Bigger is Better: The Tallest Building in every State!

Ever since King Kong swung from atop the Empire State Building, skyscrapers have fascinated us.

As engineering evolves, structures reach ever higher. Currently, the tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa, reaching 2,717 feet into the skies over Dubai. The designer is working on an even-taller one, the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia, which will stand 3,281 feet when its finished. Forget the "nosebleed section" - these kinds of buildings require oxygen masks.

In the Tall Building-palooza, America is no slouch. We've got some pretty impressive entries, including One World Trade Center in New York. No surprise that New York -- specifically NYC --is home to an epic number of skyscrapers; but Illinois, Georgia, California and Texas follow right after as the states with plenty of their own entries in the Jeopardy category of "Ginormous Buildings."

At the other end of the spectrum are those states that, just by simple math, also have a "tallest building"- but which, by the above standards, are the shrimps of the crowd. The bottom five states (in no particular order) are North and South Dakota, Maine, Wyoming and Vermont. Read on to discover the brick, steel and mortar sky-touching glory (relatively speaking) of each of these fifty states.

1. ALABAMA: RSA BATTLE HOUSE TOWER, MOBILE

On clear nights, the lighted crown atop the 745-foot building is visible for 30 miles. Construction began in 2003, but was repeatedly delayed as various major hurricanes pummeled the area. It was finally completed in 2006.

2. ALASKA: CONOCO-PHILLIPS BUILDING, ANCHORAGE

The 296-foot office complex dominates the skyline of one of Alaska's major cities. It houses the regional headquarters of Conoco-Phillips, along with other large companies.

3. ARIZONA: CHASE TOWER, PHOENIX

Built in 1972, it stands 483 feet tall and takes up an entire city block. Although it's 40 stories tall, only 38 floors are occupied. An observation deck on 39 was closed to the public a few years back.

4. ARKANSAS: SIMMONS BANK TOWER, LITTLE ROCK

Since its completion in 1986, this 547-foot building has undergone a few name changes, as a result of changing corporate ownership. It got the current name in 2014. One thing unchanged? The 17 elevators and 952-car parking garage.

5. CALIFORNIA: U.S. BANK TOWER, LOS ANGELES

At 1,018 feet tall, it's not just the tallest building in the Golden State, it's the tallest one west of the Mississippi, and one of the most recognizable. Its frequently used in movie and TV shows.

6. COLORADO: REPUBLIC PLAZA, DENVER

It's the tallest building in the Rocky Mountain region, rising 714 feet into the Denver sky. Each year, it's the site of a 56-story stair climb to the top to raise money for the state chapter of the American Lung Association.

7. CONNECTICUT: CITY PLACE, HARTFORD

When it was completed in 1980, it stole the title of the state's tallest building from the Traveler's Tower, which was built in 1919. City Place is 537 feet high -- ten feet more than Traveler's Tower.

8. DELAWARE: RIVER TOWER AT CHRISTINA LANDING, WILMINGTON

It's the tallest building in both the state and in the city. At 340 feet and 27 stories high, it functions primarily as a residential building. But at that height, you'll have some amazing views of Wilmington and the Delaware waterfront while you have your morning coffee.

9. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Construction on this church began in 1920 and when it opened in 1959, it was still unfinished. Standing 329 feet high, it's the largest Catholic church in the U.S. and one of the ten largest in the world.

10. FLORIDA: FOUR SEASONS HOTEL & TOWER, MIAMI

The 64 floors of this 789-foot tall structure contain a hotel, offices and for some lucky folks, condominiums on the top floors. The building features some pretty tricky engineering technology to withstand the hurricanes that routinely hit the Sunshine State.

11. GEORGIA: BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA, ATLANTA

It has the honor of being the 10th tallest building in America (at 1,024 feet) and the tallest in any state capital. The distinctive structure has been featured in some TV shows, including Halt and Catch Fire.

12. HAWAII: FIRST HAWAIIAN CENTER, HONOLULU

The islands have no shortage of impressive sights - and this building, standing at 429 feet tall, is among them. The builders incorporated many traditional Hawaiian architectural principals into the design, to reflect island themes of water and light.

13. IDAHO: ZION'S BANK BUILDING, BOISE

In 1864, the site where this building sits was occupied by a hotel. Over the years, various buildings came and went, with locals dubbing the regularly demolished location "the Boise hole." The bank headquarters were completed in 2014, and reach 323 feet.

