Austin is the capital of the U.S state of Texas. Its metropolitan area is the fourth-largest in the state, with 2.5 million people. As of 2026, Austin is home to 66 completed buildings taller than 300 feet (91 m), 19 of which are at least 492 ft (150 m) in height. Austin's skyline is one of the largest in the Southern United States. It has the third most skyscrapers taller than 492 ft (150 m) in Texas, after Houston and Dallas. The tallest building in Austin is Waterline, a supertall skyscraper that was completed in 2026 at a height of 1,025 ft (312 m), making it the tallest building in Texas. Greater Austin is the smallest metropolitan area in North America with a supertall skyscraper.

With a height of 311 ft (95 m) the Texas State Capitol remained the tallest building in Austin long after its construction in 1888, with the city's central Congress Avenue otherwise lined with single-story buildings through the start of the 1900s. The eight-story Scarbrough Building and the nine-story Littlefield Building, built between 1910 and 1912, are considered to be Austin's first high-rises. The tallest building completed in the first half of the 20th century was the Main Building of the University of Texas at Austin, which holds offices as well as library space for the university. The downtown skyline remained predominantly low-rise until the 1960s, with the addition of the 28-story Westgate Tower in 1966 attracting controversy for its proximity to the capitol. The capitol's height was finally surpassed by the Procore Tower and the Bank of America Center in the 1970s. One American Center, completed in 1984, remained the tallest building in the city for two decades.

Since the 2000s, Austin has been undergoing an unprecedented skyscraper boom, concurrent with rapid population growth in the city and its metropolitan area. The Frost Bank Tower was the first building in Austin to exceed a height of 500 ft (152 m) it was completed in 2004. The boom was momentarily halted in the early 2010s due to the Great Recession, and accelerated in the mid-2010s; around two-thirds of high-rises taller than 300 ft (91 m) in Austin were built after 2014. The majority of new skyscrapers are residential, with the title of the city's tallest building changing hands four more times among residential towers between 2008 and 2023. The city's tech boom has also resulted in more office towers, such as Indeed Tower and the sail-shaped Block 185, which is intended to be fully leased by Google.

Most of Austin's tallest buildings are located in Downtown Austin, sitting directly north of the Colorado River. The Texas State Capitol separates the central skyline from residential towers in the West Campus neighborhood, many of which are inhabited by students attending the nearby University of Texas at Austin. Tall buildings are relatively absent on the southern side of the Colorado River, although a number of them are planned in the South Central Waterfront area. There are also a small number of high-rises in The Domain, a commercial and residential center located in the city's north that is referred to as Austin's "second downtown" In the 2020s, the boom saw the skyline extend eastwards towards Rainey Street Historic District, transforming the character of the neighborhood. Construction on Waterline began there in 2023 and was wrapped up in 2026.

History

Bearing a height of , The Texas State Capitol remained the tallest structure in Austin long after its construction in the 1880s, with the city's central Congress Avenue otherwise lined with single-story buildings through the start of the 1900s. The eight-story Scarbrough Building and the nine-story Littlefield Building, built between 1910 and 1912, were Austin's first high-rise buildings; the Littlefield Building was the tallest commercial building in the U.S. west of New Orleans and east of San Francisco upon its completion. In 1928, the Austin City Council briefly considered setting a height limit for future construction in the city but backed away from the proposal.

After the mid-20th century, Downtown Austin began to transition from being predominantly composed of low-rise buildings to a skyline with high-rises. Beginning with the 26-story Westgate Tower, the addition of new skyscrapers to Downtown Austin between 1967 and 1980 led to an increasing realization that views of the state capitol from certain vantage points could become obscured. The capitol was also no longer the city's tallest building, surpassed in height by the Dobie Center and the Chase Bank Tower. In response, the Texas State Legislature and the City of Austin created 35 Texas Capitol View Corridors that would preserve selected views of the capitol.

By the mid-1980s, Austin featured over a dozen skyscrapers, with at least 12 buildings built during the decade featuring at least 15 floors. Described by the Austin American-Statesman as "the first downtown high-rise wave", the uptick in skyscraper construction that began in the 1980s was mostly characterized by granite and limestone office buildings. More rapid construction of new high-rises in downtown Austin began by the 1990s and continued thereafter, contrasting a concurrent slowdown in the construction of new skyscrapers in Dallas and Houston.

Mark Lamster, an architecture critic for the Dallas Morning News, attributed the emergence of increasingly taller skyscrapers to the small size and high density of Austin, incentivizing vertical growth due to the resultingly high cost of land. The Statesman identified a second wave of new skyscrapers in Austin that began in the early 2000s, including construction of the Frost Bank Tower. By 2010, the construction of new residential buildings and office space for technology companies accounted for most of the city's new skyscrapers. By 2023, the combined height of Austin's high-rises overtook Dallas according to Texas Real Estate Source.

Historical skyline appearance

Cityscape

Map of tallest buildings Buildings taller than are concentrated in downtown Austin and the Rainey Street Historic District with one building The Domain II, located in North Austin.

Tallest buildings

There are 66 skyscrapers in Austin that stand at least 300 feet (91 m) tall as of 2026, based on standard height measurement which includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts.

