Top 25 Skylines in North America 2023 

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FYI you have someone spoofing your account in the comments.

Your ranking still seems solid. No hate for LA and it's skyline but it's just unfortunate

Fight!! Lol

Maybe they're mad since u didn't mention the skyline of yellowknife in Canada....😜

I moved to West MI last year but finally went to Detroit last weekend for a show at the Fillmore. Such a great town. Loved the architecture and truly was surprised by just how pretty the skyline was. Hopped across the river to Windsor for a few hours. Got some great shots. Can't wait to go back.

I've only been in Texas a few years, and live outside SA, but that's one thing I've LOVED about Texas...the 'big small town' feel of San Antonio. Nice to hear Austin has kept that, as well.

@@deegee424 No it hasn’t. Austin is busy now. What I meant was there was no big skyline view coming in on 71. 71 wasn’t freeway in Austin when I was in high school. It’s definitely changed.

That rounded top building in Denver used to be the United Bank tower. I'm not sure what it is these days. I remember shortly after it was built, one of the local news commentators referred to it as a Giant Remington Razor.

Monterrey Mexico Many tall buildings in adjoining city San Pedro Garza Garcia

Chicago's my favorite too. I wanna visit the city so badly and it doesn't help that many great 80s movies were shot there.

@@stevepalmberg5905 I'd actually be really interested visiting Monterrey. Does it feel very American, or more like Mexico City?

@@theaveragejoe5781 our USA based company has an office here Very USA like, less historical sites vs. Mexico City More taller buildings Closer to border too so more like Houston for example Nice mountains surrounding Very American feel chain wise..

@@stevepalmberg5905 thanks. Maybe I include it in a visit to texas then

I hear a lot of people talking about that tunnel and would love to experience that view someday

100% a few years ago I did it for the first time and I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I love it.

In Seattle driving n on I5 you crest a rise then see the whole city at once. It’s great.

Cincinnati has the “Cut in the Hill”. You drive on I-71/75, and after the bend the skyline appears… As dramatic as that is, Pittsburgh’s is an immediate impact from driving through a tunnel and then being in downtown once you clear through it

I was going to comment the same exact thing!!!

Yeah, it is impressive but hard to beat Pensacola's skyline which is only a two hour drive westward.

@@MikeNaples Uh I think he meant Panama City in Panama, not the one in Florida lol

I've heard the same thing!

Just looked it up, it is impressive. Definitely a top 10.

I live in Chicago and spend several weeks per year in New York - my take is that New York's may be more impressive and insane of scale, but I believe that Chicago's is more picturesque. New York's newest developments are kinda disjointed and the narrow skyscrapers near Central Park in particular have really messed up the aesthetic. Still beautiful, but more in parts than as a whole sort of work of art

Hah nothing beats the star wars esque centrality of the new world trade center. Some of the new supertalls are great, like the one in downtown Brooklyn. Rockerfeller center and the christmas tree, all the buildings on the park are picturesque, and it's very easy to orient yourself from the buildings in NYC, unlike chicago and the cluster.

I grew up in Manhattan and I hate those weird skinny buildings. Can’t wait to visit Chicago. You guys win the prettiest city skyline. The density and height is unmatched.

There's so many people that like Chicago's skyline better, but I'll personally never understand how NY can't be everyone's clear cut favorite. It's just on another level in my mind.

@@C-mac_in_the_6ix NYC is borderline "too much of a good thing"

Hong Kong is my No. 1. Just too cool.

But Toronto's Royal York gives them a run for their money and the symmetry of Toronto's skyline seems to work better . Close either way

I agree that Chicago's art deco collection on the Chicago river is gorgeous & unrivalled. It's a shame that a lot of Toronto's planned art deco projects like Vimy Circle and Eatons College Park were cancelled due to the 1929 stock market crash. Although Toronto has a much higher overall volume high-rises and skyscrapers with multiple suburban skylines, similar to an Asian city. So I'd give Toronto the edge for night-time and Chicago the edge for daytime.

