--- title: "Is Willis Tower Still One of the World's Tallest Buildings?" date: 2026-11-12 canonical: https://ticketswillistower.com/skydeck-vs-360-chicago/willis-tower-height-ranking/ --- **Willis Tower height ranking** questions come up constantly from visitors who remember it as the world's tallest building, since that title defined its reputation for a generation. I will walk through exactly where it stands today, because the honest answer still makes it one of the most impressive buildings you can climb in person. ## How Tall Is Willis Tower? Willis Tower stands 1,450 feet to its roof, with the Skydeck observation deck on the 103rd floor at 1,353 feet above street level. That is the number that matters for your visit, since it is the height you are actually standing at when you look out from The Ledge. I always point first-time visitors to the deck height rather than the roof height, since that is the number that will actually match what you see. ### How Tall Is the Skydeck Observation Deck Itself? The Skydeck observation deck sits at **1,353 feet**, on the building's 103rd floor. I would use this number, not the roof height, when comparing what you will actually see against other observation decks in other cities. ## Was Willis Tower Ever the World's Tallest Building? Willis Tower, then named Sears Tower, held the title of world's tallest building from 1973 until 1998, when Malaysia's Petronas Towers surpassed it on a technicality involving architectural spires. That roughly 25-year run is why so many people still associate the name with "world's tallest," even though the title moved on decades ago. I think that history is still worth knowing before your visit, since it explains why the building was built as big as it was in the first place. ### When Did Willis Tower Lose the World's Tallest Title? Willis Tower lost the title in **1998** to the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, ending a run of roughly 25 years as the world's tallest building. I would treat that handoff as the real end of the "world's tallest" era for Chicago, even though taller buildings kept appearing worldwide after that. ## How Does Willis Tower Compare to the Burj Khalifa? The Burj Khalifa in Dubai stands at roughly 2,717 feet, nearly double the height of Willis Tower, and has held the world's-tallest title since it opened in 2010. There is no realistic comparison left between the two on height alone. I would frame Willis Tower's appeal today around its history and its central Chicago location rather than trying to compete with a building nearly twice as tall. ### Is the Burj Khalifa Taller Than Willis Tower? **Yes**, significantly. The Burj Khalifa is nearly double Willis Tower's height, standing at roughly 2,717 feet against Willis Tower's 1,450 feet to the roof. ## How Does Willis Tower Compare to One World Trade Center? One World Trade Center in New York stands at 1,776 feet including its spire, a deliberate height chosen for its symbolism, which puts it a few hundred feet above Willis Tower. I would call the two broadly comparable in the way they anchor their cities' skylines, even though One World Trade Center has the taller number on paper. ### Is Willis Tower Taller Than One World Trade Center? **No**, One World Trade Center is taller, reaching 1,776 feet with its spire compared with Willis Tower's 1,450 feet. Willis Tower remains the taller building when you measure only to the roof deck, since One World Trade Center's extra height comes largely from its spire. ## Is Willis Tower Still the Tallest Building in the United States? Willis Tower is no longer the tallest building in the United States. One World Trade Center holds that title today, with Willis Tower ranking among the next tallest handful of American skyscrapers. I would still call Willis Tower one of the two or three most recognizable tall buildings in the country, title or not, since its silhouette is instantly familiar even to people who have never been to Chicago. ### What Rank Does Willis Tower Currently Hold Among US Buildings? Willis Tower currently sits just behind the very tallest handful of American skyscrapers, generally cited as one of the top few buildings in the country by height. I would not get too hung up on the exact number, since rankings shift slightly as new supertall towers finish construction in New York and elsewhere. ![illustrated map of Chicago highlights for willis tower tickets, willis tower height ranking tallest buildings](/images/blog/chicago-willis-tower-height-ranking-2.webp) ## Does the Height Ranking Affect Your Visit? Honestly, no. Whether Willis Tower is first or fifth on a global list does not change what you see from the 103rd floor on a clear day: four states, Lake Michigan stretching to the horizon, and the entire Chicago skyline below you. I would not let the ranking talk you out of a visit. The experience at the top is unaffected by where the building sits on a spreadsheet of skyscraper heights. ## How Does Willis Tower Compare to 360 CHICAGO's Building? Within Chicago itself, Willis Tower is still comfortably the taller of the city's two main observation towers, beating the building housing 360 CHICAGO by roughly 350 feet at deck level. I cover that side-by-side in detail, including price and the Ledge versus Tilt question, in [the full Skydeck vs 360 CHICAGO comparison](/skydeck-vs-360-chicago/). ## What's the Difference Between Tilt and The Ledge? Tilt, at the shorter of Chicago's two towers, mechanically leans a glass platform forward over Michigan Avenue, while Skydeck's Ledge stays fixed in place, letting you step out at your own pace. I explain the mechanics of Tilt specifically in [a dedicated breakdown of how it works](/skydeck-vs-360-chicago/tilt-360-chicago-explained/), useful if the physical sensation is part of your decision. ## Why Do People Still Call It the Hancock Observatory? The building across town from Willis Tower used to be called the John Hancock Center, and plenty of people still search for its observatory under that retired name. I untangle that naming confusion fully in [a closer look at the Hancock Observatory name](/skydeck-vs-360-chicago/hancock-observatory-vs-skydeck/), separate from anything to do with Willis Tower's own height. ## My Take: Does the Ranking Matter for Booking Tickets? I would not let the global ranking change your decision either way. Willis Tower does not need to be the world's tallest building anymore to be worth the climb. It is still the tallest point you can stand on in the Midwest, the view still covers four states on a clear day, and [grabbing your willis tower tickets](/) gets you to the same 103rd-floor deck that held the world record for a quarter century. If anything, I find the history makes the visit more interesting, not less, once you know the full story. For the exact floor count and view distance in four directions, [the full height and floor breakdown](/sears-tower-name-change/skydeck-height-and-floor/) goes further than the ranking alone can. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Is Willis Tower still the world's tallest building?** No. Willis Tower held the title from 1973 to 1998, when the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur surpassed it. Several buildings worldwide are now taller. **Is Willis Tower taller than the Burj Khalifa?** No. The Burj Khalifa stands at roughly 2,717 feet, nearly double Willis Tower's 1,450-foot roof height. **Is Willis Tower the tallest building in the United States?** No, One World Trade Center in New York is taller at 1,776 feet including its spire. Willis Tower ranks among the next tallest American skyscrapers. **How tall is the Skydeck observation deck?** The Skydeck deck sits at 1,353 feet, on the 103rd floor of Willis Tower, which is the height you actually experience during a visit.