Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, is home to 1,397 completed high-rises,[1] 56 of which stand taller than 600 feet (183 m). The tallest building in the city is the 110-story Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), which rises 1,451 feet (442 m) in the Chicago Loop and was completed in 1974.[2][3] Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world upon its completion, and remained the tallest building in the United States until May 10, 2013.[4] The second, third, and fourth-tallest buildings in Chicago are the Trump International Hotel & Tower, St Regis Chicago, and the Aon Center, respectively. Of the ten tallest buildings in the United States, two are located in Chicago, and of the fifteen tallest buildings in the United States, five are in Chicago. Chicago has the second-tallest skyline in the United States after New York City, and leads the nation in the twenty tallest women-designed towers in the world, thanks to contributions by Jeanne Gang and Natalie de Blois. As of December 2019, Chicago had 125 buildings at least 500 feet (152 m) tall.[5]

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Chicago skyline during sunrise
Thumb
A plethora of towers in downtown Chicago, looking northeast towards Lake Michigan
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Tallest buildings in Chicago

Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper.[6][7] The Home Insurance Building, completed in 1885, is regarded as the world's first skyscraper. This building used the steel-frame method, innovated in Chicago. It was originally built with 10 stories, an enormous height in the 1800s, to a height of 138 feet (42 m). It was later expanded to 12 stories with a height of 180 feet (55 m). The building was demolished in 1931.[8][9] New York City then began building skyscrapers as Chicago had done, and the two cities were virtually the only cities in the world with huge skylines for many decades. Chicago has always played a prominent role in the development of skyscrapers and three past buildings have been the tallest building in the United States. Being the inventor of the skyscraper, Chicago went through a very early high-rise construction boom that lasted from the early 1920s to the late 1930s, during which nine of the city's 100 tallest buildings were constructed.[5] The city then went through an even larger building boom that has lasted from the early 1960s. The tallest buildings are concentrated in various downtown districts such as the Loop, Streeterville, River North, the South Loop, and the West Loop. Other high-rises extend north along the waterfront into North Side districts such as the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown and Edgewater. Some high-rises also extend south from downtown along the waterfront to South Side districts such as Kenwood, Hyde Park, and South Shore.

Several new skyscrapers were constructed in the city throughout the 2000s and 2010s, including the Trump International Hotel and Tower, St Regis Chicago, NEMA Chicago, and Aqua. As of January 2021, there were 19 skyscrapers proposed or under construction,[10] including One Chicago Square, 1000M, and Bank of America Tower, as well as Tribune Tower East, an approved skyscraper set to become the city's second-tallest building.

ThumbThe ColumbianSpertus InstituteChicago Board of TradeFranklin Center North TowerField BuildingCNA CenterMetropolitan TowerChase TowerSanta Fe BuildingLegacy TowerUnited BuildingKemper BuildingMichigan Plaza SouthTrump Tower ChicagoAon CenterAquaThe BuckinghamPark TowerThe TidesHarbor Point
The 2010 Chicago skyline as seen from the Adler Planetarium (Use cursor to identify buildings)

Tallest buildings

This list ranks completed Chicago skyscrapers that stand at least 550 feet (168 m) tall, based on standard height measurement. There are no buildings in Illinois outside of downtown Chicago that exceed that height. This height 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 of completion.

More information Rank, Name ...
Rank Name Image Height
ft (m)
Floors Year Coordinates Notes
1 Willis Tower
Willis Tower in the middle, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
1,451 (442) 108 1974 41°52′44″N 87°38′9″W Formerly known as Sears Tower; 3rd-tallest building in the United States, 26th-tallest building in the world; tallest building in the world from 1974 until 1998. Also the tallest building in the Midwest. Tallest building constructed in Chicago in the 1970s..[2][3][4]
2 Trump International Hotel and Tower
1,388 (423) 98 2009 41°53′20″N 87°37′35″W 7th-tallest building in the United States; tallest building constructed in Chicago in the 2000s.[11][12]
3 St. Regis Chicago
St. Regis Chicago
St. Regis Chicago
1,198 (363) 101 2020 41°53′13″N 87°37′03″W Formerly known as the Wanda Vista Tower; 11th-tallest building in the United States, and the tallest skyscraper in the world designed by a woman. It is the newest supertall skyscraper in Chicago. Tallest building constructed in Chicago in the 2020s.[13][14]
4 Aon Center
2006-06-07 840x1500 Chicago aon building
2006-06-07 840x1500 Chicago aon building
1,136 (346) 83 1973 41°53′7″N 87°37′17″W 12th-tallest building in the U.S.; formerly known as the Standard Oil Building.