@@thunderbird4709 Right now Chicago's is better then Toronto, but in as little as 2 or 3 years I would say it's a push, and between 5 and 10 years Toronto will 100% pass it as there's no end in site for construction boom in Toronto. There's currently 6 supertalls under construction in Toronto, and so many more big proposals there's to many to count.

@@C-mac_in_the_6ix Chicago has a mega project going on and they never quit building buildings. Chicago just keeps getting better and better

@@montanaman2439 Not even remotely close to what's going in Toronto. Even Kyle in the video obviously does his research cause listen to what he says when he list Toronto.

Exactly what I thought about ATL. The view when topping the hill on I-20, west of the city is spectacular. The architecture is quite diverse and interesting, as well.

NYC was built by Chicago architects. Then ya look and notice some of the skyline is in Jersey City and Queens .......CHICAGO IS ALL CHICAGO!!! And that thing in Dubai was supposed to be in Chicago but Daley turned it down.

I disagree. I think the sheer number of skyscrapers built over the years in Manhattan ruined NYC’s skyline, it looks like a clusterfuck created by the power-hungry. Chicago’s skyline is visually stunning like it was intentionally planned.

I agree.

Agreed. And Detroit's development has been around missing middle developments and knocking old buildings downs so i don't think the skyline is going to change soon

​@@tomrogue13 Detroit's skyline is already changing. #1) The _HUDSON'S DETROIT_ complex (which is going to be Michigan's 2nd tallest skyscraper... and new home of the General Motors Headquarters). #2) The _GORDIE HOWE BRIDGE_ (still under construction) over the Detroit River, connecting Motown to Windsor, Ontario, Canada... said to be open to the public later next year.

Boston is better from the Harbor...I love Boston from the water

If you're going to visit between April and October, check out Pittsburgh Tour Company, which offers a double-decker bus tour with 21 stops.

I visited Pittsburgh in the summer of 2008 for a friend's wedding. It is a wonderful city, very underrated.

There are labeled streets that are actually just staircases.

@@sluggo0202 Don’t…don’t fucking do this. We all hate you sad jags on the tour busses. Be a normal tourist.

@@tac185 🤣🤣🤣thank u

Agreed, maybe it's bias from living in the Cities, but the view of the MPLS skyline as you're crossing the Mississippi (especially if you can see Stone Arch Bridge) is phenomenal. And even St Paul has its moments -- to anyone unaware, try going down Warner / Great River Rd from the East towards downtown. At night, when the capitol building is lit up, it's actually quite nice.

Love 35W northbound of Minneapolis skyline Scene in Fargo I394 east bound can tell MPLS skyline is spreading out

Check out Crosstown 62 from Mendota Heights toward Ft Snelling westbound... The view from the bridge, of both downtowns and the river valley is my favorite.

He put Minneapolis too low in my opinion. The Minneapolis skyline is more aesthetically pleasing than a lot of the ones higher on the list.

@BasedEngineer I love the IDSTower. I worked for them. We had a training center in Chaska. I always loved flying in from Pittsburgh, and I stayed a week, did my work and flew home a week later. I always had dinner Friday night at Capitol Grille. I also loved Manny's. Great memories from a wonderful and lively city. There was a brewery downtown, Gleucks. Great food and great beer. Remember Grain Belt beer? Parties on Nicollette Island were always fun. Great memories.

Just to add that next to the residential high rise at JLA they recently made a deal for 600-800 room hotel. For reference the Westin Book Cadillac is ~450 rooms at ~350 ft.

I’m partial to Midwest geography and urbanism - and fully agree with your take here.

Vancouver isn't clean

Ur city’s skyline blows vancouvers out the water imo

Love our sister city Seattle too ❤

@@tomc2491how?

Thank you!

That’s Central America

Central America is part of North America.

