Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, with a metropolitan area population of over 1.3 million. Louisville is home to 25 buildings that stand over 200 feet (61 m) tall as of 2026, 12 of which exceed 300 feet (91 m) in height. Two skyscrapers reach a height of 492 ft (150 m), the most in Kentucky and the second most of any city in the East South Central states, after Nashville. The tallest building in Louisville and in Kentucky is 400 West Market, which was built in 1992 and is 549 ft (167.3 m) tall. The skyscraper is known for its 80-foot (24 m) high Romanesque dome. The second tallest building in Louisville is PNC Tower, which was formerly the city's tallest building from 1972 to 1992.

The ten-story Columbia Building, built in 1890, is considered to be the city's first skyscraper. The 236 ft (72 m), 19-story Kentucky Home Life Building became the tallest building in Louisville when it was completed in 1912, and it was surpassed by the 250 ft (76 m) Heyburn Building in 1928. The designs of both buildings were influenced by neoclassical architecture. Following the onset of the Great Depression, skyscraper development stalled over the next two decades. In 1955, the Commonwealth Building became the tallest in Louisville after a 17-story vertical addition was built on top of the existing four-story structure.

A construction boom took place from the 1960s and 1980s. The 800 Apartments, a 29-story residential tower, became the city's tallest building when it opened in 1963. 500 West Jefferson was the first building in Louisville to reach a height of 400 ft (122 m) in 1971, though it was surpassed by PNC Tower a year later. The 1980s saw the addition of taller office buildings such as B&W Tower in 1982 and the Humana Building in 1985, both taller than 300 ft (91 m), culminating in the construction of 400 West Market and the Waterfront Plaza twin towers in the early 1990s. Since then, the rate of high-rise construction in Louisville has declined. Significant projects in the 21st century include Waterfront Park Place, a 23-story residential tower built in 2004, and Omni Louisville Hotel, the city's fifth tallest building at 370 ft (113 m), in 2018.

Most of Louisville's tallest buildings are situated in Downtown Louisville, which is south of the Ohio River. Downtown Louisville is bounded by Interstate 64 to the north, while Interstate 65 runs through the east of downtown. The University of Louisville School of Medicine has its main campus in the southeast of downtown. The campus and the surrounding hospitals include several high-rises.

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History

Map of tallest buildings The map below shows the location of buildings taller than 200 ft (61 m) in Downtown Louisville, where most of the city's tallest buildings stand. Each marker is numbered by the building's height rank, and colored by the decade of its completion.

Cityscape

Tallest buildings

This list ranks completed buildings in Louisville that stand at least 200 ft (61 m) tall as of 2026, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. The “Year” column indicates the year of completion. Buildings tied in height are sorted by year of completion with earlier buildings ranked first, and then alphabetically.

