List of tallest air traffic control towers in the United States

The following table ranks the tallest air traffic control (ATC) towers at airports in the United States.

Air traffic control towers are elevated structures for the visual observation and control of the air and ground traffic at an airport.[1] The placement and height of an ATC tower are determined by addressing the many FAA requirements and site-specific considerations to ensure safety within the National Airspace System (NAS). The FAA has stated that new towers should be constructed with a goal of providing the shortest possible tower required to meet siting criteria for that specific airport.[2] These criteria result in a wide variation of tower height with some rivaling or surpassing the tallest office buildings in their respective cities. ATC towers however are generally not recognized by The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) as buildings because they do not meet the criteria of having at least 50 percent of their height as occupiable.[3] For this reason, they are not ranked among a city's tallest buildings but fall under the category of "telecommunications/observation tower."

The air traffic control tower of the Hillsboro Airport can be seen behind a row a small airplanes and buildings in the city of Hillsboro, Oregon.

Tallest ATC Towers in the U.S.

Rank Airport Image Height
ft (m) 		Year
built 		Ref.
1 Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Atlanta_airport 398 (121.3) 2006 [4]
2 Charlotte Douglas International Airport Charlotte-Douglas_International_Airport_-_CLT_-_Charlotte,_North_Carolina_-_panoramio_(2) 370 (112.8) 2022 [5]
3 Harry Reid International Airport LAS_ATC_&_Viewing_Tower 352 (107.3) 2016 [6]
4 Indianapolis International Airport KIND_FAA_tower 348 (106.1) 2006 [7]
5 Orlando International Airport Monorail_Orlando_International_Airport_MCO_(2501168546) 345 (105.2) 2002 [8]
6t. Memphis International Airport Control-Towers_Memphis_International_Airport_1 336 (102.4) 2012 [9]
6t. George Bush (Houston) Intercontinental Airport 2010.04.23.151002_Aviones_Continental_Houston_IAH 336 (102.4) 1997 [10]
8 Miami International Airport Miami_International_Airport_(KMIA-MIA)_(8204607432) 333 (101.5) 2002 [11]
9 Salt Lake City International Airport Delta_Connection_Canadair_CRJ900;_N817SK@SLC;09.10.2011_621aw_(6300287622) 328 (99.9) 1995 [12]
10 Denver International Airport Denver_International_Airport_Tower 327 (99.7) 1995 [13]
11 Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport N76522_Boeing_738_United_Taxying_Past_The_Tower_(8903296878) 326 (99.4) 2007 [14]
12t. Washington Dulles International Airport 2017-12 23_11_12_56_View_up_towards_the_top_of_the_Air_Traffic_Control_Tower_at_Washington_Dulles_International_Airport_in_the_Dulles_section_of_Sterling,_Loudoun_County,_Virginia 325 (99.1) 2007 [15]
12t. Newark International Airport Newark_Airport_Control_Tower 325 (99.1) 2003 [16]
14 Cleveland Hopkins International Airport CLE_ATCT_and_Sun 324 (98.8) 2015 [17][18]
15 John F. Kennedy International Airport ControlTowerJFK-July2012-01 320 (97.5) 1992 [19]

References

  1. ^ "Definition of 'traffic control tower'". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  2. ^ "AIRPORT TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER SITING PROCESS" (PDF). Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  3. ^ "Tall Building Criteria". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  4. ^ "Atlanta Airport Demolishes Old Air Traffic Control Tower". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  5. ^ "FAA Commissions New Air Traffic Control Tower at Charlotte Douglas International Airport". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  6. ^ "New McCarran air traffic control tower to debut Aug. 28". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  7. ^ "Indianapolis International Airport History". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  8. ^ "Orlando International Airport Tallest Air Traffic Control Tower". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  9. ^ "Memphis International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  10. ^ "The Nations Tallest Control Tower Is Online". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  11. ^ "In Pictures: A Look At Miami Intl Tower, Inside And Out". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  12. ^ "Control tower at Salt Lake City International Airport". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  13. ^ "Literally just 113 facts about DIA". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  14. ^ "PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – FAA TOWER". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  15. ^ "Tour of the Air Traffic Control Tower at IAD". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  16. ^ "Infrastructure New Jersey (NJ) Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  17. ^ "Cleveland Airport Control Tower & TRACON Building". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  18. ^ "New air traffic control tower at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport: Whatever happened to ...?". Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  19. ^ "In Pictures: A Look At New York JFK Tower, Inside And Out". Retrieved December 22, 2022.

External links

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