List of tallest buildings in San Diego

San Diego, a major coastal city in Southern California, has over 200 high-rises mainly in the central business district of downtown San Diego.^[1] In the city there are 42 buildings that stand taller than 300 feet (91 m). In the 1970s, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began restricting downtown building height to maximum of 500 feet (152 m) within a 2.3-mile (3.7 km) radius of San Diego International Airport's single runway.^[2][3][a] The tallest building in the city is the 34-story One America Plaza, completed in 1991, which stands 500 feet (152 m) tall.^[4]

San Diego Skyline in 2018. The city's tallest building, the pyramid-topped One America Plaza, is in center-right.

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 530 B Street, 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 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".^[2] Development in the late 1990s and 2000s led to many new high-rises, mainly residential skyscrapers.^[2] Many of these new residential buildings are pairs of twin towers.

I believe that our skyline is a collective composition of many buildings. We don't have to have one landmark like the Empire State Building or Petronas towers. I think the landmark is the entire Downtown.

— Garry Papers, manager of architecture and planning for the Center City Development Corporation^[2]

As of October 2019^[update], San Diego is ranked 98th in the world and 3rd in California with its 162 high-rises.^[5] However, due to the FAA height restriction, none of San Diego's buildings are within the top 100 tallest buildings in the United States. As of October 2019^[update], 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).^[6][7]

Cityscape

San Diego skyline from Coronado Island in 2021

Downtown San Diego skyline in 2009

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 buildings in San Diego

Rank	Name	Image	Height ft (m)	Floors	Year	Coordinates	Notes	Ref.
1	One America Plaza		500 (152)	34	1991	32°42′57″N 117°10′7″W	Tallest building in the city; tallest building constructed in the 1990s; tallest building in California outside of Los Angeles and San Francisco	[4][8]
2	Symphony Towers		499 (152)	34	1989	32°43′6″N 117°9′28″W	Tallest building constructed in the 1980s	[9][10]
3	Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego		497 (151)	40	1992	32°42′34″N 117°10′4″W	Tallest building on the waterfront on the West Coast	[11][12]
4	Pinnacle on the Park I		479 (146)	45	2015	32°42′35″N 117°09′03″W	Tallest residential tower in San Diego together with the Pinnacle II tower	[13]
	Pinnacle on the Park II		479 (146)	45	2019	32°42′36.7″N 117°09′02.9″W	Tallest residential tower in San Diego together with the Pinnacle I tower	[14]
6	Electra		475 (145)	43	2007	32°42′53″N 117°10′10″W		[15][16]
7	Pacific Gate		450 (137)	41	2017	32°42′54″N 117°10′14″W		[70]
	Emerald Plaza		450 (137)	30	1990	32°42′58″N 117°10′1″W		[17][18]
	Pinnacle Marina Tower		450 (137)	36	2005	32°42′39″N 117°9′54″W		[19][20]
10	Manchester Grand Hyatt Seaport		446 (136)	34	2003	32°42′37″N 117°10′6″W		[21][22]
11	Diega South Tower		440 (134)	41	2021	32°42′57.2″N 117°09′28.5″W		[23][24]
12	Harbor Club West		424 (129)	41	1992	32°42′32″N 117°9′46″W		[25][26]
	Harbor Club East		424 (129)	41	1992	32°42′31″N 117°9′44″W		[27][28]
14	The Grande South at Santa Fe Place		420 (128)	39	2004	32°43′2″N 117°10′13″W		[29][30]
	The Grande North at Santa Fe Place		420 (128)	39	2005	32°43′5″N 117°10′13″W		[31][32]
	Vantage Pointe Condominium		420 (128)	41	2009	32°43′6″N 117°9′21″W		[33][34]
17	Savina San Diego condominiums		414 (126)	36	2018	32°43′10″N 117°10′10″W		[35][36][37]
18	655 West Broadway		412 (126)	23	2005	32°42′55″N 117°10′7″W		[38][39]
19	Simone Little Italy		408 (123)	36	2023
20	Bayside at the Embarcadero		395 (120)	36	2009	32°43′9″N 117°10′14″W		[40][41]
21	San Diego Central Courthouse		389 (119)	23	2017	32°43′2″N 117°9′58″W		[42]
22	530 B Street		388 (118)	27	1969	32°43′2″N 117°9′35″W	Tallest building constructed in the 1960s	[43][44]
23	Park 12		386 (118)	36	2018	32°42′23.3″N 117°9′18.4″W		[45]
24	Hilton San Diego Bayfront		385 (117)	32	2008	32°42′11″N 117°9′31″W		[46][47]
25	The Mark		381 (116)	33	2007	32°42′40″N 117°9′25″W		[48][49]
26	Sapphire Tower		380 (116)	32	2008	32°43′6″N 117°10′10″W		[50][51]
27	1 Columbia Place		379 (116)	27	1982	32°43′5″N 117°10′1″W		[52][53]
28	Omni San Diego Hotel		375 (114)	34	2004	32°42′24″N 117°9′32″W		[54][55][56]
29	Meridian Condominiums		371 (113)	28	1985	32°42′47″N 117°9′54″W		[57][58]
30	Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina Tower I		361 (110)	24	1987	32°42′28″N 117°9′54″W		[59][60]
	Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina Tower II		361 (110)	24	1987	32°42′30″N 117°9′57″W		[61][62]
31	The Merian		360 (110)	34	2020	32°42′43.7″N 117°9′15.9″W		[63]
32	Imperial Bank Tower		355 (108)	24	1982	32°43′2″N 117°9′28″W		[64][65]
33	Executive Complex		350 (107)	25	1963	32°42′57″N 117°9′47″W		[66][67]
34	101 W Broadway		348 (106)	20	1982	32°42′54″N 117°9′51″W		[68][69]
35	San Diego Union Tribune Building		339 (103)	23	1974	32°43′5″N 117°9′31″W	Tallest building constructed in the 1970s	[70][71]
36	James M. Carter and Judith N. Keep United States Courthouse		333 (101)	16	2012	32°42′54″N 117°9′57″W		[72][73]
37	Wells Fargo Plaza		331 (101)	23	1984	32°43′2″N 117°9′38″W		[74][75]
38	Marriott Vacation Club Pulse		326 (99)	27	1990	32°43′07.2″N 117°9′28.6″W	Formerly the Sheraton Suites	[76]
40	El Cortez		310 (94)	16	1927	32°43′12″N 117°9′29″W	Tallest building in San Diego until 1963	[77][78]
41	225 Broadway		306 (93)	22	1975	32°42′54″N 117°9′44″W		[79][80]
42	The Rey		305 (93)	25	2016			[81]