14. ILLINOIS: WILLIS TOWER, CHICAGO

In 1973, retailer Sears and Roebuck had it built to consolidate its thousands of area employees, so its still called the "Sears Tower." For almost 25 years, it had the distinction of being the tallest building in the world (1,451 feet). It's currently the 2nd tallest in the U.S. and 13th in the world.

15. INDIANA: CHASE TOWER, INDIANAPOLIS

This 830-foot building, which opened in 1990, looms over the capitol of the Hoosier state. It ranks as the 44th tallest building in America - and the 31 elevators are useful when it comes to managing its 49 stories.

16. IOWA: THE PRINCIPAL BUILDING, DES MOINES

Besides its impressive height (630 feet), the builders added another feature - which didn't quite work out. The roof is made of copper sheeting, and the hope was, that over time, it would take on a green coating of verdigris, just like the Statue of Liberty. Too bad the Iowa air doesn't have the needed amount of salt: the roof has instead turned a dull brown.

17. KANSAS: EPIC CENTER, WICHITA

In 1989, it was opened as a way to lure more business to downtown, at a time when the economy was in the tank. Seems to have worked - its impressive 320 foot height has inspired other high-rise buildings to pop up in the once-sluggish area.

18. KENTUCKY: 400 WEST MARKET, LOUISVILLE

The top of this 549-foot building is crowned by an 80-foot Roman-style dome that lights up each night. One fun fact about the structure? It's made of reinforced concrete, versus steel, which is the usual choice for buildings of that size.

19. LOUISIANA: ONE SHELL SQUARE, NEW ORLEANS

Standing at 697 feet, it's taller than the state's tallest peak, Driscoll Mountain. It weathered Hurricane Katrina with minimal damage, and even has its own zip code!

20. MAINE: FRANKLIN TOWERS, PORTLAND

This 16-story, 175-foot building is used for public housing. There was some disagreement over whether it should be named the "tallest building" in the state: St. Patrick's Church in Lewiston is 220 feet high, but because the upper levels are unoccupied, it doesn't make the cut.

21. MARYLAND: TRANSAMERICA TOWER, BALTIMORE

It was completed on New Year's Eve 1973 - and was part of the makeover of Baltimore's once-blighted "Inner Harbor" area. Rising 529 feet, it was one of the first skyscrapers to be built around a central concrete column, with each floor being added via a network of elevators and service conduits.

22. MASSACHUSETTS: 200 CLARENDON, BOSTON

Completed in 1976, it's still locally known as the John Hancock Tower because of its long association with the insurance firm. During construction, architects had to adapt the plans over local concerns that, at 60 stories and 790 feet, it would cast a shadow across the historic landmark of Trinity Church.

23. MICHIGAN: RENAISSANCE CENTER, DETROIT

The entire center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers. The central one -Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center --rises 755 feet above the Motor City, making it the tallest all-hotel skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere.

24. MINNESOTA: IDS CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS

OK, maybe it's cheating a little bit? It started out at 775 feet tallâ€¦but then added a "garage" for window washing equipment which brought it to its current 792 feet. When it was completed in 1972, the IDS building ended the Foshay Tower's 43-year reign as the city's tallest structure.

25. MISSISSIPPI: BEAU RIVAGE CASINO HOTEL, BILOXI

It's one of the largest casinos outside of Nevada, and at 347 feet high, the tallest building in the state, as well. Hurricane Katrina did some serious damage, but it's since been repaired and refurbished so that new visitors can get a great view of the Gulf.

26. MISSOURI: ONE KANSAS CITY PLACE, KANSAS CITY

It was supposed to be part of a much bigger project, one that would eventually include hotel, office and residential towers. While that vision never panned out, the anchor building, completed in 1985, is one of the most recognized features of the Kansas City skyline. At 42 stories and 624 feet, kinda hard to miss.

27. MONTANA: FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER, BILLINGS

This commercial office building reaches 272 feet and includes 20 floors. Besides being the tallest building in the state, it's also the tallest in the northern Rockies. The builders became bold during construction: original plans only called for fifteen floors, but added more to make a real statement.

28. NEBRASKA: FIRST NATIONAL BANK TOWER, OMAHA

The building, home to the First National of Nebraska banking firm, was built in 2002. At 634 feet, it's the site of an annual "Trek Up the Tower" - contestants race up its 45 stories via staircase.

