Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, with a metropolitan area population of over 2.3 million as of 2025. With over 125 high-rise buildings with a height of at least 115 feet (35 m), 34 of which exceed 300 ft (91 m), Pittsburgh's skyline is the second-largest in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia. The tallest building in Pittsburgh is the 64-story U.S. Steel Tower, which rises 841 feet (256 m) and was completed in 1970. It was built as the headquarters of U.S Steel, reflecting Pittsburgh's role in the steel industry, and is the fifth tallest building in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia make up the vast majority of high-rises in Pennsylvania.
| Skyline of Pittsburgh | |
|---|---|
Downtown Pittsburgh in 2022 | |
| Tallest building | U.S. Steel Tower (1970) |
| Tallest building height | 841 ft (256 m) |
| First 150 m+ building | Gulf Tower (1932) |
| Number of tall buildings (2025) | |
| Taller than 100 m (328 ft) | 27 |
| Taller than 150 m (492 ft) | 10 |
| Taller than 200 m (656 ft) | 2 |
| Number of tall buildings — feet | |
| Taller than 300 ft (91.4 m) | 34 |
The majority of high-rises in Pittsburgh are located in the city's downtown, forming a compact, triangular-shaped skyline bound to the north by the Allegheny River, to the south by the Monongahela River, and to the east by Interstate 579. Pittsburgh's numerous bridges that traverse the two rivers are a common cityscape feature, and are often pictured alongside its skyscrapers. Mount Washington is a popular photography spot of the downtown skyline. Less than three miles east of downtown is Oakland, containing the city's second major concentration of high-rises, many of which are part of the University of Pittsburgh. By far the tallest building in Oakland is the 535 ft (161 m) tall Cathedral of Learning, a Gothic Revival skyscraper that is Pittsburgh's eighth-tallest building and one of the university's main buildings.
From the early 1930s to the 1970s, Pittsburgh had one of the tallest skylines in the world. The history of skyscrapers in Pittsburgh began with the 1895 completion of the Carnegie Building; this structure, rising 13 floors, was the first steel-framed skyscraper to be constructed in the city. It never held the title of tallest structure in Pittsburgh, however, as it did not surpass the 249-foot (76 m) tower of the Allegheny County Courthouse. Pittsburgh was the side of considerable pre-war skyscraper development in the United States, including early landmarks such as the Grant Building and the Gulf Tower. 14 high-rises over 300 ft (91 m) where built before 1940, making up about a third of all buildings above that height in the city. After a lull in construction from the mid-1930s to the late 1940s, skyscraper construction resumed in the 1950s. Pittsburgh experienced a large building boom from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s. During this time, 11 of the city's 20 tallest buildings were constructed, including the city's three tallest structures: the U.S. Steel Tower, BNY Mellon Center, and PPG Place, which is notable for its glass spires.
Unlike many other major American cities, relatively few high-rises have been built in Pittsburgh during the 21st century, as the population of the city and Greater Pittsburgh continued to decline from its peak in the mid-20th century. Only three skyscrapers over 300 ft (91 m) have been completed since 2000: Three PNC Plaza in 2010, Tower at PNC Plaza in 2015, and the FNB Financial Center in 2024. At 545 feet (166 m), Tower at PNC Plaza, distinguished by its slanted roof, is the tallest building completed in Pittsburgh in the 21st century, while the FNB Financial Center is the tallest building in the Hill District.
History
Number of buildings by height in Pittsburgh by the end of each year, taking into account demolished buildings. Click on the legend to toggle a specific height on or off. View chart definition.
Cityscape
Map of tallest buildings
The map below shows the location of buildings taller than 300 feet (91 m) in downtown Pittsburgh. Each marker is numbered by the building's height rank, and colored by the decade of its completion. There is only one building in Pittsburgh taller than 300 feet (91 m) that is located outside of the map, the Cathedral of Learning in Oakland
Buildings taller than 300 ft (91 m) in Downtown Pittsburgh. An asterisk (*) next to the building's name indicates it is located outside the map.
