List of tallest buildings in San Diego

San Diego, a major coastal city in Southern California, has many tall buildings, especially in its central business district. Over 40 of its buildings rise higher than 300 feet (91 m), making it the third city in California for tall buildings, after San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In the 1970s, the Federal Aviation Administration set a height limit of 500 feet (152 m) for buildings within a certain distance from San Diego International Airport. Because of this, Downtown San Diego has no buildings taller than 500 feet, and only three buildings are taller than 492 feet (150 m). The tallest building in the city is the 34-story One America Plaza, finished in 1991, standing at 500 feet (152 m) tall.

San Diego's first tall building was the U.S. Grant Hotel in 1910. It was the city's tallest for 17 years. In 1927, the El Cortez Hotel became taller at 310 feet (94 m). In 1969, 530 B Street became the tallest at 388 feet (118 m). The 1980s and early 1990s saw more tall buildings, like Symphony Towers and One America Plaza. Since 2000, many new tall buildings have been built, especially homes.

History

After the Cortez Hotel was built in 1927, it stayed the tallest building in San Diego for 36 years. Then, in 1963, the Executive Complex became taller.

In the 1970s, rules were made to keep buildings in the downtown area no taller than 500 feet. This was because of the nearby San Diego International Airport. Because of this rule, many buildings in San Diego are about the same height, making the city's skyline look quite flat compared to other big cities.

In the late 1990s and 2000s, many new tall buildings were built, especially homes. These buildings brought new designs and styles to the city. This time also saw efforts to renew and improve the downtown area to welcome more people living in the city.

As of January 2026, there are 10 new buildings being planned, approved, or built that will soon join the tallest buildings in San Diego.

Cityscape

Downtown San Diego skyline in 2009, looking eastwards towards the northern part of the Embarcadero.

Map of tallest buildings

The map below shows where the buildings taller than 300 feet (61 m) are in San Diego. Each marker has a number showing how tall the building is and is colored by the decade it was finished.

Tallest buildings

This list shows the tallest buildings in San Diego that are at least 300 feet (91 m) tall as of 2026. The heights include spires and architectural details, but not antenna masts. The list also shows the year each building was completed. Some buildings were the tallest in San Diego when they were first built.

Tallest under construction or proposed

Under construction

This section shows buildings in San Diego that are currently being built and are expected to be at least 300 feet (91 meters) tall by 2026. The "year" column tells us when the building is expected to be finished.

Proposed

This section lists buildings in San Diego that are planned but not yet being built. These buildings are expected to be taller than 300 feet (91 meters). A dash "–" means that some details about the building are not known or have not been shared yet.

Timeline of tallest buildings

These are the buildings that have been the tallest in San Diego at different times.