List of tallest buildings in Louisville

Skyline of Louisville
Downtown Louisville in 2005
Tallest building400 West Market (1992)
Tallest building height549 ft (167.3 m)
First 150 m+ buildingPNC Tower (1972)
Number of tall buildings (2026)
Taller than 100 m (328 ft)10
Taller than 150 m (492 ft)2
Number of tall buildings — feet
Taller than 200 ft (61.0 m)25
Taller than 300 ft (91.4 m)12

Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, with a metropolitan area population of over 1.3 million. Louisville is home to 25 buildings that stand over 200 feet (61 m) tall as of 2026, 12 of which exceed 300 feet (91 m) in height. Two skyscrapers reach a height of 492 ft (150 m), the most in Kentucky and the second most of any city in the East South Central states, after Nashville. The tallest building in Louisville and in Kentucky is 400 West Market, which was built in 1992 and is 549 ft (167.3 m) tall. The skyscraper is known for its 80-foot (24 m) high Romanesque dome. The second tallest building in Louisville is PNC Tower, which was formerly the city's tallest building from 1972 to 1992.

The ten-story Columbia Building, built in 1890, is considered to be the city's first skyscraper.[1][2] The 236 ft (72 m), 19-story Kentucky Home Life Building became the tallest building in Louisville when it was completed in 1912, and it was surpassed by the 250 ft (76 m) Heyburn Building in 1928. The designs of both buildings were influenced by neoclassical architecture. Following the onset of the Great Depression, skyscraper development stalled over the next two decades. In 1955, the Commonwealth Building became the tallest in Louisville after a 17-story vertical addition was built on top of the existing four-story structure.

A construction boom took place from the 1960s and 1980s. The 800 Apartments, a 29-story residential tower, became the city's tallest building when it opened in 1963.[3] 500 West Jefferson was the first building in Louisville to reach a height of 400 ft (122 m) in 1971, though it was surpassed by PNC Tower a year later. The 1980s saw the addition of taller office buildings such as B&W Tower in 1982[4] and the Humana Building in 1985,[5] both taller than 300 ft (91 m), culminating in the construction of 400 West Market and the Waterfront Plaza twin towers in the early 1990s. Since then, the rate of high-rise construction in Louisville has declined. Significant projects in the 21st century include Waterfront Park Place,[6] a 23-story residential tower built in 2004, and Omni Louisville Hotel, the city's fifth tallest building at 370 ft (113 m), in 2018.[7]

Most of Louisville's tallest buildings are situated in Downtown Louisville, which is south of the Ohio River. Downtown Louisville is bounded by Interstate 64 to the north, while Interstate 65 runs through the east of downtown. The University of Louisville School of Medicine has its main campus in the southeast of downtown. The campus and the surrounding hospitals include several high-rises.

History

Number of buildingsYear051015202519001920194019601980200020202040Buildings taller than 200 ft (61 m)Buildings taller than 300 ft (91 m)Buildings taller than 328 ft (100 m)Growth of skyscrapers in Louisville
Number of buildings by height in Louisville by the end of each year, based on the information in this article. This takes into account two demolished buildings. Click on the legend to toggle a specific height on or off. View chart definition.

Map of tallest buildings

The map below shows the location of buildings taller than 200 ft (61 m) in Downtown Louisville, where most of the city's tallest buildings stand. Each marker is numbered by the building's height rank, and colored by the decade of its completion.

220m
240yds
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Buildings taller than 200 ft (61 m) in Louisville. An asterisk (*) next to the building's name indicates it is located outside the map.
  •  1950s and before 
  •  1960s 
  •  1970s 
  •  1980s 
  •  1990s 
  •  2000s 
  •  2010s 
1
 400 West Market
2
 PNC Tower
3
 500 West Jefferson
4
 Humana Building
5
 Omni Louisville Hotel
6
 B&W Tower
7
 Meidinger Tower
8
 Waterfront Plaza I
9
 Waterfront Plaza II
10
 E.ON U.S. Center
11
 Galt House
12
 BB&T Building
13
 Waterfront Park Place
14
 The 800 Apartments
15
 Heyburn Building
16
 Hyatt Regency Louisville
17
 Frazier Rehab Institute
18
 Kentucky Home Life Building
19
 Rudd Heart and Lung Center
20
 Medical Center Tower
21
 1400 Willow Avenue*
22
 Kentucky Towers Apartments
23
 Wright Tower*
24
 Starks Building
25
 Brown Hotel

Cityscape

Tallest buildings

This list ranks completed buildings in Louisville that stand at least 200 ft (61 m) tall as of 2026, 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.