Was the tallest building in Chicago before being surpassed by the Willis Tower.[15][16]

5 875 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago (22332583569)
Chicago (22332583569)
1,127 (344) 100 1969 41°53′55.5″N 87°37′23″W Formerly known as John Hancock Center; 13th-tallest building in the United States; tallest building constructed in the world in the 1960s; first building in the world outside of New York City to rise at least 1,000 feet (305 m).

Was the tallest building in Chicago before being surpassed by the Aon Center.[17][18]

6 Franklin Center
1,007 (307) 61 1989 41°52′49.5″N 87°38′5″W Formerly known as the AT&T Corporate Center; 27th-tallest building in the United States; tallest building constructed in Chicago in the 1980s.[19][20]
7 Two Prudential Plaza
995 (303) 64 1990 41°53′8″N 87°37′22″W 30th-tallest building in the United States; tallest building constructed in Chicago in the 1990s.[21][22]
8 One Chicago East Tower
973 (296) 78 2022 41°53′46.2″N 87°37′43.6″W 34th-tallest building in the United States.

Topped out in July 2021.[23][24]

9 311 South Wacker Drive
311 South Wacker Drive
311 South Wacker Drive
961 (293) 65 1990 41°52′39″N 87°38′8″W 37th-tallest building in the United States.[25][26]
10 NEMA Chicago
NEMA Building, Near South Side, Downtown Chicago, Illinois.jpg
896 (273) 76 2019 41°52′1″N 87°37′23″W Tallest all rental apartment building in Chicago. tallest building constructed in Chicago in the 2010s.[27][28]
11 900 North Michigan
871 (266) 66 1989 41°53′59″N 87°37′30″W [29][30]
12= Aqua
860 (262) 82 2009 41°53′11″N 87°37′12″W Currently the second-tallest building in the world designed by a female-led architectural firm; first skyscraper in Chicago to contain a hotel, condominiums, apartments and retail space.[31][32][33][34]
12= Water Tower Place
860 (262) 74 1976 41°53′52.5″N 87°37′20.5″W [35][36]
14 Chase Tower
850

(259)

60 1969 41°52′53.5″N 87°37′48″W Also known as First National Plaza.

Was the tallest building in Chicago before being surpassed by the John Hancock Center.[37][38]

