I have an interest in architecture, and have always been fascinated by skyscrapers – an American invention. Here are some of my favorite city skylines from the U. S. and around the world.

The United States

#2 San Francisco – One of the prettiest cities in the world, it has recently relaxed its ban on creating more super-tall skyscrapers, and has plans to add to its awesome skyline.

#3 Chicago – There are many beautifully designed buildings in this metropolis, home to some of the world’s earliest skyscrapers.

#4 Seattle – The view from the Space Needle is amazing! The whole area is scenic, with pretty friendly people.

#5 Houston — This is a neat skyline, with very sleek glass towers that look incredible.

#6 Philadelphia – In the 80s, the city broke a long-standing tradition, and started building towers taller than the statue of William Penn on City Hall.

#7 Los Angeles – After not having skyscrapers until the ’70s, L. A. is gaining quite a skyline.

#8 Dallas – I’ve been up in that “ball” which is called the Reunion Tower. The view is very impressive.

#9 Boston – One of my favorite American cities. When I take students on history trips back East, we used to start our trip off in Boston by going up on the 50th floor of the Prudential Center for a great birds-eye view of the city.

#10 Denver – Its skyline, with the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, is awesome. The curved skyscraper is often called by locals, the “Cash Register Building”.

#11 Minneapolis – This is a very pretty skyline in the heartland of the country. Minneapolis is also home to the Mall of America, with over 500 stores!

#12 Atlanta — Since the 90’s, this city has seen tremendous growth. It’s skyline isn’t as dense, but rather more spread out.

#13 Miami – This city’s skyline has exploded in growth over the last decade.

#14 Pittsburgh – Although not a huge city, Pittsburgh has an impressive skyline. One of the best views of it happens as you cross the bridge into the city after going through a tunnel.

#15 St. Louis – Although it has few real skyscrapers, the Gateway Arch makes its skyline very unique. The arch, built in the 1960s, got its name from the fact that St. Louis, historically, was the “Gateway to the West”.

International

#1 Hong Kong – It is nearly impossible to beat New York City’s skyline, but if there is one that could, it would be Hong Kong’s. This skyline is stunning, and very beautiful!

#2 Sydney – I would love to be able to take about a month and explore Australia and New Zealand. With the Opera House, Harbor Bridge, and skyscrapers, Sydney is impressive.

#3 Singapore – This sleek, modern skyline just looks awesome!

#4 Frankfurt — This German city has been called the most “American-looking” city in Europe. I can see why.

#5 Melbourne – This rival of Sydney’s has a very unique and growing skyline. I would like to attend the Australian Open tennis tournament here someday.

#6 Dubai – This international trading center in the Middle East has seen stunning growth during the last two decades. It also home to the 2,700 foot Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper!

#7 Toronto – Canada’s largest city is home to the unique CN Tower, which sits next to the SkyDome. It was was the world’s first stadium to have a retractable roof.

#8 Shanghai – China’s largest city has seen phenomenal growth in its skyline the last decade or two. The very unique structure on the left is called the Oriental Pearl Tower.

#9 Kuala Lumpur – The amazing Petronas Towers at one time were the tallest buildings in the world after taking that title from the Sears Tower in 1998.

#10 Tokyo – With a metro area of over 35 million people, Tokyo is the largest city on Earth!

#11 Paris – Would people recognize Paris without the Eiffel Tower? In 1989 I was there, and it was too windy to go to the top. I went back in 2019, and made it to the top, and oh what a view!

#12 Panama City – This port on the west end of the Canal is growing, and kind of reminds me of Miami.

#13 London – This ancient metropolis is starting to get a skyline. I once had a chance to walk across those skywalks on the Tower Bridge.

#14 Sao Paulo – This enormous city has hundreds of high-rises, but not a lot of super-tall structures.

#15 Johannesburg – It is one of the largest cities on the African continent, as well as one of its most prosperous.

Aerial Views of Some Major American Cities