Tallest under construction

There is one building under construction in San Diego that is planned to rise at least 300 feet (91 m) (as of July 2023).^[82][83] Under construction buildings that have already been topped out are also included.

Name	Image	Height feet (ft)	Floors	Year	Coordinates	Notes
8th & B		503	40			[84]
800 Broadway		434	40			[85]
Columbia & A		448	39			[86]
Front & A		445	34			[87]
The Lindley		415	37			[88]
RaDD - Block 2B I		307	17			[89]
West		445	37			[90]

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 One America Plaza.

Name	Image	Height ft (m)	Floors	Years as tallest	Coordinates	Ref.
El Cortez Hotel		310 feet (94 m)	16	36 years (1927–1963)	32°43′12″N 117°9′29″W	[77][78]
Executive Complex		350 feet (110 m)	25	6 years (1963–1969)	32°42′57″N 117°9′47″W	[66][67]
530 B Street		388 feet (118 m)	27	20 years (1969–1989)	32°43′2″N 117°9′35″W	[43][44]
Symphony Towers		499 feet (152 m)	34	2 years (1989–1991)	32°43′6″N 117°9′28″W	[9][10]
One America Plaza		500 feet (150 m)	34	34 years (1991–present)	32°42′57″N 117°10′7″W	[4][8]

Notes

1. Information on the Federal Aviation Administration's reasoning behind building height limitations can be read in their Advisory Circular, AC 150/5190-4A - A Model Zoning Ordinance to Limit Height of Objects Around Airports

See also

• Architecture portal
• California portal

• List of tallest buildings in California