This list includes extant buildings that fulfill the engineering definition of a tower: "a tall human structure, always taller than it is wide, for public or regular operational access by humans, but not for living in or office work, and which is self-supporting or free-standing, meaning no guy-wires for support."[1][2][3] This definition excludes continuously habitable buildings and skyscrapers as well as radio and TV masts. Also excluded, because they are not designed for public or regular operational access, are bridge towers or pylons, wind turbines, chimneys, transmission towers, sculptures and most large statues and obelisks.
Towers are most often built to use their height for various purposes, and can stand alone or as part of a larger structure. Some common purposes are for telecommunications, and as a viewing platform.
The Tokyo Skytree, completed in 2012, is 634 m (2,080 ft), making it the tallest tower in the world.
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| bold | Denotes tower that is or was once the tallest in the world |
| Rank | Name | Pinnacle height | Year | Structure | Country | City | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo Skytree | 634 m (2,080 ft) | 2010 | Steel |  Japan |
Tokyo | Tallest tower in the world since 2010 |
| 2 | Canton Tower | 604 m (1,982 ft) | 2010 | Steel & concrete |  China |
Guangzhou | Was briefly the tallest tower in the world in 2010. Second tallest tower in the world. |
| 3 | CN Tower | 553.3 m (1,815 ft) | 1976 | Concrete |  Canada |
Toronto | Tallest freestanding structure in the world 1975–2007, and the world's tallest tower until 2009; tallest in the western hemisphere |
| 4 | Ostankino Tower | 540.1 m (1,772 ft) | 1967 |  Russia |
Moscow | Tallest freestanding structure in the world, 1967–75; tallest in Europe | |
| 5 | Oriental Pearl Tower | 468 m (1,535 ft) | 1994 | Concrete | China |
Shanghai | Tallest in China 1994–2007 |
| 6 | Milad Tower | 435 m (1,427 ft) | 2008 |  Iran |
Tehran | Tallest in the Middle East and West Asia | |
| 7 | Kuala Lumpur Tower | 421 m (1,381 ft) | 1994 |  Malaysia |
Kuala Lumpur | Tallest in Malaysia & South East Asia. | |
| 8 | Tianjin Radio and Television Tower | 415.2 m (1,362 ft) | 1991 | China |
Tianjin | Tallest in Asia 1991–1994, tallest in North China | |
| 9 | Central Radio and TV Tower | 405 m (1,329 ft) | 1992 | Beijing | |||
| 10 | Zhongyuan Tower | 388 m (1,273 ft) | 2011 | Steel | Zhengzhou | ||
| 11 | Kyiv TV Tower | 385 m (1,263 ft) | 1973 | Lattice Tower |  Ukraine |
Kyiv | Disabled by a Russian missile strike during the Battle of Kyiv on 1 March 2022. The tower remains standing. Extent of damage unknown. |
| 12 | Tashkent Tower | 374.9 m (1,230 ft) | 1985 | Steel |  Uzbekistan |
Tashkent | Tallest in Central Asia |
| 13 | Liberation Tower | 372 m (1,220 ft) | 1996 | Concrete |  Kuwait |
Kuwait City | |
| 14 | Almaty Tower | 371.5 m (1,219 ft) | 1983 | Steel |  Kazakhstan |
Almaty | |
| 15 | Riga Radio and TV Tower | 368.5 m (1,209 ft) | 1986 |  Latvia |
Riga | Tallest in the European Union | |
| 16 | Berliner Fernsehturm | 368.03 m (1,207.4 ft) | 1969 | Concrete |  Germany |
Berlin | Tallest structure in Germany. Built during East-German times |
| 17 | Çamlıca Tower | 365.5 m (1,199 ft) | 2020 |  Turkey |
Istanbul | ||
| 18 | Colombo Lotus Tower | 351.5 m (1,153 ft) | 2019 |  Sri Lanka |
Colombo | Tallest structure in South Asia | |
| 19 | The Strat | 350.2 m (1,149 ft) | 1996 |  United States |
Las Vegas | Tallest observation tower in the United States | |
| 20 | West Pearl Tower | 339 m (1,112 ft) | 2004 | China |
Chengdu | ||
| 21 | Macau Tower | 338 m (1,109 ft) | 2001 | China |
Macau | ||
| 22 | Europaturm | 337.5 m (1,107 ft) | 1979 | Germany |
Frankfurt | ||
| 23 | Dragon Tower | 336 m (1,102 ft) | 2000 | Lattice Tower | China |
Harbin | |
| 24 | Tokyo Tower | 332.6 m (1,091 ft) | 1958 | Lattice Tower | Japan |
Tokyo | Tallest in the world 1958–67 |
