Top 10 U.S. Cities with the Best Skyline
List of the best skylines in the USA! Quality over quantity.
The City of New York, often called New York City or simply New York, is the most populous city in the United States. New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the United States. Iconic, the fact that Chicago is above NYC is a tragedy. Midtown Manhattan alone beats the entire Chicago skyline, not even including the financial district. Chicago has nowhere near as many world famous buildings as NYC. New York has the World Trade Center complex, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler building, Central Park Tower, the Steinway Building, 432 Park Avenue, the Bank of America Building, the UN Headquarters, Time Warner Center, the MANY Bridges that connect the boroughs, 53W53, One57, Rockefeller Center, and of course the newly constructed Hudson Yards buildings, which are almost a skyline of their own on the west side of Midtown. New York has the most iconic skyline in the entire world, a mecca of architecture that has mixed together over the years, and evolved time and time again while still maintaining the signature New York look. Nowhere compares.
New York has multiple skylines and very many distinguished and recognizable buildings - the Freedom Tower, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Statue of Liberty, and to a lesser extent the MetLife building and the Rockefeller Center and 432 Park. The same can't be said for Chicago, which you can only view from one angle, and has the Willis Tower and maybe the Trump tower, and that's really all.
New York has multiple skylines that can be viewed dynamically in different ways with building icons - Freedom Tower, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Statue of Liberty, and to a lesser extent the MetLife Building, 432 Park Avenue, and the Rockefeller Center. Chicago has the Willis Tower and not much else. In sheer scale, New York wins as the most powerful skyline.
Ok, ok calm down NYC enthusiests. Yes New York is beautiful and has a large skyline, however it is too large in my opinion. The Freedom Tower, Empire State Building, Citi Bank Tower, and Rockafeller Center are great buildings hidden my a clump of smaller ones around them.
Chicago, officially the City of Chicago, is the third-most populous city in the United States. With over 2.7 million residents, it is also the most populous city in both the state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States. Chicago is considered one of the most important business centers in the world. ...read more. Chicago's is #1 without question. The view from the lake is the best in the country. It has Willis, Aon, Trump Tower, and John Hancock which are in the top ten in the US.
If you go by Lake Michigan, you can see all of the Chicago buildings lined up, what a beautiful display, especially at night.
Chicago is #5 because yes they have a beautiful skyline but if you take the Willis Tower away, its not very eye opening.
New York City's skyline is overrated in my opinion.
Chicago's is perfect
Not only a beautiful city, but has one of the best vantage points for viewing on Mt. Washington.
If you go to Mount Washington, the view of Pittsburgh's skyline is breathtaking.
Just a beautiful skyline.
Definitely the best.
Seattle is a seaport city on the west coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. Seattle has won the #1 spot because of its great display of the iconic Space Needle and many more beautiful buildings to go with it.
Seattle is the most scenic city in the states by far. With views of the Okympics and Cascade Mountain ranges, along with the Puget Sound and the needle it is simply the best.
If you like change your mind with changeable whether, Seattle is no one spot.
I love seattle born and raised the city is the best would not live anywhere else. Go Seahawks
Los Angeles, officially the City of Los Angeles and often abbreviated as L.A., is the largest city in California. It has an estimated population of nearly 4 million, and is the second-largest city in the United States, after New York City, and the third-largest city in North America, after Mexico City ...read more. The mountains in the backdrop are amazing but the buildings are uninteresting and not aesthetically pleasing.
Love you LA. Need at 1502' tower with a 499' decorative glass spire near pershing square, 1325' tower in southpark and a 1270' tower on. Bunker Hill - then Los Angeles awesome.
Los Angeles has a good skykine that becomes amazing with the addition of mountians in the backdrop.
I like the mountain backdrop the best.
Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the fourth most populous city in the United States, with a census-estimated population of 2.312 million in 2017. It is the most populous city in the Southern United States and on the Gulf Coast of the United States. I honestly think that this should be in the top 5. I mean with Lake Houston, the unique architecture, and the amount of skyscrapers, how could this city not make the list?
Downtown Houston is very impresive skyline. there are 5 more skylines in houston:
Uptown, larger than most U.S. cities skylines
Texas Medical Center, largest medical center in the world (impresive)
Westchase
Energy Corridor
Midtown
Houston's Downtown/Uptown/Midtown give the city a dense urban feel and it's so pretty.
Best Texas skyline along with Austin. Could use another tower between 800 to 900 feet over near the Enron building.
-Dynamic Skyline
-Extremely dense and not scattered like Austin, Houston or Atlanta
-Impressive skyline for a city under 1million residents
-One of the fastest growing skylines in USA
-Clean & Modern
Charlotte's skyline continues to grow; nowhere to go but up.