But its central america really its own continent? No. Its part of north america, north of the equator. A lot more so than part of south america, although the

@@devinmathews7809 well for Americans North America is only Mexico Canada and USA

Since North and South America are really one continent, I've always personally considered North America to be the "big three" and Central America the "little seven". Also interesting is that the Canal kinda creates a manmade continental split and Panama City is on the South American side of the canal. But either way it does have a really nice skyline

jersey city isnt new york guy

Even more than that, NYC Rezoned for transit oriented development. L.I.C. used to be just the Citi tower but in just 10 years the skyline came out of nowhere. NYC has so many clusters of skylines, Lower Manhattan, Midtown, Long Island city, Jamaica, downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg, flushing, south Bronx and many more sprinkled in like near Forest Hills, Rego park, and so many more, not to mention across the river in NJ there is Jersey City, Hoboken and Fort Lee which all contributed to the metro's skyline. NYC is a city of cities

@@aidenknox158 no but i get what he’s saying, they are in very close proximity to each other and a lot of people in Jersey City work in NYC. Jersey City is technically a part of the NYC metro area too

Liberty State Park is the perfect place to see all of Manhattan, as well as Jersey City and Brooklyn's skyline all at once

@@aidenknox158 Jersey City is closer to midtown Manhattan (core of the metro area) than many other locations within NYC. The boundaries are meaningless. In addition, there are many people who live in Jersey City that just say they live in NYC.

Yeah but this is the Skylines. So silhouettes from afar, ect.

When I was in Niagara Falls in 2012, I was very impressed at how much the skyline had grown relative to what it had been when I had last visited in 1993.

There's so many new skyscrapers going up in DT that you can't even see it anymore from half the places downtown. It's blocked out by skyscrapers in front of it.

Yes it is! Never gets old!

You need to get a view of the Cleveland skyline. Best of Ohio

Yeah I'm not too happy about that either. I tried to get images as new as possible but I'm limited as to what I can use permission-wise and the image quality for many isn't very good.

@@GeographyKing Just thinking, if you want, I can drive up to some decent vantage point (it's not really that far from home) and snap a few pictures for your use. I don't see any need for compensation - you could use the pictures as your own. I mean, the video is already out, but maybe if there's some future video, then it could work for you. Haha, I can send you a picture of Chattanooga that I took a few years back when I was passing through.

I think you're more qualified for the topic. Plus I'm a cheapskate and skimp on paying for good images

@@GeographyKing haha well I don't know about that but there are a few differences between our rankings. I may have been over thinking it though.

Yet weston is extremely ugly? Absolutely nothing special about atlantas skyline

I agree that Atlanta has a beautiful skyline and is one of the greenest cities with so many trees! Of course I’m somewhat biased because I live in the metro area, but I do realize that sometimes it’s not included in these lists because some people consider it too “spread out “ and not compact enough.

But Houston has mostly boxy looking, uninspired buildings. It's big but very generic in appearance.

@@markrichards6863 that’s your opinion. Nothing boxy about it. I think you have us confused with LA ☕️

@@AliciaTheTroonSlayer No, I've been to Houston. Your skyline is spread out, large but mostly nondescript. I don't think Houston has any unique and iconic structures that stand out. Your buildings all look like buildings somewhere else. I don't care for Houston. It's spread out. unwalkable, and the weather is horrible. You need a more dense downtown with a means to walk from place to place that's safe from the bad weather, like Minneapolis or Montreal. I think it would benefit people of Houston to have a walkable downtown. The obesity rate in Houston is through the roof.

​@@AliciaTheTroonSlayer Detroit, Motown here... Hey, Houston is just fine.

@@YesIagreeBut Thank you. Our downtown has transformed a lot, ignore the commenter above who is obsessed with the 80’s Houston. I hear downtown Detroit is also on the come up! Good luck my northern friend

I like the Milwaukee skyline, especially some of the older buildings, but it's not quite ready for this list.

You've been to Toronto?

Yeah I thought it was interesting that you thought of Toronto as well.

No, I have to disagree. The number to 50+ story buildings in Manhattan is almost off the charts. Plus NYC has the two tallest buildings in the United States, now that Central Park Tower is completed.

Disagree. NYC is better. Chicagos has the looked the same forever, NY is constantly growing.. sure it’s cluttered but that’s what growth does to it.

Denver's Elitch Gardens amusement park would rank pretty high on that list. It's right on the edge of Downtown Denver, so it would get double points.