| 25 | Arqiva Tower (Emley Moor) | 330.4 m (1,084 ft) | 1971 | Concrete |  United Kingdom |
Emley | Tallest freestanding structure in the United Kingdom |
| 26 | Eiffel Tower | 330 m (1,080 ft)[4] | 1889 | Lattice Tower |  France |
Paris | First to surpass 300 metres; tallest tower in the world 1889–1956 and again from 1957-1958 with the addition of its antennae. |
| 27 | Huai'an TV Tower[5][6] | 329.8 m (1,082 ft) | 2015 | China |
Huaiyin | ||
| 28 | Sky Tower (Auckland) | 328 m (1,076 ft) | 1997 |  New Zealand |
Auckland | Tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere from 1996 to 2022 | |
| 29 | Vilnius TV Tower | 326.5 m (1,071 ft) | 1980 |  Lithuania |
Vilnius | ||
| 30= | Linyi Radio & TV Tower[7][8] | 326 m (1,070 ft) | 2010 | Steel | China |
Linyi | |
| 30= | Saint Petersburg TV Tower | 326 m (1,070 ft) | 1962 | Lattice Tower | Russia |
Saint Petersburg | |
| 34 | Rameswaram TV Tower | 323 m (1,060 ft) | 1995 | Concrete |  India |
Rameswaram | |
| 35 | Jiangsu Nanjing TV Tower | 318.5 m (1,045 ft) | 1996 | China |
Nanjing | ||
| 36 | KCTV Broadcast Tower | 317.6 m (1,042 ft) | 1956 | Lattice Tower | United States |
Kansas City | Tallest tower in the world for about a year (1956-1957). Eiffel Tower retook the title the following year by adding a broadcast aerial. |
| 37 | Tallinn TV Tower | 314 m (1,030 ft) | 1980 | Concrete |  Estonia |
Tallinn | |
| 38 | Yerevan TV Tower | 311.7 m (1,023 ft) | 1977 | Lattice Tower |  Armenia |
Yerevan | [9] |
| 39 | Tortoise Mountain TV Tower | 311.4 m (1,022 ft) | 1986 | Concrete | China |
Wuhan | China's first self-supported TV tower |
| 40 | Baku TV Tower | 310 m (1,020 ft) | 1996 |  Azerbaijan |
Baku | ||
| 41 | Sydney Tower | 305 m (1,001 ft) | 1981 |  Australia |
Sydney | ||
| 42 | Liaoning Broadcast and TV Tower | 305.5 m (1,002 ft) | 1989 | China |
Shenyang | ||
| 44= | Jaisalmer TV Tower | 300 m (984 ft) | 1993 | India |
Jaisalmer | ||
| 44= | Samatra TV Tower | 300 m (984 ft) | 1999 | India |
Bhuj | ||
| 44= | VRT Toren | 300 m (984 ft) | 1996 |  Belgium |
Sint-Pieters-Leeuw | ||
| 48 | Zhuzhou Television Tower | 293 m (961 ft) | 1999 | Lattice Tower | China |
Zhuzhou | |
| 49 | Fernmeldeturm Nürnberg | 292 m (958 ft) | 1977 | Concrete | Germany |
Nuremberg | |
| 50 | Olympiaturm | 289.5 m (950 ft) | 1968 | Munich | |||
| 51 | Telemax | 282.2 m (926 ft) | 1992 | Hannover | |||
| 52 | Shijiazhuang TV Tower[10] | 280 m (920 ft) | 1998 | Lattice Tower | China |
Shijiazhuang | |
| 53 | Heinrich-Hertz-Turm | 279.7 m (918 ft) | 1968 | Concrete | Germany |
Hamburg | |
| 54 | Central Plains Pearl TV Tower[11][12] | 278 m (912 ft) | 1998 | Steel | China |
Luoyang | |
| 56 | Georgia Tbilisi TV Broadcasting Tower | 274.5 m (901 ft) | 1972 |  Georgia |
Tbilisi | ||
| 57 | Hillbrow Tower | 269 m (883 ft) | 1971 | Concrete |  South Africa |
Johannesburg | Tallest in Africa |
| 58 | Kaifeng TV Tower | 268 m (879 ft) | 1995 | China |
Kaifeng | ||
| 59 | Colonius | 266 m (873 ft) | 1981 | Germany |
Cologne | ||
| 60 | Minaret of Djamaa el Djazaïr | 265 m (869 ft) | 2019 |  Algeria |
Algiers | ||
| 61 | Novorossiysk TV Tower | 261.5 m (858 ft) | 1996 | Russia |
Novorossiysk | ||
| 62 | Daqing Radio and Television Tower | 260 m (850 ft) | 1989 | Lattice tower | China |
Daqing | |
| 63= | Moscow Octod Tower | 258 m (846 ft) | 2006 | Steel | Russia |
Moscow | Beltless gridshell made of hot-rolled pipes. |
| 63= | Olympic Park Observation Tower | 258 m (846 ft) | 2014 | China |
Beijing | ||
| 64 | Endem TV Tower | 257 m (843 ft) | 2008 | Concrete | Turkey |
Istanbul | |
| 66 | Fernmeldeturm Kühkopf | 255 m (837 ft) | 1976 | Concrete | Germany |
Koblenz | |
| 67= | Donauturm | 252 m (827 ft) | 1964 |  Austria |
Vienna | ||
| 67= | Fernsehturm Dresden-Wachwitz | 252 m (827 ft) | 1969 | Germany |
Dresden |
|
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources. |
Please read the list criteria in the introduction before adding any entry.