29. NEVADA: THE PALAZZO, LAS VEGAS

This giant hotel and casino on the Strip has the honor of being the tallest building in the state (642 feet). But it also has the honor of being named the largest hotel in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. Each and every one of the guest rooms is 720 square feet.

30. NEW HAMPSHIRE: CITY HALL PLAZA, MANCHESTER

It's held the honor as the tallest building (275 feet) in the city and state since it was completed in 1992. Although it's not as impressive in height as the tallest buildings in Boston or Hartford, it still ranks as the tallest in the northern part of New England.

31. NEW JERSEY: 30 HUDSON STREET, JERSEY CITY

At 781 feet high and with 42 stories, it was meant to be a major hub for Goldman Sachs -- but the 2008 crash changed that plan, as most executives opted to keep their offices on Wall Street. Still, the building is home to numerous other firms and the centerpiece of a major area redevelopment.

32. NEW MEXICO: BANK OF ALBUQUERQUE TOWER, ALBUQUERQUE

It's the taller half of a two-tower structure, coming in at 351 feet and 22 stories. Built in 1990, it's one of the "greenest" high rises anywhere, using a thermal energy storage system to reduce electric use.

33. NEW YORK: ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER, NEW YORK

It was built on the site of the former Twin Towers and is the sixth-tallest building in the world. Dubbed "the Freedom Tower," the structure soars a patriotic 1,776 feet into the sky and is taller than either of the former towers.

34. NORTH CAROLINA: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATE CENTER, CHARLOTTE

This building ranks as the tallest one both in North Carolina and anywhere between Philly and Atlanta. At 871 feet tall, it created a problem with the Federal Aviation Administration, who voiced concern that incoming flights to the Charlotte airport were at risk. Changes to air traffic procedures solved the issue.

35. NORTH DAKOTA: STATE CAPITOL, BISMARCK

After a fire destroyed the original capital building, it was rebuilt during the Depression. At 241.67 feet tall, it's been nicknamed "the Skyscraper on the Prairie."

36. OHIO: KEY TOWER, CLEVELAND

This skyscraper stands at 947 feet and has 57 stories. Outside of Chicago, it's the tallest building n the Midwest - and is the tallest between Philly and the Windy City.

37. OKLAHOMA: DEVON TOWER, OKLAHOMA CITY

Originally, this building anchoring the Devon Energy Corporation was meant to stand 925 feet tall. But plans had to be revised, taking it down to a "mere" 850 feet. It was completed in 2012.

38. OREGON: WELLS FARGO CENTER, PORTLAND

When it opened in 1972, its height (546 feet tall) created concerns that similar development would wipe out views of Mount Hood. As a result, height restrictions were put in place for future construction. The lobby has a cool feature: an authentic Wells Fargo stagecoach from 1854.

39. PENNSYLVANIA: COMCAST CENTER, PHILADELPHIA

During construction of this 973-foot skyscraper, a funny little ritual took place: a small statue of the city's founder, William Penn, was set on one of the steel beams. This was done to counteract a supposed 1980s era curse that prevented Philadelphia's sports teams from winning any championship after building anything taller than Penn's statue. Apparently, it worked: the Phillies won the 2008 World Series, the same year the building opened.

40. RHODE ISLAND: BANK OF AMERICA BUILDING, PROVIDENCE

This distinctive 428 foot tall building is often referenced as "the Superman building" because of a local legend. The rumor is, that in 1950s era Superman comic books, it served as the model for the Daily Planet headquarters.

41. SOUTH CAROLINA: CAPITAL CENTER, COLUMBIA

It was completed in 1987, after a big construction boom in the city. At 349 feet, it still holds the title as the tallest building in the city and houses lots of government agencies and top law firms.

42. SOUTH DAKOTA: CENTURYLINK TOWER, SIOUX FALLS

When the 202-foot tall Zip Feed Tower was demolished in 2005, this building became the tallest one in the city and the state. It stands 174 feet high and has 11 stories.

43. TENNESSEE: AT&T BUILDING, NASHVILLE

Besides being the tallest building in the state (617 feet), it's been honored as one of the 12 most original. The spires and the dark coloration on the top floor have led it to be dubbed "the Batman Building."

44. TEXAS: JP MORGAN CHASE TOWER, HOUSTON

It was completed in 1982, and at 1,002 feet tall, is the tallest building both in Houston and in Texas. It's also the tallest five-sided building in the world. Original plans called for it to be reach even higher, but FAA concerns made the architects rethink things.