Discover the 10 Tallest Buildings in Washington

Seattle is Washington’s largest city and the 18^th largest city in the United States. So, it makes sense that the most massive buildings in Washington dot the downtown of Seattle. Of the top ten tallest buildings in Washington, all of them may be found in Seattle. Check out the immense size of these structures.

#1 Columbia Center (937 feet)

At 76 stories tall, the Columbia Center is three times the height of the Statue of Liberty. When it was first constructed in 1985, not only was it the tallest building in Washington, but also the tallest on the West Coast.

Primarily built with businesses in mind, it has 1.5 million square feet of office and retail space. Accommodating retail stores, restaurants, and gyms on the first three floors, the rest of the building is dedicated to office space and conference rooms. There is also a Sky View Observatory, which gives you a 360-degree view of Seattle.

Currently, the Columbia Center is the 41^st-tallest building in the United States.

#2 Rainier Square Tower (850 feet)

Constructed in 2021, this building has 58 floors of mixed-use residential and commercial space. The Rainier Square Tower is the second-tallest building in Seattle and cost $600 million to construct. It was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, who has other recognizable works, such as the World Trade Center in New York City and the IBM Building across the street from the Rainier Square Tower. The Rainier Square Tower has 200 luxury apartments, 750,000 square feet of office space, and 30,000 square feet of retail space. The six levels underneath the building allow for parking of up to 1,000 vehicles.

Today, the Rainier Square Tower is the 64th-tallest building in the United States.

#3 1201 Third Avenue (772 feet)

Also in downtown Seattle, this skyscraper was constructed in 1988 and has 55 stories of office space. The third-tallest building in the city, 1201 Third Avenue used to be known as Washington Mutual Tower and functioned as the headquarters of Washington Mutual. However, Washington Mutual moved across the street to Russell Investment Center (formerly WaMu Center before the bank collapsed in 2008).

Today, 1201 Third Avenue is the 98th-tallest building in the United States.

#4 Two Union Square (740 feet)

Built in 1989, the Two Union Square skyscraper complex is in-between Union and University Street in downtown Seattle. Offering 56 floors and 1,126,428 square feet of office space, the Seattle-based firm NBBJ designed Two Union Square. Some recognizable tenants at Two Union Square include Apple, BlackRock Financial, and Wedbush Securities. Two Union Square also features a garage with 1,100 parking stalls and three stories of retail shops. In addition, you can travel the underground pedestrian concourse from the skyscraper to the Seattle Hilton Hotel and Rainier Square shopping complex.

Two Union Square holds the title of the 129th-tallest building in the country.

#5 Seattle Municipal Tower (722 feet)

Though not the tallest building in Seattle, this was the tallest building made in the city in the 1990s. The City of Seattle owns this 62-story high-rise office building. It is the headquarters for most of Seattle’s city agencies, including the Seattle Justice Center and City Hall.

Currently, Seattle Municipal Tower is the 151st-tallest building in the U.S.

#6 F5 Tower (660 feet)

A combination of hotel and office space, the F5 Tower is 43 floors high and the tallest building constructed in Seattle in the 2010s. Completed in 2017, F5 Networks leased the entire 516,000 square feet of office space to function as the company’s headquarters. The lease was for 14.5 years to the tune of $360 million. On the lower 13 levels of the F5 Tower, Lotte Hotels & Resorts manages the 189-room luxury hotel found in this sixth tallest building in Washington.

#7 Safeco Plaza (630 feet)

Also in Seattle, this behemoth building is a creation of the NBBJ firm. Constructed in 1969, the 50 floors of the Safeco Plaza offer office space to various retail shops, restaurants, fitness centers, banks, and more. It was also the tallest building in Seattle until the Columbia Center stole that title.

More notable is the medical center within Safeco Plaza, which has a rooftop helipad, one of only twelve in Seattle. Other noteworthy tenants include Safeco Insurance, Bank of America, and Riddell Williams.

#8 U.S. Bank Center (606 feet to the tip)

Offering 943,575 square feet of office space, this 44-story skyscraper is located on 5^th Avenue in Seattle. The designer, Gerry Gerron of Callison Architecture, fashioned the lobby and retail floors to function as a “third place” for the public. “Third place” is a sociological term to define a social surrounding that is not home (“first place”) and not the workplace (“second place). Other examples of third places include churches, libraries, and parks. The first three floors are an exciting mix of chic retail stores, restaurants, and a Cineplex movie theater.

#9 Space Needle (605 feet)

Built in 1962, this is the tallest observation tower in the state of Washington and the 4^th tallest in the country. Though it only has five floors, the Space Needle has become so iconic in Seattle that in 1999, it was designated a historic landmark. Featured in television series such as Fraiser and Grey’s Anatomy, the Space Needle has also been an establishing shot in movies like Sleepless in Seattle and Chronicle.

The observation deck is 520 feet above ground, accessible by elevators, which only take 41 seconds to reach the top. Admire the Seattle skyline, Mount Rainier, Cascade Mountains, and more from the ninth tallest building in Washington.

#10 Russell Investments Center (598 feet)

Built in 2006 and the tallest building erected in Seattle during the 2000s, the Russell Investments Center has 42 floors of office space and is the headquarters of Russell Investments. Located on Second Avenue in Seattle, this tower’s design is another incredible creation of NBBJ. On the first four floors, the Russell Investments Center houses the Seattle Art Museum and a 20,000-square-foot patio on the roof, where employees may enjoy the walking paths on their breaks.

Some noteworthy tenants of the tenth tallest building in Washington include Nordstrom, Zillow (headquarters), Indeed, Inc., and JP Morgan Chase & Co.

Summary of the Tallest Buildings in Washington