  Was the tallest building Louisville in upon completion
Rank Name Image Location Height
ft (m) 		Floors Year Purpose Notes
1 400 West Market 38°15′17″N 85°45′26″W / 38.254829°N 85.7572°W / 38.254829; -85.7572 (400 West Market) 549 (167.3) 35 1992 Office Tallest building in Louisville and in Kentucky since 1992. Originally called Capital Holding Building and later, Capital Holding Center. Renamed Providian Center, then Aegon Center. Renamed 400 West Market in 2014. Tallest building completed in Louisville in the 1990s.[8][9]
2 PNC Tower 38°15′22″N 85°45′29″W / 38.256153°N 85.757965°W / 38.256153; -85.757965 (PNC Tower) 512 (156.1) 40 1972 Office Formerly known as First National Tower from 1972 to 1994, and National City tower from 1994 to 2017. Tallest building in Louisville and in Kentucky from 1972 to 1992. Tallest building completed in Louisville in the 1970s.[10]
3 500 West Jefferson 38°15′13″N 85°45′33″W / 38.253521°N 85.759155°W / 38.253521; -85.759155 (500 West Jefferson) 420 (128) 30 1971 Office Originally built as Citizens Plaza, and later known as PNC Plaza until 2020. Also known as 500W and 500 West.[11][12] Tallest building in Louisville and Kentucky briefly from 1971 to 1972.[13]
4 Humana Building 38°15′23″N 85°45′31″W / 38.256351°N 85.758705°W / 38.256351; -85.758705 (Humana Building) 417 (127.1) 27 1985 Office Formerly the headquarters of Humana. Humana announced in 2024 that it would vacate the building in a cost-cutting move.[14] In 2026, Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg announced that the building would be turned into a 1,000-room convention center hotel.[5] Tallest building completed in Louisville in the 1980s.[15]
5 Omni Louisville Hotel 38°15′08″N 85°45′18″W / 38.252357°N 85.754936°W / 38.252357; -85.754936 (Omni Louisville Hotel) 370 (112.8) 30 2018 Mixed-use Mixed-use residential and hotel building. Tallest mixed-use building in Louisville. Tallest building completed in Louisville in the 2010s.[7]
6 B&W Tower 38°15′10″N 85°45′25″W / 38.252739°N 85.756874°W / 38.252739; -85.756874 (B&W Tower) 363 (110.6) 26 1982 Office Headquarters of tobacco company Brown & Williamson until 2004, when the company merged with R. J. Reynolds.[4][16]
7 Meidinger Tower 38°15′05″N 85°45′28″W / 38.25145°N 85.757736°W / 38.25145; -85.757736 (Meidinger Tower) 363 (110.6) 26 1982 Office [17]
8 Waterfront Plaza I – 38°15′25″N 85°45′19″W / 38.256824°N 85.755179°W / 38.256824; -85.755179 (Waterfront Plaza I) 340 (103.6) 25 1991 Office Waterfront Plaza I and Waterfront Plaza II are the tallest twin buildings in Louisville.[18]
9 Waterfront Plaza II – 38°15′25″N 85°45′22″W / 38.256918°N 85.7560491°W / 38.256918; -85.7560491 (Waterfront Plaza II) 340 (103.6) 25 1993 Office Waterfront Plaza I and Waterfront Plaza II are the tallest twin buildings in Louisville.[19]
10 E.ON U.S. Center – 38°15′21″N 85°45′17″W / 38.255924°N 85.754608°W / 38.255924; -85.754608 (E.ON U.S. Center) 328 (100) 23 1989 Office Also known as Louisville Gas & Electric Tower and Corporate Plaza.[20]
