San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

, a major coastal city in

southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

has over 200 high-rises, mainly in the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

Downtown San Diego Downtown San Diego is the city center of San Diego, California, the eighth largest city in the United States. In 2010, the Centre City area had a population of more than 28,000. Downtown San Diego serves as the cultural and financial center and ...

. In the city, there are 42 buildings that stand taller than . In the 1970s, the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

(FAA) began restricting downtown building height to maximum of within a radius of

San Diego International Airport San Diego International Airport , formerly known as Lindbergh Field, is an international airport northwest of Downtown San Diego, California, United States. It is owned and operated by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.. US Federa ...

's single runway. The tallest building in the city is the 34-

story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

One America Plaza One America Plaza is the tallest building in San Diego, California and a prominent fixture in the waterfront district of the downtown San Diego skyline. The 34-story, , , obelisk-shaped tower was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn Architects ...

, completed in 1991, which stands tall.

History

The history of skyscrapers in San Diego began with the completion of the U.S. Grant Hotel in 1910. The building, at a height of 211 feet (64 m), remained the tallest building in San Diego until 1927, when the El Cortez Hotel at 310 feet (94 m) took its place. The skyscraper's height was surpassed in 1967 by the

Union Bank of California Building The Union Bank of California Building is a 27- storey, skyscraper in San Diego, California, completed in 1969. For 20 years, the tower stood as the tallest building in the city, until the completion of the Symphony Towers in 1989. See also *L ...

, which stood as the tallest building for two decades with its height of 388 feet (118 m). In 1989, with a height of 499 feet (152 m),

Symphony Towers Symphony Towers is a 1.2-million-square-foot late modernist two-tower hotel and office complex located in the historic Financial District in downtown San Diego, California, on B Street. The mixed-use, high-rise building includes a 34-story office ...

gained the title, before being passed two years later by One America Plaza. During the 1990s, the city was compared to a "handful of tools in a scarcely stocked toolbox" and a "mouth with a lot of missing teeth". Development in the late 1990s and 2000s led to many new high-rises, mainly residential skyscrapers. Many of these new residential buildings are pairs of twin towers. , San Diego is ranked 92nd in the world and 3rd in California with its 162 high-rises. However, due to the FAA height restriction, none of San Diego's buildings are within the top 100

tallest buildings in the United States The world's first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885. Since then, the United States has been home to some of the world's tallest skyscrapers. New York City, specifically the borough of Manhattan, notably has the tallest skyline in the cou ...

. , there are around 20 buildings that have been proposed, approved, or are currently undergoing construction which will join the tallest buildings in San Diego (over 300 feet).

Cityscape

Tallest buildings

This list ranks San Diego skyscrapers that stand at least 300 feet (91 m) tall, 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.

Tallest under construction

There is one building under construction in San Diego that is planned to rise at least (as of January 2022). Under construction buildings that have already been topped out are also included.

Timeline of tallest buildings

There have been five buildings that have held the title of tallest building in San Diego including the current tallest building, the

Notes

References

;General * * ;Specific

External links

"San Diego"
an
skyscraper diagram
at

SkyscraperPage SkyscraperPage is a website for skyscraper hobbyists and enthusiasts that tracks existing and proposed skyscrapers around the world. The site is owned by Skyscraper Source Media, a supplier of skyscraper diagrams for the publication, marketing, an ...

"San Diego"
at the

Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is an international body in the field of tall buildings and sustainable urban design. A non-profit organization based at the Monroe Building in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Tallest Buildings In San Diego

Buildings A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and funct ...