Beautiful skyline. Look at pics from 10 or 20 years ago to see how much it's changed
Detroit is the largest and most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located across from Windsor, Ontario, Canada on the Detroit River, Detroit had an estimated population of 672,662 in 2018. Way Underrated. 1920's skyscrapers are unbelievable.
This should be number one because of the mix of history and futuristic skyscrapers
One of the greatest and often overlooked cities in the USA. This list should be:
1. New York
2. Chicago
3. Miami
4. Seattle
From here it's anybody's guess:
Los Angeles
Minneapolis
Atlanta
Philadelphia
There are a half-dozen other cities that do not belong on this list at all.
Stunning modern looking skyline - almost all glass and each building is unique.
Beautiful modern skyline and many things to do downtown.
Gorgeously modern, extremely well-balanced skyline.
Miami, officially the City of Miami, is the cultural, economic and financial center of South Florida. Miami is the seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. I Believe that New York and Chicago are the Top dogs, but Miami is growing immensely and by 2020, we might have Miami as Number 2! In addition, New York will always be #1 and I'm thrilled for that because NY deserves it!
Miami has a fast growning skyline with a great beach location. Miami could be atop the list very soon.
Miami is awesome
Dallas' growing skyline is only getting better with the addition of the Museum Tower and future planned projects. It will be complemented in the future by a much better Trinity River area.
Dallas has a great skyline, with many lit buildings at night it really makes thw city beautiful. The reunion tower is a nice addition as well.
Dallas Skyline is probably one of the nicest things you'll ever witness when visiting the area!
Viewing Dallas from the West at night is very impressive with the booming uptown buildings.
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the United States, with an estimated population of 1,567,872 and more than 6 million in the seventh-largest metropolitan statistical area, as of 2016. Philadelphia is the economic and cultural anchor ...read more. Yes...Philadelphia is currently building a "second" skyline on the other side of the Schuylkill River which will include two more super tall skyscrapers which will make Philly's skyline look even more spectacular than it already is.
Philadelphia's mix of historic and contemporary architecture is incomparable, with sleek glass towers juxtaposed with masonry structures.
Philadelphia has a tall and figured skyline. I live its location and density even-ness.
With the comcast innovation and technology center nearing completion, and soon the 87-story transit terminal tower (2901 Arch Street) and the other skyscrapers of the Schuylkill Yards project, Philadelphia has one of the most perfect skylines in the US, with more improvements to come
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a city in, and the cultural, commercial, and financial center of, Northern California. SF's skyline is underrated. The Transamerica Pyramid and the Golden Gate Bridge should put it in the top ten.
San Fransico is a city of its own. The Transamerica Pyramid creates the skyline.
St. Louis is an independent city and inland port in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is situated along the western bank of the Mississippi River, which marks Missouri's border with Illinois. How could you not vote in a city with an architectural masterpiece such as the Gateway Arch onto the list?
A city with a 630 ft tall monument! Come on now. St. Louis rocks!
Although the buildings don't have much to offer, the Arch makes it very unique
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Multnomah County. It is a major port in the Willamette Valley region of the Pacific Northwest, at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers.
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. With an estimated 2017 population of 486,290, it is also the 38th most-populous city in the United States. Very underrated. No skyline in the US has its uniqueness. Has that Atlantis look very similar to its name. I like the fact that the buildings are not all clustered together. You can actually enjoy all the buildings beautiful architecture rising up from all three distinct skylines, up through the trees. Atlanta hands down! Driving south on 85 is simply breathtaking, Metropolis! Charlotte native.
The ATL skyline is very elegant especially at night with it's lighted spiraled buildings. It actually has 3 main skylines including downtown, midtown and Buckhead with several other skyscrapers dotted along the metro area! The ATL skyline is unique because the building are not all clustered in one area but form a trail down Peachtree St throughout the city.
I find Atlanta skyline beautiful and very inviting. This skyline can easily be put in the Middle East, and it looks as if it's turning while you're driving through the city. In my book, it's the best skyline of the dirty south.
A beautiful, new, shiny skyline rising out of a beautiful emerald forest!
Denver, officially the City and County of Denver, is the capital and most populous municipality of the U.S. state of Colorado. Republic Plaza, 1801 California, Wells Fargo Center (aka the Cash Register Building), Four Seasons, all backrounded by the great rocky mountains.
The skyline itself is nice enough but the mountains make it special. It deserves to be in the top ten.
Not much to say but, a beautiful city with a beautiful skyline.
The mountains are what makes this skyline great.
Why is the city's baseball team on the list but the city isn't?
Boston is Massachusetts’ capital and largest city. Founded in 1630, it’s one of the oldest cities in the U.S. Great skyline with the Hancock Tower, the new Millenium Tower and the Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge. One International Place and the historic Custom House Tower are also great buildings.
From the lake you see the rock hall, futuristic science center, nice place, actually