15 Park Tower
844 (257) 67 2000 41°53′49.5″N 87°37′30.5″W [39][40]
16 One Bennett Park
837 (255) 69 2018 41°53′29″N 87°36′56″W [41]
17 Salesforce Tower Chicago
835 (255) 60 2023 41°53′15.4″N 87°38′15.7″W Formerly known as Wolf Point South Tower.[42][43][44]
18 The Legacy at Millennium Park
822 (251) 73 2010 41°52′53″N 87°37′32″W [45][46]
19 110 North Wacker
814 (248) 51 2020 41°53′1″N 87°38′15″W [47][48]
20 1000M
805 (245) 73 2024 41°52′10.6″N 87°37′27.8″W Construction was temporarily halted in June 2020 due to funding issues and COVID-19 concerns; a revised design received city approval in June 2021 and construction resumed in December 2021. Topped out in July 2023. [49][50][51][52][53]
21 300 North LaSalle
784 (239) 60 2009 41°53′17.5″N 87°37′59″W [54][55]
22 Three First National Plaza
Three First National Plaza, Chicago
767 (234) 57 1981 41°52′56″N 87°37′50″W [56][57]
23 Grant Thornton Tower
755 (230) 50 1992 41°53′5″N 87°37′50″W [58][59]
24 150 North Riverside
752 (229) 54 2017 41°53′4.1″N 87°38′20.6″W Tallest building in the city west of the Chicago River.[60][61]
25 Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower
744 (227) 57 2010 41°53′5″N 87°37′12″W First phase completed in 1997; 24–floor vertical expansion completed in 2010.[62][63][64]
26 River Point
732 (223) 52 2017 41°53′9.3″N 87°38′21.8″W [65]
27 Olympia Centre
731 (223) 63 1986 41°53′47″N 87°37′24″W [66][67][68]
28 BMO Tower
BMO Tower 4-1-22.jpg
729 (222) 51 2022 41°52′38″N 87°38′26″W Topped out in 2021.[69][70][71][72]
29 One Museum Park
726 (221) 62 2009 41°52′1.5″N 87°37′17″W[73][74]
30 330 North Wabash
695 (212) 52 1973 41°53′19″N 87°37′39″W Also known as the IBM Building.[75][76]
31 Waldorf Astoria Chicago
686 (209) 60 2010 41°53′59″N 87°37′39″W [77][78]
32 111 South Wacker Drive
681 (208) 51 2005 41°52′49″N 87°38′10.5″W [79][80]
33 181 West Madison Street
181 West Madison Street 08
680 (207) 50 1990 41°52′53.5″N 87°38′00″W [81][82]
34 71 South Wacker
679 (207) 48 2005 41°52′51″N 87°38′10″W [83][84]
35 One Magnificent Mile
673 (205) 57 1983 41°54′2″N 87°37′29″W [85][86]
36 340 on the Park
672 (205) 64 2007 41°53′5.5″N 87°37′8″W [87][88]
37= 77 West Wacker Drive
668 (204) 49 1992 41°53′11.5″N 87°37′50″W Formerly known as the United Building and the R.R. Donnelley Building.[89][90]
37= Wolf Point East Tower
668 (204) 60 2020 41°53′15.0″N 87°38′12.4″W [91][92]
39 One North Wacker
652 (199) 50 2001 41°52′56″N 87°38′10″W Also known as the UBS Tower.[93][94]
40 Richard J. Daley Center
648 (198) 32 1965 41°53′2.5″N 87°37′49″W Tallest flat-roofed building in the world that contains fewer than 40 floors.

Was the tallest building in Chicago before being surpassed by Chase Tower.[95][96]

41 55 East Erie Street
647 (197) 56 2003 41°53′38″N 87°37′33″W 2nd-tallest all-residential building in Chicago.[97][98]
42= Lake Point Tower
645 (197) 70 1968 41°53′30″N 87°36′44″W The only tower in the city that sits on the east side of Lake Shore Drive.[99][100]
42= River East Center
644 (196) 58 2001 41°53′29″N 87°37′5.5″W [101][102]
44 Grand Plaza I
641 (195) 57 2003 41°53′31″N 87°37′43″W [103][104]
45 155 North Wacker
638 (195) 45 2009 41°53′5″N 87°38′11.5″W [105][106]
46 Leo Burnett Building
635 (194) 50 1989 41°53′11″N 87°37′45″W [107][108]
47 The Heritage at Millennium Park
631 (192) 57 2005 41°53′3″N 87°37′32″W [109][110]
48 OneEleven
630 (192) 59 2014 41°53′12″N 87°37′52″W Tallest building built in the city in 2014. Formally 111 W. Wacker and Waterview Tower.[111]
49 NBC Tower
627 (191) 37 1989 41°53′24″N 87°37′16″W [112][113]
50 353 North Clark
624 (190) 44 2009 41°53′20″N 87°37′48″W [114][115]
51 Essex on the Park
620 (189) 57 2019 41°52′04″N 87°37′15″W [116]
52 Millennium Centre
610 (186) 58 2003 41°53′35″N 87°37′45″W [117][118]
53 Chicago Place
608 (185) 49 1991 41°53′43″N 87°37′30.5″W [119][120]
54 Chicago Board of Trade Building
605 (184) 44 1930 41°52′39.5″N 87°37′56″W One of the tallest Art Deco buildings in the world; tallest building constructed in Chicago in the 1930s.