|
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources. |
Please read the list criteria in the introduction before adding any entry.
|
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources. |
Please read the list criteria in the introduction before adding any entry.
| Tower | Pinnacle height | Year | Country | City | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapporo TV Tower | 147.2 m | 1957 | Japan
|
Sapporo | |
| Dobrich TV Tower | 146 m | 1979 |  Bulgaria
|
Dobrich | |
| Pasilan linkkitorni | 1983 |  Finland
|
Helsinki | ||
| Fallturm Bremen | 1990 | Germany
|
Bremen | ||
| Vasco da Gama Tower | 145 m | 1998 |  Portugal
|
Lisbon | |
| Strasbourg Cathedral | 144 m | 1176–1439 | France
|
Strasbourg | |
| TVRI Tower | 1982 |  Indonesia
|
Jakarta | ||
| Nozema Tower Wormer | 1968 |  Netherlands
|
Wormer | ||
| Zigong TV Tower | 143.6 m | 1988 | China
|
Zigong | |
| Akita Port Tower Selion | 1994 | Japan
|
Akita | ||
| Heubach Telecommunication Tower | 142.8 m | 1965 | Germany
|
Heubach | |
| Jakobsberg Telecommunication Tower | 142 m | 1978 | Germany
|
Porta Westfalica-Jakobsberg | |
| Monte Mario Tower | 140 m | ? |  Italy
|
Rome | |
| Nozema Zendstation | 139.5 m | 1957 | Netherlands
|
Mierlo | |
| MAHA Tower Langkawi | 138 m | 2021 | Malaysia
|
Langkawi | The tallest structure on the island of Langkawi. |
| Twin Arch 138 | 1995 | Japan
|
Ichinomiya | ||
| Goes TV Tower | 137 m | 1957 | Netherlands
|
Goes | Also known as Nozema TV Tower Goes. Between 1957 and 2007 153 m tall. |
| Hohenstadt Transmission Tower | ? | Germany
|
Hohenstadt | ||
| Monas | 1975 | Indonesia
|
Jakarta | ||
| Higashiyama Sky Tower | 134 m | 1989 | Japan
|
Nagoya | |
| Radio City Tower | 1969 | United Kingdom
|
Liverpool | ||
| KLIA2 Control Tower | 133.8 m | 2013 | Malaysia
|
Kuala Lumpur | Tallest air-traffic control tower in the world[27] |
| Mulleklenkes | 133 m | 1984 | Germany
|
Aachen | Radio-DVB-T Transmission Tower de:Mulleklenkes |
| Nozema Zendstation The Hague | 1965 | Netherlands
|
The Hague | ||
| BKK Control Tower | 132.2 m | 2006 |  Thailand
|
Bang Phli | Second-tallest air-traffic control tower in the world |
| TV-toren Ittervoort | ? | 1989 | Netherlands
|
Ittervoort | [28] |
| Kyoto Tower | 131 m | 1964 | Japan
|
Kyoto | |
| 1000 Islands SkyDeck | 130 m | 1965 | Canada
|
Hill Island, Ontario | |
| TV Tower Nordhelle | 1984 | Germany
|
Nordhelle | ||
| Telecommunication tower Großerlach | 1985 | Großerlach | |||
| Zendstation Loon op Zand | 1986 | Netherlands
|
Loon op Zand | ||
| KUL Control Tower | 1998 | Malaysia
|
Kuala-Lumpur | ||
| Independence Monument | 128 m |  Turkmenistan
|
Ashgabat | [29] | |
| Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń | 128 m | 2004 |  Poland
|
Licheń | |
| Express Lift Tower | 127.45 m | 1980–82 | United Kingdom
|
Northampton | |
| Torre Entel | 127.4 m | 1974 |  Chile
|
Santiago | |
| Glasgow Tower | 127 m | 2001 | United Kingdom
|
Glasgow | |
| Aliant Tower | 127 m | 1971 | Canada
|
Moncton | |
| Dreamworld Tower | 126.5m | 1997 | Australia
|
Dreamworld, Coomera | |
| Sender Inselsberg | 126 m | 1974 | Germany
|
