St. Louis, an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri, anchors the largest metropolitan area in the state, with 2.8 million residents. The city is home to 60 buildings with a height greater than 200 feet (61 m) as of 2026. 14 of these buildings are taller than 300 ft (91 m), the second most in Missouri after Kansas City, which has 18. St. Louis' skyline is famous for the Gateway Arch, a 630 ft (192 m) tall monument commemorating the westward expansion of the United States.[1] The world's tallest arch, it was completed in 1965 and opened in 1967. The tallest habitable building in St. Louis is One Metropolitan Square, an office skyscraper rising to a height of 593 ft (181 m) and built in 1988.[2] Close behind is 909 Chestnut Street, which is only 5 feet shorter at 588 ft (179 m) and was completed in 1986.
Despite undergoing population decline, St. Louis entered another major period of development from the 1960s to 1980s. In addition to the addition of St. Louis' two tallest buildings, the 1980s also saw the construction of One City Center, then the largest urban shopping mall in the United States, and the Civil Courts Building, notable for its pyramidal roof. While skyscraper development slowed down in the 1990s, an even taller court building, the Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse, was built in 2000. It is the second tallest judicial building in the world,[6] and the largest in the country. The downtown skyline has changed relatively little in the 21st century, with the tallest addition being One Cardinal Way, a 334 ft (102 m) tower completed in 2020 as part of the expansion of Ballpark Village.[7][8] The residential towers of Park East Tower and One Hundred Above the Park have redefined the skyline of Central West End.
St. Louis' tallest buildings are located in Downtown St. Louis, which is immediately west of the Mississippi River. Central West End, west of downtown, has the next largest collection of high-rises in the city. Besides its residential towers, the Washington University Medical Campus has several multi-story buildings for hospitals and related healthcare facilities. The campus has expanded significantly in the 21st century. Midtown St. Louis has a smaller number of high-rises, the tallest being the 286 ft (87 m) Continental Life Building. The city of Clayton, directly west of St. Louis, boasts the second largest skyline in Greater St. Louis as a major business district.
History
Number of high-rise buildings by height in St. Louis by the end of each year, based on the list below. This takes into account four demolished buildings that were once taller than 200 ft (61 m). Click on the legend to toggle a specific height on or off. View chart definition.
The history of skyscrapers in St. Louis began with the 1850s construction of Barnum's City Hotel, a six-story building designed by architect George I. Barnett.[9] Until the 1890s, no building in St. Louis rose over eight stories, but construction in the city rose during that decade owing to the development of elevators and the use of steel frames.[10] The first building to use a steel frame in St. Louis was the 1890-91 Wainwright Building, a 10-story office building that was one of the first modern skyscrapers. Designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, it illustrates Sullivan's principle of "form follows function".[11] From 1864–1894, the tallest building in St. Louis was the Old Courthouse, at a height of 192 feet (59m).[12][13] Throughout the 1890s and into the 1900s, St.Louis saw construction move westward, especially that of office buildings. In 1914, the Railway Exchange Building was completed, which became the city's tallest building for many years.[10] The city then underwent a moderate building boom in the 1920s leading to the planning of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in 1935.[10]
Seven of the top 30 tallest skyscrapers have been built in the 21st century; the most recent is One Cardinal Way, a 29-story, 334-foot (102m) tower completed in 2020 as part of the expansion of Ballpark Village.[7][8]
Map of tallest buildings
Downtown St. Louis
Downtown St. Louis has the highest number of tall buildings in the city. The high-rise buildings are separated from the Mississippi River by the Gateway Arch and the surrounding Gateway Arch National Park. The maps below show the location of buildings taller than 200 ft (61 m) in downtown. Each marker is numbered by the building's height rank, and colored by the decade of its completion.
Central West End is located directly east of Forest Park. For over 80 years since its completion in 1931, Park Plaza, a hotel, has been the tallest building in the neighborhood. In 2020, it was dethroned by One Hundred Above the Park, a residential high-rise designed by Studio Gang. Central West End is also home to the Washington University Medical Campus, which has several medical and educational buildings that stand taller than 200 ft (61 m).
220m 240yds
53
49
46
45
44
42
41
40
36
34
25
13
12
9
Buildings taller than 200 ft (61 m) in Central West End.
This list ranks completed buildings in St. Louis that stand at least 200 ft (61 m) tall as of 2026, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. The “Year” column indicates the year of completion. Buildings tied in height are sorted by year of completion with earlier buildings ranked first, and then alphabetically. Free-standing structures taller than 200 ft (61 m) are also included for comparison purposes.
Was the tallest building in St. Louis upon completion
Inaugurated in 1967, Gateway Arch is one of St. Louis' most iconic landmarks, commemorating the westward expansion of the United States. Tallest arch in the world. Tallest monument and memorial in the United States.[14] Not an inhabitable building; included for comparison purposes.
Tallest building in St. Louis from 1976 to 1986, until the completion of 909 Chestnut Street.[19] Pinnacle height of 592 ft (180 m). Designed byTvsdesign
Tallest building in St. Louis for over 30 years from 1926 to 1969, until the completion of the Laclede Gas Buildling. First building in St. Louis to use setbacks, has 17 individual roofs.[22] Tallest building in St. Louis until the construction of the Laclede Gas Building. Pinnacle height of 460 ft (140 m). Designed by Mauran, Russell, & Crowell.[23]
Also known as One City Centre. Was part of the largest urban shopping mall complex in the U.S. when it opened. Designed by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum.[27][Note 1]
Tallest building in St. Louis from 1914 to 1926. Tallest building in St. Louis completed during the 1910s. Largest office building in the world upon opening. Designed by Mauran, Russell, & Crowell.[59][60]
Formerly office space for the Missouri Pacific and then Union Pacific railroads, hence also known as the Missouri Pacific Building. Was to be 35 stories but ended at 23 due to the Great Depression. Designed by Mauran, Russell, & Crowell.[66][67]
A $150 million six-floor expansion was announced in 2021 and was completed in 2024, bringing the building to its current height. It was already taller than 200 ft (61 m) when it was completed in 2009.[92][93]
Outside of the city of St. Louis, the largest concentration of high-rises in the St. Louis metropolitan area is found in Clayton, which is immediately west of St. Louis. Clayton has over ten buildings taller than 200 ft (61 m), and has seen more high-rise construction in the 21st century relative to St. Louis.
Tallest under construction
There are two buildings under construction in St. Louis that are planned to be at least 200 ft (61 m) tall as of 2026, based on standard height measurement.
1234567891011Sources do not state the exact height of this building. This figure was determined using Google Earth by subtracting the altitude of the building's lowest main pedestrian open-air entrance from its highest architectural point.
↑The mall itself has closed, although the building is still used for office space.
↑The Gateway Arch is actually the 52nd tallest structure in Missouri (which includes antenna masts, chimneys, etc.). Although it is not habitable, the Arch is included on this list for comparative purposes.
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.
