How does your height compare to famous buildings?
Buildings are the one thing everybody has a bad intuition for. Drawn against a person, the numbers stop being abstract.
Almost exactly an average man (US)
1.75 m is taller than 0 of the 11 references on this page.
Reference figures are measurements and are rounded; the unit conversion behind them is exact.
| Reference | Size | Yours ÷ theirs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| average man (US) | 1.75 m | 0.999× | |
| two-storey house | 8 m | 0.219× | |
| Colosseum | 48 m | 1/27.4 | |
| Leaning Tower of Pisa | 55.9 m | 1/31.9 | |
| Statue of Liberty | 93 m | 1/53.1 | Ground to torch, including the pedestal |
| Big Ben | 96 m | 1/54.9 | The Elizabeth Tower |
| Great Pyramid of Giza | 139 m | 1/79.1 | Present height; 146.6 m when built |
| Eiffel Tower | 330 m | 1/189 | |
| Empire State Building | 443 m | 1/253 | To the tip of the antenna |
| One World Trade Center | 541 m | 1/309 | |
| Burj Khalifa | 828 m | 1/473 |
Worth knowing
- The Burj Khalifa is 828 m — you would need 473 average men standing on each other’s heads to match it.
- The Great Pyramid was the tallest structure on Earth for about 3 800 years, longer than any building since.
- The Eiffel Tower grows about 15 cm on a hot day as its iron expands.
Frequently asked
Is the Burj Khalifa still the tallest building?
Yes. At 828 m it has held the title since 2010. The Jeddah Tower, designed to pass 1 000 m, is under construction again but not finished.
Does the antenna count towards a building’s height?
Not for the official rankings. The Council on Tall Buildings counts architectural spires but excludes antennae, which is why the Empire State Building is usually listed at 381 m rather than 443 m.