Inselsberg Mountain | Was 43.31 when constructed in 1939 |
| Global Tower | 125 m | 1995 | Japan
|
Beppu | |
| FMT 6 - Brackenheim | ? | Germany
|
Brackenheim | ||
| Chiba Port Tower | 1986 | Japan
|
Chiba | ||
| Atakule Tower | 1989 | Turkey
|
Ankara | ||
| Riga Radio Station | ? | Latvia
|
Riga | ||
| Gatlinburg Space Needle | 124 m | 1970 | United States
|
Gatlinburg | |
| Tyholttårnet | 1985 |  Norway
|
Trondheim | ||
| Banharn-Jamsai Tower | 123.25 m | 1994 | Thailand
|
Suphan Buri | |
| Salisbury Cathedral | 123 m | 1220–1320 | United Kingdom
|
Salisbury | |
| Mont Pèlerin TV Tower | 122.6 m | 1974 |  Switzerland
|
Mont Pèlerin | |
| Pääskyvuoren linkkitorni | 122 m | 1964 | Finland
|
Turku | |
| Ginosa Water Tower | ? | Italy
|
Ginosa | ||
| Zendstation Megen | 121 m | 1980 | Netherlands
|
Megen | |
| Fernmeldeturm Duisburg | Germany
|
Duisburg | |||
| Busan Tower | 120 m | 1973 |  South Korea
|
Busan | |
| Gibloux Radio Tower | 118.7 m | ? | Switzerland
|
Sorens | |
| Crossland Tower | 118 m | 1994 | Japan
|
Oyabe, Toyama | |
| Silistra TV Tower | 117 m | 1979 | Bulgaria
|
Silistra | |
| Lisebergstornet | 116.1 m | 1990 |  Sweden
|
Göteborg | |
| Observation tower of la Cité de l'Énergie | 115 m | ? | Canada
|
Shawinigan, Quebec | |
| Bernauer Birzel | 115 m | ? | Germany
|
Bernau | |
| ArcelorMittal Orbit | 114.001 m | 2012 | United Kingdom
|
London | [30] |
| Torrazzo of Cremona | 112.7 m | 1309 | Italy
|
Cremona | |
| Domtoren | 112.5 m | 1328 | Netherlands
|
Utrecht | Free-standing medieval church tower, see also list of tallest churches |
| Bytków TV Tower | 110 m | ? | Poland
|
Siemianowice Śląskie | |
| Tiger Sky Tower | 2004 |  Singapore
|
Sentosa Island | ||
| Taming Sari Tower | 2008 | Malaysia
|
Melaka | First gyro tower in Malaysia, also the tallest gyro tower in Malaysia. | |
| Exelberg Telecommunication Tower | 109 m | Austria
|
Vienna | ||
| Torre Branca | 108.6 m | 1933 | Italy
|
Milan | |
| Casino Tower | 108.2 m | 1964 | Canada
|
Niagara Falls | [31] |
| Kobe Port Tower | 108 m | 1963 | Japan
|
Kobe | |
| Tour Hertzienne TDF de Romainville | 108 m | 1984 | France
|
Paris-Romainville | Also known as Tour Relais TDF |
| Goryokaku Tower | 107 m | 2006 | Japan
|
Hakodate | |
| Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial | 1915 | United States
|
Put-in-Bay, Ohio | World's most massive Doric column; fourth-tallest memorial in the U.S. | |
| Torre Jaume I | 1931 |  Spain
|
Barcelona | Connected with Torre Sant Sebastia by Port Vell Aerial Tramway | |
| Bremerhaven Radar Tower | 106.1 m | 1965 | Germany
|
Bremerhaven | |
| Yokohama Marine Tower | 106 m | 1961 | Japan
|
Yokohama | |
| Borisova Gradina TV Tower | 1959 | Bulgaria
|
Sofia | ||
| Baiterek | 105 m | 2002 | Kazakhstan
|
Nur-Sultan | [32] |
| Tsutenkaku | 103 m | 1956 | Japan
|
Osaka | |
| Scream | 1992 | Germany
|
Soltau - Heidepark | Gyro-Drop Tower | |
| Total Tower | 102.4 m | 1994 | United States
|
Denver | |
| Atomium | 102 m | 1958 | Belgium
|
Brussels | [33] |
| Roi Et Observation Tower | 101 m | 2020 | Thailand
|
Roi Et | |
| Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower | ~100 m | 1908 | United Kingdom
