larger boom lasting from 1963 to the late 1980s. During this time 38 of the city's 45 tallest buildings were constructed, including the JPMorgan Chase Tower, the Wells Fargo Bank Plaza and the Williams Tower

Williams Tower

The Williams Tower is a skyscraper located in the Uptown District of Houston, Texas. It was designed by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee, in association with Houston-based Morris Architects , and erected in 1983. The tower is among Houston's most visible buildings...

. As of 2009, the skyline of Houston is ranked 13th in the world and fourth in the United States with 615 completed high-rises.

Houston entered into another high-rise construction boom in 2002, and has since seen the completion of five buildings rising over 400 feet (122 m) tall. Four more skyscrapers are under construction in the city, including MainPlace

MainPlace

BG Group Place is a 630 ft tall skyscraper in Downtown Houston, Texas. It was completed in 2010 and has 46 floors. It has been pre-certified Platinum LEED. When it was completed, BG Group Place became the 15th tallest building in Houston and features a skygarden on the 39th floor...

, which is planned to rise 46 stories and 630 feet (192 m). Set to be completed in 2010, the building is the tallest structure under construction in Houston. There are three additional skyscrapers approved or proposed for construction in the city that are planned to rise over 400 feet (121.9 m). , there are 71 high-rise buildings under construction, approved for construction, and proposed for construction in Houston.

Tallest buildings

This lists ranks Houston skyscrapers that stand at least 400 feet (122 m) tall, based on standard height measurement. 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.