RankName ImageLocationHeightft (m)FloorsYearPurpose Notes 1 400 West Market 35 1992Office Tallest building in Louisville and in Kentucky since 1992. Originally called Capital Holding Building and later, Capital Holding Center. Renamed Providian Center, then Aegon Center. Renamed 400 West Market in 2014. Tallest building completed in Louisville in the 1990s. 2 PNC Tower 40 1972Office Formerly known as First National Tower from 1972 to 1994, and National City tower from 1994 to 2017. Tallest building in Louisville and in Kentucky from 1972 to 1992. Tallest building completed in Louisville in the 1970s. 3 500 West Jefferson 30 1971Office Originally built as Citizens Plaza, and later known as PNC Plaza until 2020. Also known as 500W and 500 West. Tallest building in Louisville and Kentucky briefly from 1971 to 1972. 4 Humana Building 27 1985OfficeFormerly the headquarters of Humana. Humana announced in 2024 that it would vacate the building in a cost-cutting move. In 2026, Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg announced that the building would be turned into a 1,000-room convention center hotel. Tallest building completed in Louisville in the 1980s. 5 Omni Louisville Hotel 30 2018Mixed-use Mixed-use residential and hotel building. Tallest mixed-use building in Louisville. Tallest building completed in Louisville in the 2010s. 6 B&W Tower 26 1982OfficeHeadquarters of tobacco company Brown & Williamson until 2004, when the company merged with R. J. Reynolds.Reynolds American Inc., SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION report, Juny 30, 2004 7 Meidinger Tower 26 1982Office 8 Waterfront Plaza I– 25 1991OfficeWaterfront Plaza I and Waterfront Plaza II are the tallest twin buildings in Louisville.9Waterfront Plaza II–251993OfficeWaterfront Plaza I and Waterfront Plaza II are the tallest twin buildings in Louisville. 10 E.ON U.S. Center– 23 1989OfficeAlso known as Louisville Gas & Electric Tower and Corporate Plaza. 11 Galt House 25 1972Hotel Tallest all-hotel building in Louisville. Tallest building with a hotel component in Louisville until 2018. 12 BB&T Building– 24 1972OfficeFormer names include the Louisville Trust Building, One Riverfront Plaza, United Kentucky Building, and Bank One Building.13Waterfront Park Place232004ResidentialTallest building completed in Louisville in the 2000s. 14 The 800 Apartments 29 1963Residential Tallest building in Louisville and Kentucky from 1963 to 1971. Tallest residential building in Louisville from 1963 to 2004. 15 Heyburn Building 17 1928Office Tallest building in Louisville and Kentucky from 1928 to 1955, when it was overtaken by the 17-story addition of the now demolished Commonwealth Building. 16 Hyatt Regency Louisville– 18 1978Hotel17Frazier Rehab Institute–142004Health 18 Kentucky Home Life Building 19 1912OfficeFormerly known as the Inter-Southern Life Insurance Building. Tallest building in Louisville from 1912 to 1928.19Rudd Heart and Lung Center–151994Health20Medical Center Tower141974Health211400 Willow Avenue–211980Residential22Kentucky Towers Apartments191927Residential23Wright Tower151966OfficeOriginally built as the headquarters of the Lincoln Income Life Insurance Company and known as Lincoln Tower. Kaden acquired the building in 1986, after which the building was known as Kaden Tower. Renamed Wright Tower in 2023 in honor of Frank Lloyd Wright. Designed by William Wesley Peters, a student of Wright.24Starks Building141913Office25Brown Hotel161923HotelThe Brown Hotel is a historic hotel listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tallest under construction or proposed

Under construction As of 2026, there are no buildings under construction in Louisville that are planned to be taller than 200 ft (61 m).

Proposed NameHeightft (m)FloorsYearPurpose NotesOne Forty West27–HotelOn the corner of Second and West Market Streets. Construction is set to begin early 2027.

Tallest demolished There have been two buildings taller than 200 ft (61 m) in Louisville that no longer stand today. Both were once the tallest buildings in Louisville. NameImageHeightft (m)FloorsYear completedYear demolishedNotesCommonwealth Building–2119551994Originally built as a mid-rise building in 1928. In 1955, a 17-story vertical addition was constructed, making the building the tallest in Louisville from 1955 to 1963. Demolished via implosion in 1994.Lincoln Savings Bank Building–1519061973Also known as the Washington Building. Tallest building in Louisville from 1906 to 1912.

Timeline of tallest buildings

Name Image Years as tallest Heightft (m) Floors NotesKenyon Building 1886–1890 6 Columbia Building 1890–1906 10 Lincoln Savings Bank Building – 1906–1912 15 Kentucky Home Life Building 1912–1928 19 Heyburn Building 1928–1955 17 Commonwealth Building – 1955–1963 21 The 800 Apartments 1963–1971 29PNC Plaza 1971–1972 30 First National Tower 1972–1992 40 400 West Market 1992–present 35

Notes

See also List of tallest buildings in Kentucky List of tallest buildings in Knoxville List of tallest buildings in Memphis List of tallest buildings in Nashville Cityscape of Louisville, Kentucky

References