Was the tallest building in Chicago before being surpassed by the Richard J. Daley Center.[121][122]

55= One Prudential Plaza
601 (183) 41 1955 41°53′5″N 87°37′24″W Tallest building constructed in Chicago in the 1950s.[123][124]
55= CNA Center
601 (183) 44 1972 41°52′38″N 87°37′32″W [125][126]
57 Heller International Building
600 (183) 45 1992 41°52′51″N 87°38′25″W
58 200 West Madison
599 (182) 44 1982 41°52′56″N 87°38′4″W [127][128]
59 The Grant
595 (181) 54 2010 41°52′1.5″N 87°37′19″W [129][130]
60 1000 Lake Shore Plaza
590 (180) 55 1964 41°54′3.5″N 87°37′28″W [131][132]
61 The Clare
589 (179) 52 2008 41°53′50″N 87°37′34″W [133][134]
62= Accenture Tower
588 (179) 42 1987 41°52′56″N 87°38′26″W [135][136]
62= Marina City I
588 (179) 61 1964 41°53′17.5″N 87°37′42.5″W Marina City was the first building in the United States to be constructed with the Linden climbing tower cranes. It was also the first post-war urban high-rise residential complex in the United States. The two towers were both the tallest residential and tallest concrete structures in the world upon completion in 1968.[137][138][139]
62= Marina City II
588 (179) 61 1964 41°53′16.5″N 87°37′45″W Marina City was the first building in the United States to be constructed with the Linden climbing tower cranes. It was also the first post-war urban high-rise residential complex in the United States. The two towers were both the tallest residential and tallest concrete structures in the world upon completion in 1968.[140][141][142]
65 Optima Signature
587 (179) 57 2017 41°53′28″N 87°37′17″W [143]
66 Mid-Continental Plaza
583 (178) 49 1972 41°52′49″N 87°37′32.5″W [144][145]
67 Crain Communications Building
582 (177) 41 1983 41°53′5″N 87°37′30″W [146][147]
68 North Pier Apartments
581 (177) 61 1990 41°53′27″N 87°36′52.5″W [148][149]
69 Citadel Center
580 (177) 39 2003 41°52′47″N 87°37′43″W [150][151]
70 The Fordham
574 (175) 52 2003 41°53′43.5″N 87°37′38″W [152][153]
71 One Chicago West Tower
574 (174) 49 2022 41°53′46.2″N 87°37′43.6″W Topped out in July 2021.[23][154]
72 190 South LaSalle Street
573 (175) 40 1987 41°52′47″N 87°37′58″W [155][156]
73 One South Dearborn
571 (174) 39 2005 41°52′54″N 87°37′43″W [157][158]
74 Onterie Center
570 (174) 60 1986 41°53′38″N 87°36′59″W [159][160]
75 Loews Hotel Tower
569 (174) 52 2015 41°53′23.9″N 87°37′8″W Tallest building built in the city in 2015.
76= Chicago Temple Building
Chicago Temple Building5 (cropped)
Chicago Temple Building5 (cropped)
568 (173) 21 1924 41°52′59″N 87°37′50″W Tallest building constructed in Chicago in the 1920s.

Was the tallest building in Chicago before being surpassed by the Chicago Board Of Trade Building.[161][162]

76= 151 North Franklin
568 (173) 35 2018 41°53′5.28″N 87°38′6″W In June 2018, 151 North Franklin became the new corporate headquarters for CNA Insurance, which has been headquartered in the Chicago Loop since 1900.
78 Palmolive Building
565 (172) 37 1929 41°53′59″N 87°37′25″W [163][164]
79= Kluczynski Federal Building
562 (171) 42 1974 41°53′42″N 87°37′47″W [165]
79= Cirrus
562 (171) 37 2022 41°53′10″N 87°36′55″W [166]
81= Huron Plaza
560 (171) 56 1983 41°53′43″N 87°37′36″W [167][168]
81= Boeing International Headquarters
560 (171) 36 1990 41°53′2.5″N 87°38′19″W [169][170]
83 Pittsfield Building
557 (170) 38 1927 41°52′59″N 87°37′52.5″W [171]
84= The Parkshore
556 (169) 56 1991 41°53′8.5″N 87°36′53″W [172][173]
84= North Harbor Tower
556 (169) 55 1988 41°53′7.5″N 87°36′55.5″W [174][175]
86 Civic Opera House
555 (169) 45 1929 41°52′57″N 87°38′14.5″W [176]
87= Harbor Point
554 (169) 54 1975 41°53′6″N 87°36′53″W [177][178]
87= Atwater Apartments
554 (169) 55 2009 41°53′32″N 87°37′5″W [179][180]
89 30 North LaSalle
553 (169) 44 1975 41°52′58″N 87°37′58.5″W [181]
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Tallest buildings by pinnacle height