RankName ImageLocationHeightft (m)FloorsYearPurpose Notes1Waterline*742026Mixed-useTallest building in Texas, surpassing the JPMorgan Chase Tower. Topped out in August 2025. Mixed-use office, residential, and hotel building. 2 Sixth and Guadalupe 66 2023 Mixed-useTallest building in Austin from 2023 to 2026. Alternatively known as 6th + Guadalupe, 6 X Guadalupe, and 600 Guadalupe.. Topped out in November 2022. Mixed-use residential and office building.3The Republic462025OfficeLargest office building in Austin with over 800,000 square feet. 4 The Independent 58 2019 ResidentialCommonly known as the Jenga Tower or Tetris Tower due to its design. Tallest building in Austin from 2019 to 2023, until surpassed by Sixth and Guadalupe. 5 The Austonian 56 2010 ResidentialTallest building in Austin from 2010 to 2019, until surpassed by The Independent.6ATX Tower582025Residential7Modern Austin–552025Residential8415 Colorado Street502025Residential9Fairmont Austin362018HotelLargest hotel in Austin and second largest Fairmont Hotels and Resorts hotel globally upon completion, including 1,048 rooms An approximately tall spire rises from the rooftop 10 360 Condominiums 45 2008 ResidentialTallest building in Austin from 2008–2010 until surpassed by The Austonian11Block 185352022OfficeLargest and tallest office building in Austin from 2022-2025 12 44 East Avenue 50 2023 ResidentialTallest building in the Rainey Street Historic District13Paseo–482025ResidentialTopped out in 2024.14The Travis502025Residential 15 Indeed Tower 36 2021 OfficeKnown as Block 71 during construction 16 Frost Bank Tower 33 2004 OfficeTallest building in Austin from 2004–2008 until surpassed by 360 Condominiums First high-rise in the U.S. to begin construction after the September 11 attacks, with construction beginning on November 27, 2001. 17 Hanover Republic Square 44 2023 Residential 18 Hanover Brazos Street 45 2023 Residential 19 700 River 42 2024 Residential 20 W Austin Hotel & Residences 36 2010 Mixed-useMixed-use residential and hotel building. Part of the Block 21 city block 21 Fifth & West 39 2019 Residential 22 Vesper 41 2024 Residential 23 300 Colorado 34 2021 Office 24 Spring 43 2009 Residential 25 Northshore 38 2016 ResidentialTallest apartment building in Austin 26 The Bowie 37 2015 Residential 27 70 Rainey 33 2019 ResidentialFormerly the tallest building in the Rainey Street Historic District 28 Ashton 36 2009 ResidentialFormerly known as Altavida 29 JW Marriott Convention Hotel 34 2015 HotelSecond largest JW Marriott hotel globally and formerly largest hotel in Austin upon completion, with 1,012 guest rooms 30 Four Seasons Residences Austin 32 2010 ResidentialPart of the San Jacinto Center 31 One American Center 32 1984 OfficeTallest building in Austin from 1984–2004 until surpassed by Frost Bank Tower. Also known as 600 Congress. 32 500 West 2nd Street 28 2017 Office 33 One Eleven Congress 30 1987 OfficeFormerly known as One Congress Plaza 34 Colorado Tower 29 2015 Office 35Austin Proper322019Mixed-useMixed-use residential and hotel building. 36 Third + Shoal 28 2018 Office 37 Austin Marriott Downtown 31 2020 Hotel 38 Austin Hilton Convention Center Hotel 31 2004 Mixed-use Mixed-use residential and hotel building 39 The Waller – 32 2024 Mixed-use Mixed-use residential and hotel building 40 405 Colorado 25 2022 Office 41 Natiivo 33 2022 Residential 42 5th & Brazos 31 2021 Mixed-useAlso known as The Thompson, or Sienna at the Thompson. Mixed-use residential and hotel building 43 The Quincy 30 2021 Mixed-use Mixed-use residential and office building. 44 Alexan Waterloo 29 2022 Residential 45 Hyatt Centric 31 2022 Hotel 46 Seaholm Residences 30 2016 Residential 47 Windsor on the Lake 31 2008 ResidentialFormerly known as The Legacy on the Lake 48 Bank of America Center 25 1975 OfficeTallest building in Austin from 1975–1984 until surpassed by One American Center. Originally known as the Austin National Bank Tower and formerly known as NationsBank Tower and Interfirst Bank Tower. 49 The Linden 28 2023 Residential 50 The Domain II 24 2023 OfficeTallest building in Austin outside of downtown 51 Union on San Antonio 29 2024 Residential 52 300 West 6th Street 23 2002 Office 53Aloft Austin Downtown and Element Austin Downtown312017HotelCombination of two hotel brands managed by White Lodging 54 Procore Tower 22 1974 OfficeTallest building in Austin from 1974–1975 until surpassed by Bank of America Center. Constructed as American Bank Plaza and formerly known as American Bank Building, MBank Tower, Bank One Tower, and Chase Bank Tower. A renovation completed in 1994 introduced tall roof addition and replaced the formerly gold-tinted glass façade with pewter-colored glass. 55 The Monarch 29 2008 Residential 56 100 Congress Avenue 22 1987 Office 57Yugo Austin Waterloo302022ResidentialTallest building in West Campus 58 Union on 24th Street – 29 2024 Residential 59Villas on 24th–312025Residential 60 Texas State Capitol 4 1888 Government6th-tallest state capitol in the United States and largest by gross area. Tallest building in Austin from 1888–1974 until surpassed by the Chase Bank Tower. 61 San Jacinto Center 21 1987 OfficeInitial plans to build two identical buildings were scrapped due to a recession in the early 1990s 62 UT Austin Tower 29 1937 Mixed-use Mixed-use office and library building. 63Dobie Center291971Residential64Icon–302025Residential 65 301 Congress Avenue 22 1986 Office 66 Hotel ZaZa & Apartments 24 2019 Mixed-use Mixed-use residential and hotel building.

Tallest under construction