Rank	Name	Height ft / m	Floors	Year	Notes
1	JPMorgan Chase Tower JPMorgan Chase Tower (Houston) JPMorgan Chase Tower, formerly Texas Commerce Tower, is a , 75-story skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It is currently the tallest building in the city, the tallest building in Texas, the tallest five-sided building in the world, 12th tallest building in the United States, and the 54th tallest building...	01.01,002 / 305	75	1982	44th-tallest building in the world, 12th-tallest in the United States; tallest 5-sided building in the world; has been the tallest building in the city and the state since 1982; tallest building completed in Houston in the 1980s; formerly known as the Texas Commerce Tower
2	Wells Fargo Bank Plaza	02.0992 / 302	72	1983	48th-tallest building in the world, 13th-tallest in the United States; formerly known as the Allied Bank Plaza and the First Interstate Bank Plaza
3	Williams Tower Williams Tower The Williams Tower is a skyscraper located in the Uptown District of Houston, Texas. It was designed by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee, in association with Houston-based Morris Architects , and erected in 1983. The tower is among Houston's most visible buildings...	03.0901 / 275	64	1983	78th-tallest building in the world, 23rd-tallest in the United States; tallest building in Houston located outside of the Downtown area; originally known as the Transco Tower; upon completion, it stood as the tallest skyscraper in the world located outside of a city's central business district Central business district A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"... .
4	Bank of America Center	04.0780 / 238	56	1983	53rd-tallest in the United States
5	Heritage Plaza Heritage Plaza (building) Heritage Plaza is a skyscraper located in the Skyline District of downtown Houston, Texas. Standing at 762 feet , the tower is the 5th tallest building in Houston, the 8th tallest in Texas, and the 60th tallest in the United States. The building, designed by Houston-based M...	05.0762 / 232	53	1987	60th-tallest building in the United States
6	Enterprise Plaza Enterprise Plaza Enterprise Plaza is a 55-story skyscraper located on Louisiana Street in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. The headquarters of Enterprise GP Holdings is located in the Enterprise Plaza. Enbridge's Houston offices are in Enterprise.Enterprise Plaza was constructed in 1980 by Hines...	06.0756 / 230	55	1980	62nd-tallest building in the United States; also known as 1100 Louisiana, InterFirst Plaza and First International Plaza
7	Centerpoint Energy Plaza Centerpoint Energy Plaza CenterPoint Energy Plaza is a 741 ft building in downtown Houston. The original building, finished in 1974, stood at 651 ft , but a 90 ft extension was added as part of a 1996 renovation...	07.0741 / 226	47	1974	77th-tallest building in the United States; originally known as the Houston Industries Plaza; the building was originally 651 feet (198 m) tall upon its completion in 1974, but a 1996 extension increased its height by 90 feet (27 m).
8	Continental Center I Continental Center I Continental Center I is a 51-story, office tower in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. The building houses offices of Continental Airlines, and it was Continental's headquarters prior to its merger with United Airlines. At one point it also served as the headquarters of ExpressJet Airlines...	08.0732 / 223	53	1984	86th-tallest building in the United States
9	Fulbright Tower Fulbright Tower The Fulbright Tower is a 52 story skyscraper originally known as 3 Houston Center. The tower has of Class A office space. The building at one point was owned by ChevronTexaco. As of 2005, Crescent owns the tower in a joint venture with the affiliates of GE Asset Management and JPMorgan Asset...	09.0725 / 221	52	1982	90th-tallest building in the United States
10	One Shell Plaza One Shell Plaza One Shell Plaza is a 50 floor skyscraper at 910 Louisiana Street in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. At its completion in 1971, One Shell Plaza was the tallest building in Houston, Texas, standing 715 feet tall. Including the antenna tower on its top, the height is 1,000 feet .One Shell...	10.0714 / 218	50	1971	99th-tallest building in the United States, tallest building completed in Houston in the 1970s; including its antenna mast, the building rises 1000 feet (305 m), making it the third-tallest building in the city when measuring by pinnacle height.
11	1400 Smith Street 1400 Smith Street 1400 Smith Street is a 691 ft tall postmodern skyscraper located in downtown Houston, Texas, United States. The building has 50 floors and is the 11th tallest building in the city. Designed by architectural firm Lloyd Jones Brewer and Associates, the building was completed in 1983...	11.0691 / 211	50	1983
12	Three Allen Center	12.0685 / 209	50	1980
13	One Houston Center	13.0678 / 207	48	1978
14	First City Tower First City Tower First City Tower is a skyscraper in Houston, Texas. The building rises in height. It contains 49 floors, and was completed in 1981. First City Tower currently stands as the 14th-tallest building in the city. The architectural firm who designed the building was Morris-Aubry, and was built by . The...	14.0662 / 202	49	1981
15	BG Group Place	15.0630 / 192	46	2010	Tallest building completed in Houston in the 2010s
16	San Felipe Plaza San Felipe Plaza San Felipe Plaza is a 46-story tower located west of the Uptown Houston district in Houston, Texas, United States. Designed by noted architect Richard Keating, the building was constructed in 1984 and contains of leasing space. The building is the fifteenth tallest in the city and is the...	16.0625 / 191	45	1984
17	Exxon Building Exxon Building (Houston) The ExxonMobil Building was built in 1963 in Houston, Texas. At that time it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at , surpassing the Southland Center in Dallas...	17.0607 / 185	44	1963	Tallest building completed in Houston in the 1960s
18	1500 Louisiana Street 1500 Louisiana Street 1500 Louisiana Street, formerly Enron Center South, is a 600 ft tall Post-Modern skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It was completed in 2002 and has 40 floors. It is the 17th tallest building in the city and the tallest completed in the 2000s....	18.0600 / 183	40	2002	Tallest building completed in Houston in the 2000s
19	America Tower American General Center The American General Center is a complex of several office buildings in Neartown Houston, Texas located along Allen Parkway. It is owned by AIG American General....	19.0591 / 180	42	1983
20	Two Houston Center	20.0579 / 176	40	1974
21	Marathon Oil Tower Marathon Oil Tower Marathon Oil Tower is a skyscraper in Houston, Texas. The building rises in height. It contains 41 floors, and was completed in 1981. First City Tower currently stands as the 20th-tallest building in the city. The architectural firm who designed the building was Pierce Goodwin Alexander &...	21.0561 / 171	41	1983
22	Wedge International Tower Wedge International Tower Wedge International Tower, usually capitalized as WEDGE International Tower, is a skyscraper in Houston, Texas. The building was formerly known as the Southwest Bank of Texas Building, Unitedbank Plaza, and 1415 Louisiana. The building rises in height. It contains 43 floors, and was completed in...	22.0551 / 168	43	1983	Formerly known as the Southwest Bank of Texas Building, Unitedbank Plaza and 1415 Louisiana