- 1950s and before
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1980s
- 1990s
- 2000s
- 2010s
- 2020s
1
U.S. Steel Tower2
BNY Mellon Center3
One PPG Place4
Fifth Avenue Place5
One Oxford Centre6
Gulf Tower7
Tower at PNC Plaza8
Cathedral of Learning*9
525 William Penn Place10
K&L Gates Center11
Grant Building12
Koppers Tower13
Two PNC Plaza14
EQT Plaza15
One PNC Plaza16
FNB Financial Center17
Regional Enterprise Tower18
Federated Hermes Tower19
11 Stanwix Street20
Oliver Building21
Three PNC Plaza22
Three Gateway Center23
Centre City Tower24
William S. Moorhead Federal Building25
Bell Telephone Building26
AT&T Building27
Frick Building28
Midtown Towers29
Omni William Penn Hotel30
Four Gateway Center31
Clark Building32
Commonwealth Building33
The Carlyle34
City ViewTallest buildings
There are 34 skyscrapers in Pittsburgh that stand at least 300 feet (91 m) tall, based on standard height measurements which includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts.
Was the tallest building in Pittsburgh upon completion
| Rank | Name | Image | Coordinates | Height ft (m) | Floors | Year completed | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Steel Tower | 40°26′29″N 79°59′41″W / 40.441326°N 79.99472°W | 841 (256.3) | 64 | 1970 | Office | 77th-tallest building in the United States, 5th tallest in Pennsylvania. Has been the tallest building in the city since 1970, and was the tallest building in the state from 1970 until the 1987 completion of One Liberty Place in Philadelphia. Tallest building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1970s. Known as the USX Tower between 1986 and 2000. Corporate headquarters of U.S. Steel and UPMC. | |
| 2 | BNY Mellon Center | 40°26′23″N 79°59′46″W / 40.439781°N 79.996017°W | 725 (221) | 54 | 1983 | Office | Tallest building completed in Pittsburgh in the 1980s. Formerly known as One Mellon Center during its period as corporate headquarters of Mellon Financial. Bank of New York Mellon currently has its largest concentration of employees in the facility. | |
| 3 | One PPG Place | 40°26′24″N 80°00′13″W / 40.439953°N 80.003746°W | 635 (193.6) | 40 | 1984 | Office | Corporate headquarters of PPG Industries and co-headquarters of Kraft Heinz. | |
| 4 | Fifth Avenue Place | 40°26′31″N 80°00′12″W / 40.441891°N 80.00342°W | 616 (187.8) | 32 | 1987 | Office | Corporate headquarters of Highmark. | |
| 5 | One Oxford Centre | 40°26′17″N 79°59′55″W / 40.438068°N 79.99855°W | 615 (187.5) | 45 | 1983 | Office | Originally corporate headquarters of Oxford Development, now a multi-tenanted building. | |
| 6 | Gulf Tower | 40°26′33″N 79°59′43″W / 40.442577°N 79.995224°W | 582 (177.4) | 44 | 1932 | Mixed-use | Tallest building completed in Pittsburgh in the 1930s. Tallest building in Pittsburgh from 1932 to 1970. The name references structure's status as former headquarters of Gulf Oil, although the site has functioned as a multi-tenant building since 1982. Now a mixed-use residential and hotel building. | |
| 7 | Tower at PNC Plaza | 40°26′25″N 80°00′01″W / 40.440289°N 80.000183°W | 545 (166) | 33 | 2015 | Office | Tallest building completed in Pittsburgh in the 2010s and in the 21st century. Part of PNC Financial Services corporate headquarters. | |
| 8 | Cathedral of Learning | 40°26′40″N 79°57′11″W / 40.444313°N 79.953117°W | 535 (163.1) | 42 | 1936 | Education | Second-tallest university building in the world, behind the main building of Moscow State University. Tallest building in the city located outside of Downtown. Landmark structure of the University of Pittsburgh. | |