This list ranks Chicago skyscrapers based on their pinnacle height, which includes radio masts and antennas. Standard architectural height measurement, which excludes antennas in building height, is included for comparative purposes. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.

Thumb
Tallest buildings in Chicago by pinnacle height. (As of 2019)
More information Pinn.Rank, Std.Rank ...
Pinn.
Rank
Std.
Rank
Name Pinnacle
height
ft (m)
Standard
height
ft (m)
Floors Year Source
1 1 Willis Tower 1,730 (527) 1,451 (442) 110 1974 [4]
2 5 875 North Michigan Avenue 1,500 (457) 1,127 (344) 100 1969 [18]
3 2 Trump International Hotel and Tower 1,389 (423) 1,389 (423) 98 2009 [12]
4 3 St Regis Chicago 1,198 (365) 1,198 (365) 101 2020 [16]
5 4 Aon Center 1,136 (346) 1,136 (346) 83 1973 [16]
6 6 Franklin Center North Tower 1,007 (307) 887 (270) 61 1989 [20]
7 7 Two Prudential Plaza 995 (303) 995 (303) 64 1990 [22]
8 8 311 South Wacker Drive 961 (293) 961 (293) 65 1990 [26]
9 51 One Prudential Plaza 912 (278) 601 (183) 41 1955 [124]
10 9 NEMA Chicago 896 (273) 896 (273) 76 2019 [27]
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Tallest under construction or proposed

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900 West Randolph Street

Under construction

This lists buildings that are under construction in Chicago and are planned to rise at least 300 feet (91 m). Buildings whose construction is on-hold are also included. A floor count of 30 stories is used as the cutoff for buildings whose heights have not yet been released by their developers. The "Year" category denotes when the building is expected to be completed.

More information Name, Height* ft (m) ...
Name Height*
ft (m)
Floors* Year*
(est.)
Notes
400 Lake Shore Drive North Tower 875 (267) 72 Approved December 14, 2020. Groundbreaking ceremony was held in June 2024.[182][183]
360 North Green Street 399 (122) 24 2024 Approved March 2022[184][185]
1112 West Carroll Avenue 370 (113) 33 2024 Approved September 2021.[186][187]
225 North Elizabeth Street 314 (96) 28 2024 [188]
220 N Ada Street 314 (96) 28 2026 Approved March 2022[189][190]
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Approved and proposed

This lists buildings that are proposed for construction in Chicago and that are planned to rise at least 300 feet (91 m). A floor count of 50 stories is used as the cutoff for buildings whose heights have not yet been released by their developers. The "Year" category denotes when construction of the building is expected to begin.

More information Name, Height* ft (m) ...
Name Height*
ft (m)
Floors* Year*
(est.)
Notes
Tribune East Tower 1,442 (440) 113 2027 Approved May 11, 2020.[191] Delayed several times, construction is expected to start in 2024.[192] Would become the second-tallest building in Chicago upon completion.[193][194][195]
Lakeshore East I Tower 950 (289) 80 2022 [196][197]
400 Lake Shore Drive South Tower 765 (233) TBD Approved December 14, 2020 [182][183]
130 North Franklin Street 700 (214) 53 Approved August 2015.[198][199][200]
Southbank Building A 598 (182) 51 [201]
725 West Randolph Street 550 (187) TBD 2022 Initial design was approved July 19, 2018; revised design is pending approval.[202][203][204]
193 North Columbus Drive 502 (153) 47 2022 Formerly known as Lakeshore East Site O.[205][206][207]
222 North Stetson Avenue TBD 46 [208][209]
1520-1576 North Fremont Street 465 (142) 40 Zoning application filed July 25, 2018.[210][211]
Rivere 455 (139) 30 Formerly known as 444 North Dearborn Street.[212][213][214]
1565 N Clybourn 450 (137) 37 [215]
Southbank Building B 418 (127) 38 [216]
315 North May Street 410 (125) 26 2024 Approved September 2021.[186][187]
322 North Clark Street 395 (120) 32 Approved August 2016.[217][218][219]
1130 North State Street 345 (105) 30 2022 Approved September 2021.[220][221][222]
12 West Maple Street 330 (101) 22 Approved September 19, 2019.[223][224]
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Cancelled