23	KBR Tower KBR Tower KBR Tower is a 550 ft tall skyscraper in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States; it is a part of the Cullen Center complex. The KBR Tower has the headquarters of KBR....	23.0550 / 167	40	1973
24	Pennzoil Place Pennzoil Place Pennzoil Place is a set of two 36-story towers in downtown Houston, Texas, United States. Designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee and built in 1975, Pennzoil Place is Houston's most award-winning skyscraper and is widely known for its innovative design....	24.0523 / 159	36	1976
25	Devon Energy Tower Devon Energy Tower Devon Energy Tower, also known as Two Allen Center, is a 521 ft tall skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It was completed in 1978 and has 36 floors. It is the 24th tallest building in the city. The tower houses offices for Oklahoma City-based Devon Energy Corporation.The building has travertine...	25.0522 / 159	36	1978
26	One Park Place One Park Place One Park Place is a 518 ft tall apartment building located adjacent to Discovery Green park in downtown Houston, Texas. Completed in May 2009, the building has 340 units on 30 floors with a total height of and 37 floors....	26.0518 / 158	37	2009
27	Reliant Energy Plaza Reliant Energy Plaza Reliant Energy Plaza is a 518 ft tall skyscraper in Downtown Houston, Texas. It has the headquarters of Reliant Energy. The building has around of space....	27.0518 / 158	36	2003
28	Total Plaza Total Plaza Total Plaza is a tower in Downtown Houston, Texas, one block away from the Allen Center complex. The building, managed by Brookfield Properties, opened in 1971...	28.0518 / 158	35	1971	Also known as Total Plaza
29	The Huntingdon The Huntingdon The Huntingdon is a 503ft tall skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It was completed in 1984 and has 34 floors. It is the 27th tallest building in the city. It is also the tallest all residential building in the city and was the tallest all residential building in Texas until the Mercantile Building was...	29.0502 / 153	34	1984	Tallest all-residential building in the city
30	El Paso Energy Building El Paso Energy Building The El Paso Energy Building is a tall skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It was completed in 1963 and has 33 floors. It was originally known as the Tenneco Building. It is the 28th tallest building in the city. Because of downtown Houston diagonal street grid, all four sides of the building are exposed...	30.0502 / 153	33	1963
31	Hess Tower	30.0490 / 149	30	2010
32	Five Greenway Plaza Greenway Plaza Greenway Plaza is a master-planned mixed-use development off U.S. Highway 59 in Houston, Texas, United States, five miles west of Downtown Houston and three miles east of Uptown Houston. Greenway Plaza is Houston's first totally planned business-commercial-residential complex developed by the...	31.0465 / 142	31
33	Calpine Center Calpine Center The Calpine Center is a 453 ft tall postmodern skyscraper in Downtown Houston, Texas. The building has 33 floors of Class A office space. It is the 30th tallest building in the city. The building has the world headquarters of Calpine Corporation. Hines and Prime Asset Management jointly...	32.0453 / 138	34	2003
34	One Allen Center	33.0452 / 138	34	1972
35	Four Leaf Towers I Four Leaf Towers Four Leaf Towers is a high-rise residential complex located on San Felipe Street located adjacent to the Uptown Houston district and located in Houston, Texas, United States....	34.0444 / 135	40	1982
36	Four Leaf Towers II Four Leaf Towers Four Leaf Towers is a high-rise residential complex located on San Felipe Street located adjacent to the Uptown Houston district and located in Houston, Texas, United States....	35.0444 / 135	40	1982
37=	Eleven Greenway Plaza Greenway Plaza Greenway Plaza is a master-planned mixed-use development off U.S. Highway 59 in Houston, Texas, United States, five miles west of Downtown Houston and three miles east of Uptown Houston. Greenway Plaza is Houston's first totally planned business-commercial-residential complex developed by the...	36.0441 / 134	31	1979
37=	Nine Greenway Plaza Greenway Plaza Greenway Plaza is a master-planned mixed-use development off U.S. Highway 59 in Houston, Texas, United States, five miles west of Downtown Houston and three miles east of Uptown Houston. Greenway Plaza is Houston's first totally planned business-commercial-residential complex developed by the...	37.0441 / 134	31	1978
38	Phoenix Tower Phoenix Tower Phoenix Tower is a 434ft tall skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It was completed in 1984 and has 34 floors. It is the 36th tallest building in the city. It is managed by Hines Interests....	38.0434 / 132	34	1984
39	Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza Texas Medical Center The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research...	39.0430 / 131	28	2007
40	JPMorgan Chase Building	40.0428 / 130	36	1929	Tallest building completed in Houston in the 1920s
41	The Spires The Spires (Houston) The Spires is a 426-ft. tall skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It was completed in 1983 and has 40 floors, making it the 39th tallest building in the city. It is the tallest and most prominent building in Hermann Park, and is visible from the southeast throughout the Houston Zoo.-References:**...	41.0426 / 130	40	1983
42	Aon Tower Four Oaks Place rightFour Oaks Place is a complex of sksycrapers in Uptown Houston, Texas, United States. Managed by Transwestern, the complex includes the 420 ft 1330 Post Oak Boulevard , the 25 story 351 ft BHP Billiton Tower , Wells Fargo Tower , and the Interfin...	42.0420 / 128	30	1983
43	Niels Esperson Building Esperson buildings The Niels and Mellie Esperson buildings are a group of buildings in Downtown Houston. Mary Ann Azevedo of the Houston Business Journal said that they were "among the most recognizable" buildings in Downtown....	43.0410 / 125	32	1927
44	One City Centre One City Centre One City Centre is a 410 ft tall skyscraper in Houston, Texas, USA, made from glass, steel, and concrete It was completed in 1960. It has 32 floors and is the 41st tallest building in the city. Originally called the First City National Bank Building, One City Centre is the first high modern office...	44.0410 / 125	32	1961
45	Bob Lanier Public Works Building Bob Lanier Public Works Building Bob Lanier Public Works Building is a tall skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It was completed in 1968 and has 27 floors. It is the 41st tallest building in the city. Eero Saarinen's CBS Building in New York City inspired the design for this building...	45.0410 / 125	27	1968
46	Hyatt Regency Houston Hyatt Regency Houston Hyatt Regency Houston is a 30-story high-rise hotel located in downtown Houston, Texas, United States.The hotel, part of the Hyatt hotel chain, was designed by architectural firm JV III and was opened to guests in 1972. At 401 ft , Hyatt Regency Houston is the city's tallest hotel The hotel...	46.0401 / 122	30	1972
47	The Mercer West Tower The Mercer West Tower The Mercer West Tower is a 30-story, high-rise condominium building located on Sage Street in the uptown district of Houston, Texas, United States. The building is the first of two towers that are part of the Mercer Towers complex. The tower is the 45th tallest building in the city.- Overview :The...	47.0400 / 122	30	2003