| 9 | 525 William Penn Place | 40°26′24″N 79°59′52″W / 40.440113°N 79.997757°W | 520 (158.5) | 41 | 1951 | Office | Tallest building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1950s. Originally housed corporate headquarters of both U.S. Steel and Mellon Financial. Signage rights belong to largest tenant Citizens Financial Group. | |
| 10 | K&L Gates Center | 40°26′31″N 80°00′00″W / 40.441952°N 80.00004°W | 511 (155.8) | 39 | 1968 | Office | Tallest building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1960s. Originally known as One Oliver Plaza and formerly named for lead tenants FreeMarkets and later Ariba. Corporate headquarters of K&L Gates. | |
| 11 | Grant Building | 40°26′16″N 79°59′51″W / 40.437675°N 79.997551°W | 485 (147.8) | 40 | 1930 | Office | Tallest building in Pittsburgh from 1930 to 1932. The building's signage rights belong to largest tenant Huntington Bancshares. | |
| 12 | Koppers Tower | 40°26′32″N 79°59′44″W / 40.442123°N 79.995537°W | 475 (144.8) | 34 | 1929 | Office | Briefly tallest building in Pittsburgh from 1929 to 1930. Tallest building completed in Pittsburgh in the 1920s. Corporate headquarters of Koppers. | |
| 13 | Two PNC Plaza | 40°26′30″N 80°00′03″W / 40.441769°N 80.000801°W | 445 (135.6) | 34 | 1975 | Office | Part of PNC Financial Services corporate headquarters. | |
| 14 | EQT Plaza | 40°26′33″N 80°00′03″W / 40.442448°N 80.000916°W | 430 (131.1) | 32 | 1987 | Office | Corporate headquarters of EQT Corporation. Formerly named for CNG and Dominion Energy before these entities were acquired via merger. | |
| 15 | One PNC Plaza | 40°26′28″N 80°00′02″W / 40.441223°N 80.000587°W | 424 (129.2) | 30 | 1972 | Office | Part of PNC Financial Services corporate headquarters. | |
| 16 | FNB Financial Center | 40°26′30″N 79°59′30″W / 40.441669°N 79.991539°W | 418 (127.4) | 26 | 2024 | Office | Tallest building completed in Pittsburgh in the 2020s. Corporate headquarters of FNB Corporation. | |
| 17 | Regional Enterprise Tower | 40°26′29″N 79°59′49″W / 40.441506°N 79.996827°W | 410 (125) | 30 | 1953 | Mixed-use | First skyscraper with an all-aluminum facade. Formerly the corporate headquarters of Alcoa before its relocation to a low-rise structure. Then known as the Regional Enterprises Tower during a period of multi-tenant occupancy. Now also known as The Residences at the Alcoa Building. Converted to the city's tallest residential structure in 2016. | |
| 18 | Federated Hermes Tower | 40°26′40″N 79°59′39″W / 40.444515°N 79.994171°W | 358 (109.1) | 27 | 1986 | Office | Corporate headquarters of Federated Investors. | |
| 19 | 11 Stanwix Street | 40°26′20″N 80°00′23″W / 40.438988°N 80.006264°W | 355 (108.2) | 23 | 1970 | Office | Former corporate headquarters of Westinghouse Electric Corporation, and was then known as Westinghouse Tower. Signage rights owned by largest tenant KeyBank. | |
| 20 | Oliver Building | 40°26′28″N 79°59′53″W / 40.441147°N 79.998169°W | 347 (105.8) | 25 | 1910 | Mixed-use | Tallest existing building completed in Pittsburgh in the 1910s Tallest building in Pittsburgh from 1910 to 1912. In 2015, one-third of the structure's floor space was converted from office to hotel use. | |
| 21 | Three PNC Plaza | 40°26′29″N 80°00′05″W / 40.441334°N 80.001335°W | 344 (105) | 23 | 2010 | Mixed-use | Part of PNC Financial Services corporate headquarters. Signage rights owned by largest tenant Reed Smith. Mixed-use office, hotel, and residential building. | |
| 22 | Three Gateway Center | 40°26′31″N 80°00′20″W / 40.441845°N 80.005539°W | 344 (104.9) | 24 | 1952 | Office | ||
