The American Skyscraper Rises to Prominence

The 921-foot Bank of America Plaza is the tallest in the Dallas skyline (credit: Design Systems Group Inc.).

DALLAS—It’s a well-known fact that the United States is home to a skyscraper bonanza, but what is the full scale of the construction and when did it all start? While office high-rise construction took off in the 60s and peaked in the 80s, residential skyscrapers picked up steam post-2000 and are still going strong. Some 63 residential towers are currently being built.

Commercial Cafe looked back at the skyscraper construction timeline and identified the most prolific decades, while also revealing the new supertall building projects that are currently in the works. The firm used information from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat along with Yardi Matrix data, and singled out building specifications of at least 40 stories and 500 feet in height.