A factual guide to Indianapolis’ tallest skyline buildings, their heights, and when they were built

Indianapolis’ tallest buildings at a glance

Indianapolis has the largest concentration of high-rise buildings in Indiana, with downtown structures spanning office, hotel, residential and government uses. The city’s skyline is led by one dominant tower, followed by a second tier of buildings that cluster between roughly 400 and 533 feet, then a broader group in the 300-foot range that shape the city’s recognizable silhouette around Monument Circle and the Mile Square.

• Salesforce Tower (1990): 701 feet to the roof, with twin spires reaching 811 feet.

• OneAmerica Tower (1982): 533 feet.

• Regions Tower / One Indiana Square (1970): 504 feet.

• Market Tower (1988): 421 feet.

• 300 North Meridian (1989): 408 feet.

• BMO Plaza (1988): commonly listed at about 122 meters (roughly 400 feet) and 28 floors.

• JW Marriott Indianapolis (2011): 376 feet, 34 floors.

• City-County Building (1962): 372 feet, 28 stories.

Why the “tallest” label can vary

Building height is not always a single, straightforward number. Some tall-building references emphasize architectural height or roof height, while others also include non-occupied elements such as spires and antennas. That distinction is central in Indianapolis’ top-ranked building: the Salesforce Tower’s occupied floors rise to a 701-foot roofline, while its twin spires extend the overall peak to 811 feet.

In skyline comparisons, a tower’s roof height, architectural top, and any added spires or antennas can produce different “tallest” figures.

What the list says about downtown development

The city’s tallest group reflects waves of construction rather than steady, year-by-year growth. A major phase of high-rise building occurred from the 1970s through the early 1990s, producing several of today’s most prominent office towers, including Regions Tower (1970), OneAmerica Tower (1982), and the Salesforce Tower (1990). Another visible wave arrived later with large-scale hospitality and mixed-use projects, including the JW Marriott Indianapolis, which added a hotel tower of 34 floors and 376 feet in 2011.

Not just skyscrapers: civic landmarks still define the view

Although modern office towers dominate the height rankings, Indianapolis’ skyline identity is also anchored by historic civic structures. The City-County Building became the first structure to rise above the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, marking a turning point in local height and development patterns. Together, the city’s tallest towers and long-standing civic landmarks create a skyline that blends modern commercial scale with a central core of historic public architecture.