| 23 | Centre City Tower | 40°26′33″N 79°59′48″W / 40.442554°N 79.996635°W | 341 (103.9) | 26 | 1971 | Office | Signage rights owned by largest tenant Huntington Bancshares. | |
| 24 | William S. Moorhead Federal Building | 40°26′36″N 79°59′41″W / 40.443436°N 79.994705°W | 340 (103.6) | 23 | 1964 | Government | Tallest government building in Pittsburgh. | |
| 25 | Bell Telephone Building | 40°26′31″N 79°59′47″W / 40.441959°N 79.996452°W | 339 (103.3) | 21 | 1931 | Office | Also known as the Verizon Building. | |
| 26 | AT&T Building | – | 40°26′30″N 79°59′44″W / 40.441757°N 79.995674°W | 330 (100.7) | 16 | 1969 | Office | Also used for telecommunications. |
| 27 | Frick Building | 40°26′21″N 79°59′51″W / 40.439117°N 79.997444°W | 330 (100.6) | 20 | 1902 | Office | Tallest existing building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1900s. | |
| 28 | Midtown Towers | 40°26′33″N 80°00′01″W / 40.442604°N 80.000252°W | 305 (93) | 18 | 1907 | Residential | Also known as the Keenan Building. | |
| 29 | Omni William Penn Hotel | 40°26′26″N 79°59′48″W / 40.440624°N 79.996628°W | 305 (93) | 26 | 1916 | Hotel | ||
| 30 | Four Gateway Center | 40°26′27″N 80°00′17″W / 40.440891°N 80.004654°W | 305 (93) | 22 | 1960 | Office | ||
| 31 | Clark Building | 40°26′34″N 79°59′58″W / 40.442757°N 79.999519°W | 301 (91.8) | 26 | 1928 | Residential | ||
| 32 | Commonwealth Building | 40°26′21″N 80°00′03″W / 40.43906°N 80.00084°W | 300 (91.4) | 21 | 1906 | Residential | Originally an office building. Conversion to apartment building began October 2019. | |
| 33 | The Carlyle | 40°26′21″N 80°00′04″W / 40.43914°N 80.001167°W | 300 (91.4) | 22 | 1906 | Residential | Converted to condominiums in 2006. While serving as an office building, was named for Union National Bank and, later, its successor Integra Bank. | |
| 34 | City View | 40°26′25″N 79°59′12″W / 40.440399°N 79.986557°W | 300 (91.4) | 24 | 1964 | Residential | Apartment structure. Formerly known as Washington Plaza. |
Tallest demolished
Two buildings that stood at least 300 feet (91 m) have been demolished in Pittsburgh.
| Name | Image | Height ft (m) | Floors | Year Completed | Year Destroyed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First National Bank Building | 387 (118) | 26 | 1912 | 1970 | Tallest building in Pittsubrgh from 1912 to 1929. Demolished to make room for One PNC Plaza. | |
| Farmers Bank Building | 344 (105) | 25 | 1902 | 1997 | Tallest building in Pittsburgh from 1902 to 1910. Demolished for the construction of a Lazarus department store due to a lack of tenants. |
Timeline of tallest buildings
| Name | Image | Street address | Years as tallest | Height ft (m) | Floors | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Episcopal Cathedral | 328 Sixth Avenue | 1872–1888 | 200 (61) | N/A | ||
| Allegheny County Courthouse | 436 Grant Street | 1888–1902 | 249 (76) | 5 | ||
| Farmers Bank Building | 301 Fifth Avenue | 1902–1910 | 344 (105) | 25 | Now demolished. | |
| Oliver Building | 535 Smithfield Street | 1910–1912 | 347 (106) | 25 | ||
| First National Bank Building | 511 Wood Street at Fifth Avenue | 1912–1929 | 387 (118) | 26 | Now demolished. | |
| Koppers Tower | 436 7th Avenue | 1929–1930 | 475 (145) | 34 | ||
| Grant Building | 330 Grant Street | 1930–1932 | 485 (148) | 40 | ||
| Gulf Building | 707 Grant Street | 1932–1970 | 582 (177) | 44 | ||
| U.S. Steel Tower | 600 Grant Street | 1970–present | 841 (256) | 64 |
See also
- Architecture of Pittsburgh
- List of tallest buildings in Camden
- List of tallest buildings in Philadelphia
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