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List of tallest buildings in Iowa facts for kids

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Des Moines skyline
Skyline of Des Moines

This list of tallest buildings in Iowa ranks skyscrapers in the US state of Iowa by height for existing and proposed structures.

Tallest buildings

Rank Name Image Height

ft (m)

Floors Year City Notes
1 801 Grand (previously The Principal Building) 801 Grand, since 1991 the tallest building in Des Moines and Iowa 630 (192) 45 1991 Des Moines Office
2 Ruan Center Ruan Center, from 1975 until 1991 the tallest building in Des Moines 460 (140) 36 1975 Des Moines Office
3 Des Moines Marriott Hotel Des Moines Marriott Hotel 365 (111) 33 1981 Des Moines Hotel
4 Financial Center Financial Center, from 1973 until 1975 the tallest building in Des Moines 345 (105) 25 1973 Des Moines Office
5 Plaza Building The Plaza Building 340 (104) 25 1985 Des Moines Residential
T6 HUB Tower HUB Tower 325 (99) 25 1986 Des Moines Office
T6 EMC Insurance Building EMC Insurance Building 325 (99) 19 1997 Des Moines Office
8 Equitable Building The Equitable Building, from 1924 until 1973 the tallest building in Des Moines 318 (97) 19 1924 Des Moines Residential
9 Alliant Tower Alliant Tower 01.jpg 285 (87) 21 1972 Cedar Rapids Office - Tallest building outside of Des Moines
10 Iowa State Capitol Iowa State Capitol - panoramio.jpg 275 (84) 4 1884 Des Moines Government
11 CenturyLink Complex CenturyLink Complex 01.jpg 273 (83) 15 1928 Des Moines Office
12 Davenport Bank and Trust Davenport Bank and Trust 02.jpg 255 (77) 19 1927 Davenport Office/Residential - Tallest Building outside of Des Moines and Cedar Rapids
13 Register and Tribune Building 715LocustDesMoines.jpg 243 (74) 14 1916 Des Moines Office
14 Cedar River Tower Cedar River Tower.jpg 237 (72) 25 1974 Cedar Rapids Residential/Office
15 MidAmerican Building Mid-American Energy Bldg, Davenport, Iowa.jpg 220 (67) 15 1995 Davenport Office
16 Plaza 425 Plaza 425.jpg 207 (63) 14 1983 Cedar Rapids Office
17 Dubuque County Courthouse Dubuque County Courthouse.jpg 205 (62) 5 1893 Dubuque Government
18 The Chauncey Chauncey Building Iowa City 191 (58) 15 2019 Iowa City Hotel/Residential
19T Des Moines Building The Des Moines Building.jpeg 190 (58) 14 1930 Des Moines Office/Residential
19T Quaker Oats Plant Quaker Oats, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (64587).jpg 190 (58) 13 1927 Cedar Rapids Industrial
21 OpenLoop Tower (previously Bank of America Building) Bank of America Building - Des Moines.jpg 186 (57) 14 1966 Des Moines Office
22 Two Ruan Center Two Ruan Center - Des Moines.jpg 185 (56) 14 1982 Des Moines Office
23 CRST Tower CRST Center.jpg 180 (54) 11 2017 Cedar Rapids Office
24 Veterans Memorial Building Cedar Rapids City Hall.jpg 175 (53) 10 1927 Cedar Rapids Government
25T Liberty Building Liberty Building (Des Moines).jpg 174 (53) 12 1923 Des Moines Mixed Use
25T Fleming Building Fleming Building - Des Moines.jpg 174 (53) 11 1909 Des Moines Office
27T Hippee Building Hippee Building - Des Moines, Iowa.jpg 172 (52) 12 1913 Des Moines Office
27T Davis Brown Tower Davis Brown Tower.jpg 172 (52) 13 2008 Des Moines Office
29 Badgerow Building Badgerow Bldg from NE 2.JPG 169 (52) 12 1933 Sioux City Office
30 US Bank Building U.S. Bank building Cedar Rapids - panoramio.jpg 166 (50) 12 1926 Cedar Rapids Office
31 Polk County Courthouse Polk County Courthouse; Des Moines, Iowa; July 2, 2013.JPG 160 (48) 4 1906 Des Moines Government
32 Hubbell Building Hubbell Building.jpg 150 (45) 10 1913 Des Moines Residential

Note: Churches have been omitted from this list.

Tallest buildings: Site Prep or Under Construction

Name Picture Height Floors Year City
The Fifth 466 40 Unknown Des Moines
515 Walnut 359 33 Unknown Des Moines

Timeline of Tallest Buildings

Years as Tallest Name Height

ft (m)

Floors
1884–1924 Iowa State Capitol 275 (84) n/a
1924–1973 Equitable Building 318 (97) 19
1973–1975 Financial Center 345 (105) 25
1975–1991 Ruan Center 460 (140) 36
1991–Present 801 Grand 630 (192) 45

Tall buildings prior to 1884

Ladies college 1856
Ladies' College Building, Davenport, 1856, later Mount Ida Female College.
Mount ida 1858
Mount Ida Female College in 1858, after dome was added.

There does not seem to have been any effort to document the tallest building in Iowa prior to the construction of the State Capitol in 1884. This list shows buildings which may have been the tallest in Iowa prior to 1884, excluding church steeples.

Years as Tallest Name Height

ft (m)

Floors
1840–1856 Old Capitol, Iowa City 114 (35) n/a
1856–1884 Shot Tower, Dubuque 120 (37) 10

Other early tall building include:

  • Mount Ida Female College, Davenport, 1856. First four-story dwelling, later had a high dome placed on top, may have rivaled Old Capitol in height.
  • Fort Madison, 1808, probably the first two-story buildings in what would become Iowa.
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