11 Galt House 38°15′29″N 85°45′24″W / 38.258026°N 85.756775°W / 38.258026; -85.756775 (Galt House) 325 (99.1) 25 1972 Hotel Tallest all-hotel building in Louisville. Tallest building with a hotel component in Louisville until 2018.[21]
12 BB&T Building – 38°15′26″N 85°45′26″W / 38.257236°N 85.757111°W / 38.257236; -85.757111 (BB&T Building) 312 (95) 24 1972 Office Former names include the Louisville Trust Building, One Riverfront Plaza, United Kentucky Building, and Bank One Building.[22]
13 Waterfront Park Place 38°15′26″N 85°44′53″W / 38.257248°N 85.747925°W / 38.257248; -85.747925 (Waterfront Park Place) 290 (88.4) 23 2004 Residential Tallest building completed in Louisville in the 2000s.[6]
14 The 800 Apartments 38°14′38″N 85°45′33″W / 38.244015°N 85.759193°W / 38.244015; -85.759193 (The 800 Apartments) 289 (88) 29 1963 Residential Tallest building in Louisville and Kentucky from 1963 to 1971. Tallest residential building in Louisville from 1963 to 2004.[23]
15 Heyburn Building 38°14′45″N 85°45′29″W / 38.24575°N 85.758072°W / 38.24575; -85.758072 (Heyburn Building) 250 (76.2) 17 1928 Office Tallest building in Louisville and Kentucky from 1928 to 1955, when it was overtaken by the 17-story addition of the now demolished Commonwealth Building.[24]
16 Hyatt Regency Louisville – 38°15′12″N 85°45′24″W / 38.253387°N 85.756599°W / 38.253387; -85.756599 (Hyatt Regency Louisville) 246 (75) 18 1978 Hotel [25]
17 Frazier Rehab Institute – 38°14′56″N 85°45′01″W / 38.248905°N 85.75029°W / 38.248905; -85.75029 (Frazier Rehab Institute) 246 (75)[i] 14 2004 Health [26]
18 Kentucky Home Life Building 38°15′15″N 85°45′30″W / 38.254238°N 85.758362°W / 38.254238; -85.758362 (Kentucky Home Life Building) 236 (72) 19 1912 Office Formerly known as the Inter-Southern Life Insurance Building. Tallest building in Louisville from 1912 to 1928.[27]
19 Rudd Heart and Lung Center – 38°14′59″N 85°45′04″W / 38.249737°N 85.751244°W / 38.249737; -85.751244 (Rudd Heart and Lung Center) 224 (68)[i] 15 1994 Health [28]
20 Medical Center Tower 38°14′58″N 85°44′53″W / 38.249458°N 85.747963°W / 38.249458; -85.747963 (Medical Center Tower) 220 (67)[i] 14 1974 Health [29]
21 1400 Willow Avenue – 38°14′08″N 85°42′33″W / 38.23555°N 85.709152°W / 38.23555; -85.709152 (1400 Willow Avenue) 220 (67)[i] 21 1980 Residential [30]
22 Kentucky Towers Apartments 38°15′04″N 85°45′32″W / 38.251095°N 85.758904°W / 38.251095; -85.758904 (Kentucky Towers Apartments) 210 (64)[i] 19 1927 Residential [31]
23 Wright Tower 38°13′42″N 85°38′22″W / 38.22834°N 85.639488°W / 38.22834; -85.639488 (Wright Tower) 206 (62.8) 15 1966 Office Originally built as the headquarters of the Lincoln Income Life Insurance Company and known as Lincoln Tower. Kaden acquired the building in 1986, after which the building was known as Kaden Tower. Renamed Wright Tower in 2023 in honor of Frank Lloyd Wright.[32][33] Designed by William Wesley Peters, a student of Wright.
24 Starks Building 38°15′05″N 85°45′25″W / 38.251369°N 85.75692°W / 38.251369; -85.75692 (Starks Building) 200 (61) 14 1913 Office [34]
25 Brown Hotel 38°14′48″N 85°45′29″W / 38.246666°N 85.758018°W / 38.246666; -85.758018 (The Camberley Brown Hotel) 200 (61)[i] 16 1923 Hotel [35]