While I personally would still put NYC first, it’s definitely much easier to appreciate the architecture in Chicago because it has a unique combo of a high demand for skyscrapers but also plenty of land to build on so you don’t get quite the same “dark canyon” effect as Manhattan.

Absolutely agree. Maybe when the twin towers were still there and the ESB was unhindered by these skinny high rises all over, it had presence. Now, it's meh. Chicago will be my #1 choice for awhile. You just can't ignore the fact some of these cities are on the edge of of bodies of water that add to it. NYC is, too. But you never get a good look at the entire skyline from the water. Chicago, Toronto and Seattle just rule.

Well, actually you are wrong on one very important point. Manhattan is an island, has great places to view it, all the way around, from NJ, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx. And it just goes on and on, the only break being around Greenwich Village, Chelsea, East Village, because the ground won't support super tall buildings. I would have put Jersey City on the list too. It's skyline is very modern and impressive, but being directly across from lower Manhattan makes it seem less impressive. And in Chicago to fully appreciate the view, you have to get on at sightseeing boat. In NYC there are vantage points on shorelines across from Manhattan all the way around. It's not even a close competition.

@@markrichards6863 no, it doesn't. Not to see the entire skyline from beginning to end. Maybe over on the Throgs Neck. Even them, you're a distance away. NYC is so huge, you don't get a great vantage point in any one spot. Sure, I've been over at the Atlantic Highlands in NJ and got a great view. But I can't see midtown much. Chicagoland is flat. And if you're on the lake, it's so impressive. Same for the other cities I mentioned. If you're on a plane, maybe then you'll get to appreciate the NYC skyline. Otherwise, no.

I live on the NJ side of the Hudson River. From my windows, I can see from the Verazanno Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Jersey City Lower Manhattan and all the way up the river into Midtown and beyond. So, you are quite wrong. From Atlantic Highlands the view is quite distant, we go to Sandy Hook. You can see the taller buildings of Midtown, but Downtown is in the foreground. There are plenty of elevated spots in Queens and Brooklyn, where you get a great view of the city. I used to like to take visitors to a local Cemetery in Brooklyn for a panorama of the city when I lived over there. But I also have friends in high rises is Queens and Brooklyn that have killer views. Iike the view from my vantage point, really enjoy whe cruise ships are going up and down the Hudson. NYC has 4 or 5 times more tall buildings than Chicago. You'd have to go to Hong Kong to find something more impressive than NYC. And there is a lot more high rise construction going on now here than in Chicago. NYC is still growing. Chicago is losing population.

In my personal opinion, San Antonio is a much cooler city than its skyline would suggest. Downtown San Antonio looks like it could have been lifted out of an old Soviet bloc country and transplanted to Texas.

Birmingham, when viewed from the Vulcan statue, is really quite impressive for a small city. If they would add some interesting lighting to some of the buildings, I think it would make it even more photogenic. The mix of historic and relatively new architecture is very attractive, as well. Thanks for paying homage to my former hometown.

Georgia

It's a top 5 city in the US. The others can't say that. Buckhead, midtown and downtown Atlanta is undefeated together.

Thank you. But most of the images were stock photos and not mine.

@@GeographyKing right. but even so, I enjoyed viewing them. The video is a great overview of what these cities look like from a distance where you can see the entire skyline. Nice to have your personal preferences and opinions about these cities as well.

Chigago skyline is better...more spread out you can take it all in easier

I agree St. Louis could’ve made at least number 25 over Detroit. I live in IL across the river and hike the bluffs. On a clear day you can see the skyline..the arch looks like a shiny coin on the horizon. It’s pretty neat!

I hear you on St. Louis but I didn't include it because I felt it really comes down to the Arch. Without it I think the skyline is a little underwhelming considering the history of the city's importance. But it's all just my opinion and I can see people viewing St Louis downtown as more impressive

@@GeographyKing thanks for the explanation I was really wondering your reasoning

@@WayneHigh1500 my friend used to live on one of those big bluffs in Caseyville and had a wonderful few of the skyline even that far away. I know exactly what you mean

@@GeographyKing that’s a fair assessment. The arch and the Cardinals are about the only things that keep us relevant lol

I do have a soft spot for one-building skylines.