Tallest under construction and proposed

This lists skyscrapers that are proposed or under construction in Houston and are planned to rise at least 400 feet (122 m), but are not yet completed structures.

Building Name	Height* ft / m	Floors	Year* (est.)	Status	Notes
Houstonian Texas Medical Center Texas Medical Center The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research...	458 / 140	40		Proposed

* Table entries without text indicate that information regarding building heights and/or dates of completion has not yet been released.

Timeline of tallest buildings

This lists buildings that once held the title of tallest building in Houston.

Name	Street address	Years as tallest	Height ft / m	Floors	Reference
Lomas & Nettleton Building Franklin Lofts Franklin Lofts, originally known as the Lomas & Nettleton Building, is a low-rise building in Downtown Houston, Texas. The building is generally regarded as the first "skyscraper" in the city. The Lomas & Nettleton Building was completed in 1904, and rises 8 floors in height...	201 Main Street	1904–1908	N/A	8
711 Main Capitol Lofts The Capitol Lofts is a building located at 711 Main Street in downtown Houston, Texas. Constructed in 1908, the building was originally used for office space and was converted to residential lofts in the 1990s. The building was the tallest building in Houston and Texas until being surpassed by the...	711 Main Street	1908–1910	134 / 41	10
806 Main	806 Main Street	1910–1926	302 / 92	23
Magnolia Hotel Magnolia Hotel (Houston) The Magnolia Hotel is a hotel located at 1100 Texas Ave., in downtown Houston, Texas. It was the tallest building in Houston from 1926 to 1927.-References:*...	1100 Texas Avenue	1926–1927	325 / 99	22
Niels Esperson Building Esperson buildings The Niels and Mellie Esperson buildings are a group of buildings in Downtown Houston. Mary Ann Azevedo of the Houston Business Journal said that they were "among the most recognizable" buildings in Downtown....	808 Travis Street	1927–1929	410 / 125	32
JPMorgan Chase Building	712 Main Street	1929–1963	428 / 131	36
Exxon Building Exxon Building (Houston) The ExxonMobil Building was built in 1963 in Houston, Texas. At that time it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at , surpassing the Southland Center in Dallas...	800 Bell Avenue	1963–1971	607 / 185	44
One Shell Plaza One Shell Plaza One Shell Plaza is a 50 floor skyscraper at 910 Louisiana Street in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. At its completion in 1971, One Shell Plaza was the tallest building in Houston, Texas, standing 715 feet tall. Including the antenna tower on its top, the height is 1,000 feet .One Shell...	910 Louisiana Street	1971–1980	714 / 218	50
Enterprise Plaza Enterprise Plaza Enterprise Plaza is a 55-story skyscraper located on Louisiana Street in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. The headquarters of Enterprise GP Holdings is located in the Enterprise Plaza. Enbridge's Houston offices are in Enterprise.Enterprise Plaza was constructed in 1980 by Hines...	1100 Louisiana Street	1980–1982	756 / 230	55
JPMorgan Chase Tower JPMorgan Chase Tower (Houston) JPMorgan Chase Tower, formerly Texas Commerce Tower, is a , 75-story skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It is currently the tallest building in the city, the tallest building in Texas, the tallest five-sided building in the world, 12th tallest building in the United States, and the 54th tallest building...	600 Travis Street	1982–present	1,002 / 305	75

See also

• Architecture of Houston
  Architecture of Houston
  The architecture of Houston includes a wide variety of award-winning and historic examples located in various areas of the city of Houston. From early in its history to current times, the city inspired innovative and challenging building design and construction, as it quickly grew into an...
  
  
• List of tallest buildings in Texas

External links

• Diagram of Houston skyscrapers on SkyscraperPage