Tallest under construction or proposed

Under construction

As of 2026, there are no buildings under construction in Louisville that are planned to be taller than 200 ft (61 m).

Proposed

Name Height
ft (m) 		Floors Year Purpose Notes
One Forty West 329 (100) 27 – Hotel On the corner of Second and West Market Streets. Construction is set to begin early 2027.[36]

Tallest demolished

There have been two buildings taller than 200 ft (61 m) in Louisville that no longer stand today. Both were once the tallest buildings in Louisville.

Name Image Height
ft (m) 		Floors Year completed Year demolished Notes
Commonwealth Building – 255 (77.7) 21 1955 1994 Originally built as a mid-rise building in 1928. In 1955, a 17-story vertical addition was constructed, making the building the tallest in Louisville from 1955 to 1963. Demolished via implosion in 1994.[37]
Lincoln Savings Bank Building – 204 (62) 15 1906 1973 Also known as the Washington Building. Tallest building in Louisville from 1906 to 1912.[38]

Timeline of tallest buildings

Name Image Years as tallest Height
ft (m)		 Floors Notes
Kenyon Building 1886–1890 115 (35.1) 6 [39]
Columbia Building 1890–1906 161 (49) 10 [40]
Lincoln Savings Bank Building – 1906–1912 204 (62) 15 [38]
Kentucky Home Life Building 1912–1928 236 (72) 19 [27]
Heyburn Building 1928–1955 250 (76.2) 17 [24]
Commonwealth Building – 1955–1963 255 (77.7) 21 [37]
The 800 Apartments 1963–1971 289 (88) 29 [23]
PNC Plaza [ii] 1971–1972 420 (128) 30 [13]
First National Tower[iii] 1972–1992 512 (156.1) 40 [10]
400 West Market 1992–present 549 (167.3) 35 [9]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Sources do not state the exact height of this building. This figure was determined using Google Earth by subtracting the altitude of the building's lowest main pedestrian open-air entrance from its highest architectural point.
  2. ^ Now known as 500 West Jefferson
  3. ^ Now known as PNC Plaza.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Retro Louisville: Urban renewal". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  2. ^ "Learn the history behind Louisville's first skyscraper". 6AM - LOUtoday. December 11, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  3. ^ Courier-Journal, Martha Elson, The. "Changes planned at iconic 800 building". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved February 25, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b "B & W Tower - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  5. ^ a b Schipper, Joel (February 3, 2026). "Louisville developer to build new downtown tower, convert Humana building into 'world-class' hotel". WDRB. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  6. ^ a b "Waterfront Park Place - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  7. ^ a b "Omni Louisville Hotel - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  8. ^ Braden Lammers. "400 West Market the new name for former Aegon Center at Fourth and Market streets in downtown Louisville - Louisville". Business First. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  9. ^ a b "400 West Market - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  10. ^ a b "PNC Tower - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  11. ^ "500 West Jefferson Street, Louisville, Kentucky". 500 West Jefferson Street, Louisville, Kentucky, official website. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  12. ^ Otts, Chris (May 14, 2021). "New owner plans to 'change the trajectory' of aging Louisville office tower". WDRB. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "500 West Jefferson - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  14. ^ Schipper, Joel (February 3, 2026). "Louisville developer to build new downtown tower, convert Humana building into 'world-class' hotel". WDRB. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  15. ^ "500 West Main Street - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  16. ^ Reynolds American Inc., SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION report, Juny 30, 2004
  17. ^ "Meidinger Tower - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  18. ^ "Waterfront Plaza I - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  19. ^ "Waterfront Plaza II - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  20. ^ "E.ON U.S. Center - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  21. ^ "Galt House - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  22. ^ "BB&T Building - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  23. ^ a b "The 800, Louisville - SkyscraperPage.com". skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  24. ^ a b "Heyburn Building - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  25. ^ "Hyatt Regency Louisville - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  26. ^ "Frazier Rehab Institute, Louisville - SkyscraperPage.com". skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  27. ^ a b "Kentucky Home Life Building, Louisville - SkyscraperPage.com". skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  28. ^ "Ruud Heart and Lung Center, Louisville - SkyscraperPage.com". skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  29. ^ "Medical Center Tower, Louisville - SkyscraperPage.com". skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  30. ^ "1400 Willow Avenue, Louisville - SkyscraperPage.com". skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  31. ^ "Kentucky Towers Apartments, Louisville - SkyscraperPage.com". skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  32. ^ "Kaden Tower - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  33. ^ "Wright Tower – Louisville". Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  34. ^ "Starks Building, Louisville - SkyscraperPage.com". skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  35. ^ "The Camberley Brown Hotel, Louisville - SkyscraperPage.com". skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  36. ^ "Developer receives initial demolition approval for downtown Louisville abortion clinic". WDRB. October 17, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
  37. ^ a b "Commonwealth Building - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  38. ^ a b "Lincoln Savings Bank". Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  39. ^ "Forgotten Louisville Architecture". Archived from the original on March 22, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  40. ^ "Columbia Building". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2007. Retrieved July 3, 2007.
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