Saint Paul is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Saint Paul and neighboring Minneapolis form the core of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, which has a population of around 3.7 million. The city is the site of 60 high-rises, 28 of which stand taller than 200 feet (61 m). Of these, 14 buildings reach a height of 300 ft (91 m), giving Saint Paul the second largest skyline in the state, after Minneapolis. The tallest building in Saint Paul is Wells Fargo Place, a 471 ft (144 m), 37-story tall office building constructed in 1987. Saint Paul's skyscrapers are approximately 8 miles (13 km) east of Downtown Minneapolis.
The history of skyscrapers in Saint Paul began with the 16-story Pioneer Building, built in 1889. Considered the city's first skyscraper, the Pioneer Building was the tallest building west of Chicago at the time of construction, and the first building in the United States to have a glass elevator. The early 20th century saw the construction of the Landmark Center, the Minnesota State Capitol, and the Cathedral of Saint Paul, three architecturally significant civic buildings. The Art Deco First National Bank Building was completed in 1931 at a height of 402 ft (123 m), becoming the tallest building in Saint Paul, a title it would hold for over half a century. A year later, amidst the Great Depression, the 20-story city hall was completed.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, Saint Paul's skyline expanded considerably. In 1980, the Town Square three-tower development brought about the 27-story Bremer Tower and the 25-story UBS Plaza. The 1980s saw a shift towards postmodern architecture, with the two-tower Galtier Plaza (now Cray Plaza) designed in this style. The taller Jackson Tower briefly became the tallest building in Saint Paul with a height of 443 ft (135 m), before being surpassed by Wells Fargo Place in 1987. The Pointe of St. Paul, built in 1988, was among the last high-rises added to Saint Paul's skyline. Since 2001, no buildings taller than 200 ft (61 m) have been built in Saint Paul, in contrast to nearby Minneapolis.
Saint Paul's tallest buildings are concentrated in Downtown Saint Paul, which sits northwest of the Mississippi River. Like its twin city of Minneapolis, Saint Paul features a skyway system, connecting its high-rises (among other buildings) with bridges. Saint Paul's skyline is also known for the large red "1st" sign atop the First National Bank Building."Best Use Of Neon Lighting " City_Pages
History
Map of tallest buildings The map below shows the location of buildings taller than 200 ft (61 m) in Saint Paul, most of which are located in downtown. 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 Saint Paul that stand at least 200 ft (61 m) tall as of , 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 Notes1Wells Fargo Place371987OfficeTallest building in Saint Paul since 1987. Tallest building completed in Saint Paul in the 1980s. Formerly known as the Minnesota World Trade Center. Tallest building in Minnesota outside of Minneapolis.2Jackson Tower461986ResidentialTallest building in Saint Paul briefly from 1986 to 1987. Tallest residential building in Saint Paul. Building with the most floors in Saint Paul. Part of Cray Plaza along with Sibley Tower. Cray Plaza was known as Galtier Plaza until 2009.3First National Bank Building321931OfficeTallest building in Saint Paul from 1931 to 1986. Tallest building completed in Saint Paul in the 1930s. Also known for the red "1st" sign atop the building.4Kellogg Square Apartments321972ResidentialTallest building completed in Saint Paul in the 1970s.5The Pointe of St. Paul331988Residential6US Bank Building251975Office7Ecolab Building171991OfficeTallest building completed in Saint Paul in the 1990s. Formerly known as the Travelers Building.8Bremer Tower271980Office9The 400 Building211982Office10Amhoist Tower261983Mixed-useMixed-use residential and office building. Also known as Landmark Towers.11Sibley Tower331986Mixed-useMixed-use residential and office building. Part of Cray Plaza along with Jackson Tower. Cray Plaza was known as Galtier Plaza until 2009.12Cathedral of Saint Paul21915ReligiousTallest building in St. Paul from 1915 to 1931. Tallest building completed in Saint Paul in the 1910s.13Ecolab Corporate Center201968OfficeTallest building completed in Saint Paul in the 1960s.14UBS Plaza—251980OfficeAlso known as Piper Jaffray Plaza, US Bancorp Piper Jaffray Tower, Meritor Tower, and Conwed Tower.15Custom House171934Mixed-useThe structure was initially completed in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration. Five stories and a penthouse were added in 1939. Used by the U.S. Postal Service until 2013, after which it was converted to a mixed-use hotel and residential building.16Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse181932Government17401 Building—132000OfficeTallest building in St. Paul completed in the 21st century.18Ecolab University Center—161973Office19City Walk Condominiums—251983Residential20InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront231966HotelFormerly known as Radisson Riverfront and Crowne Plaza Riverfront St. Paul.21Century Link Tower B—161968OfficeAlso known as Qwest Building B, Market Street Tower 1, and US West Tower 1.22Century Link Tower C—161976OfficeAlso known as Qwest Building C, Market Street Tower 2, and US West Tower 2.23Skyline Tower241972Residential24740 River Drive—221961Residential25Merchants Bank Building—161915Office26Pioneer Building161889ResidentialTallest building in Saint Paul from 1889 to 1915. Tallest building completed in Saint Paul in the 19th century.27Fifth Street Center—141969Office28Minnesota State Capitol41904GovernmentHome to the Minnesota Legislature. Tallest building completed in Saint Paul in the 1900s.29Landmark Center61902Office
Tallest under construction or proposed
Under construction As of , there are no buildings planned to be taller than 200 ft (61 m) that are under construction in Saint Paul. The most recent building constructed taller than that height is the 401 Building, which was completed in 2000.
Proposed The following table includes approved and proposed buildings in Saint Paul that are expected to be at least 200 ft (61 m) tall as of 2026, based on standard height measurement. The “Year” column indicates the expected year of completion. A dash “–“ indicates information about the building’s height, floor count, or year of completion is unknown or has not been released. For buildings whose height figure is unavailable, a cutoff of 20 stories is used. NameHeightft (m)FloorsYearPurpose NotesRiversedge Tower 429—OfficeRiversedge Tower 2—31—ResidentialRiversedge Tower 3—24—Office
Timeline of tallest buildings Since the construction of the Pioneer Building in 1889, five buildings have held the title of the tallest building in Saint Paul. NameImageYears as tallestHeightft (m)FloorsReferencePioneer Building1889–191516Cathedral of Saint Paul1915–19312First National Bank Building1931–198632Jackson Tower1986–198746Wells Fargo Place1987–present37
Notes
See also List of tallest buildings in Minneapolis List of tallest buildings in Minnesota List of tallest buildings in Rochester, Minnesota
References