This lists buildings designed to rise at least 800 feet (244 m) that were approved for construction in Chicago but were cancelled prior to completion. This list does not include vision projects such as Gateway Tower or the Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle, nor does it include projects that were not approved by the Chicago Plan Commission such as the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Residence Tower.

More information Name, Height* ft (m) ...
Name Height*
ft (m)
Floors* Approved Cancelled Notes
7 South Dearborn 2,000 (610) 112 1999 2000 One South Dearborn was built on the site instead.[225][226]
Chicago Spire 2,000 (610) 150 2007 2016 400 Lake Shore Drive is the current proposal for the site.[227][228]
Old Chicago Main Post Office Twin Towers 2,000 (610) 120 2011 2014 Part of the Old Chicago Main Post Office Redevelopment pursued by Bill Davies.[229]
Waterview Tower 1,047 (319) 89 2005 2008 The original design for Waterview Tower was cancelled after construction of the first 26 floors of the building. OneEleven was built on the vacated structure.[230][231][232]
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Timeline of tallest buildings

More information Name, Image ...
Name Image Years as tallest Height

ft (m)

Floors Notes
First Holy Name Cathedral[A]
Thumb
COLBERT(1871) p353 CHURCH OF THE HOLY NAME
1854–1869 245 (75) 1 [233]
Saint Michael's Church Thumb 1869–1885 290 (88) 1 [234]
Chicago Board of Trade Building[B] Thumb 1885–1895 322 (98) 10 [235]
Masonic Temple Building Thumb 1895–1899[C] 302 (92) 21 [236]
Montgomery Ward Building[D] 1899–1922 394 (120) 22 [237]
Wrigley Building Thumb 1922–1924 438 (134) 30 [238]
Chicago Temple Building
Thumb
Chicago Temple Building5 (cropped)
1924–1930 568 (173) 23 [239]
Chicago Board of Trade Building
Thumb
1930–1965 605 (184) 44 [240]
Richard J. Daley Center Thumb 1965–1969 648 (198) 32 [241]
Chase Tower (Chicago) Thumb 1969 850 (260) 60
John Hancock Center
Thumb
Chicago (22332583569)
1969–1973 1,127 (344) 100 [242]
Aon Center
Thumb
2006-06-07 840x1500 Chicago aon building
1973–1974 1,136 (346) 83 [16]
Willis Tower Thumb 1974–present 1,451 (442) 108 [243]
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Honorable mentions

  • 530.5 feet (161.7 m) Park Place Tower in Lakeview is the tallest building in Illinois outside of downtown Chicago.
  • 513 feet (156 m) Park Tower in Edgewater is the second-tallest building in Illinois outside of downtown Chicago.
  • 418 feet (127 m) Oakbrook Terrace Tower in Oakbrook Terrace is the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago.
  • 395 feet (120 m) Two Pierce Place in Itasca is the second-tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago.

See also

Notes

A. ^ This building was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, and replaced by the current cathedral of the same name in 1875.
B. ^ The clock tower on this building was removed in 1895, allowing a shorter building to become the tallest in the city.
C. ^ The Masonic Temple, built in 1892, became the tallest in Chicago three years later when the Board of Trade Building had its clock tower removed.
D. ^ This building is currently 282 feet (86 m) tall, following the removal of a pyramid top and sculpture.

References

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