|
Birmingham, England | |
| Beppu Tower | 1957 | Japan
|
Beppu | ||
| Hakata Port Tower | 1964 | Japan
|
Fukuoka | ||
| Ještěd TV Tower | 1968 |  Czech Republic
|
Jested | ||
| Hokkaido Centennial Monument | 1970 | Japan
|
Sapporo | ||
| Bazita Peak TV Tower | 1975 |  Hungary
|
Zalaegerszeg | ||
| Holstein Tower | 1988 | Germany
|
Sierksdorf | Additionally guyed Gyro-Tower | |
| Faro de Moncloa | 1992 | Spain
|
Madrid |
This is a list of towers that are proposed or under construction with a minimum height of 250m
| Tower |
Year |
Country |
City |
Pinnacle height |
Status |
Function |
Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Creek Tower | ? |  United Arab Emirates |
Dubai | 828+ m | on-hold | observation | [34] |
| Hanoi Broadcast Tower | ? |  Vietnam |
Hanoi | 636 m | vision | observation / telecommunications | [35] |
| Huanghe Landmark Tower | ? | China |
Lanzhou | 588 m | proposed | observation / telecommunications | [36] |
| The Constellation | ? |  Qatar |
Doha | 500 m | vision | observation | |
| Icon Siam Tower | ? | Thailand |
Bangkok | 459 m | proposed | observation / telecommunications | [37] |
| Tower Infinity | ? | South Korea |
Incheon | 448 m | under construction | observation | [38] |
| Holy Mosque Twin Minarets | ? |  Saudi Arabia |
Mecca | 420 m | under construction | religious | [39] |
| Vodno Telecommunication Tower | 2024 |  North Macedonia |
Skopje | 155 m | under construction | observation / telecommunications | [40] |
| Malacca Tower | ? | Malaysia |
Malacca City | 135 m | proposed | observation / telecommunications |
| From | To | Tower | Country | City | Pinnacle height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 280 BC | 1180 AD | Pharos Lighthouse |  Egypt |
Alexandria | 122 m (400 ft) |
| 1180 | 1240 | Malmesbury Abbey Tower | United Kingdom |
Malmesbury | 131.3 m (431 ft) |
| 1240 | 1311 | Tower of Old St Paul's Cathedral | London | 150 m (490 ft) | |
| 1311 | 1549 | Tower of Lincoln Cathedral | Lincoln | 159.7 m (524 ft) | |
| 1549 | 1647 | Tower of St Mary's Church | Germany |
Stralsund | 151 m (495 ft) |
| 1647 | 1874 | Tower of Strasbourg Cathedral | France |
Strasbourg | 142 m (466 ft) |
| 1874 | 1876 | Tower of St. Nikolai | Germany |
Hamburg | 147 m (482 ft) |
| 1876 | 1880 | Tower of Rouen Cathedral | France |
Rouen | 151 m (495 ft) |
| 1880 | 1884 | Tower of Cologne Cathedral | Germany |
Cologne | 157.38 m (516.3 ft) |
| 1884 | 1889 | Washington Monument | United States |
Washington, DC | 169.3 m (555 ft) |
| 1889 | 1956 | Eiffel Tower | France |
Paris | 312.27 m (1,024.5 ft) |
| 1956 | 1957 | KCTV Broadcast Tower | United States |
Kansas City | 318 m (1,043 ft) |
| 1957 | 1958 | Eiffel Tower | France |
Paris | 320.75 m (1,052.3 ft) |
| 1958 | 1967 | Tokyo Tower | Japan |
Tokyo | 332.6 m (1,091 ft) |
| 1967 | 1975 | Ostankino Tower | Russia |
Moscow | 540.1 m (1,772 ft) |
| 1975 | 2009 | CN Tower | Canada |
Toronto | 553.33 m (1,815.4 ft) |
| 2009 | 2011 | Canton Tower | China |
Guangzhou | 604 m (1,982 ft) |
| 2011 | present | Tokyo Skytree | Japan |
Tokyo | 634 m (2,080 ft) |
