Five hundred feet. That’s a big number, but it’s one people often use to describe height, length, or distance. It’s long enough to stretch across a football field almost twice. It’s tall enough to make your neck ache if you look up.
When someone says “500 feet,” it usually means something impressive. Buildings, towers, or landmarks often hit this mark because it feels substantial without being overwhelming.
Let’s look at some real structures that stand around 500 feet tall. You’ll get a sense of just how massive that really is.
1. Guangming Building
The Guangming Building rises to about 500 feet tall, which equals roughly 152 meters.
If you stand at the base and look up, the top seems far away—almost lost against the sky on a clear day. The building’s height is close to the length of one and a half football fields stacked upright.
That’s tall enough to see across a city skyline and still small enough to fit in the “mid-rise” range for skyscrapers. Five hundred feet gives it presence without turning it into a giant.
2. Studio City Tower
The Studio City Tower stands near the 500-foot mark as well. When you picture a tower that tall, imagine an elevator ride lasting about 30 seconds, maybe a little more, from the ground to the top floor.
It’s the kind of height where you can see small patterns of traffic and rooftops below. If you stretched the tower sideways, it would cover the length of five city blocks.
At this scale, 500 feet feels big but still relatable—you can take it in with your eyes without feeling dizzy.
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3. UIC Building
The UIC Building also measures close to 500 feet in height. That’s about 45 stories, depending on floor spacing.
If you lined up ten school buses from end to end, you’d still fall short of that length. A person standing at the base would seem tiny—less than the height of a single brick in comparison.
That’s the kind of visual impact 500 feet creates. You don’t just see it—you feel it in your neck when you look up.
4. One Meridian Plaza
One Meridian Plaza stood at about 492 feet, just shy of the 500 mark. That’s still high enough to count among tall city towers.
To put it in perspective, imagine stacking 50 floors, each roughly ten feet high. That’s what 500 feet means in a vertical sense—fifty levels of windows, offices, and stairwells stretching upward.
At that height, clouds might brush the roof on a misty morning. It’s impressive, even among taller modern skyscrapers.
5. World Trade Center 1 (Lower Complex)
The World Trade Center 1 – Lower Complex section reaches roughly 500 feet tall.
That’s about half the height of the tallest World Trade Center tower, which helps you visualize how massive the upper levels must be. But even at 500 feet, it dominates the surroundings.
If you were standing nearby, the top would be hard to photograph in one frame without tilting your camera way back. It’s a solid reminder that 500 feet is no small number.
6. Greatwall Tower 2
The Greatwall Tower 2 stands at around 500 feet as well. That’s about 152 meters, enough to cast a shadow that stretches far in late afternoon sunlight.
If you walked its height laid flat on the ground, it would take you about two minutes at a normal pace to cover the distance.
That kind of scale turns a simple walk into a real sense of distance—long enough to feel, tall enough to impress.
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7. Shanghai Financial Exchange Plaza Tower 3
The Shanghai Financial Exchange Plaza Tower 3 reaches close to 500 feet in height.
At that height, it could hold a 50-story elevator shaft, long rows of glass panels, and hundreds of office windows. Standing beside it gives you perspective—it makes even nearby buildings look smaller.
When you compare it to something familiar, like a football field, it’s roughly one and two-thirds fields tall. That’s how far up it goes.
8. To Mei House
To Mei House measures around 500 feet high. It’s a tall residential structure, and that gives a different sense of scale.
Each floor averages about 10 feet in height, so you can imagine 50 stories of apartments stacked neatly one above the other. If you dropped a tennis ball from the roof (which you shouldn’t), it would fall for nearly five seconds before hitting the ground.
That’s the kind of height that turns ordinary living space into something vertical and striking.
9. Ningbo Gateway South
The Ningbo Gateway South tower stands near 500 feet tall, which places it squarely in the mid-tier skyscraper category.
At that height, the top floor could catch the last rays of sunset while the street below slips into shadow. It’s high enough for clear views but not so high that the clouds block the skyline.
If you lined up five Olympic swimming pools lengthwise, you’d get about the same distance as the building’s height. That makes 500 feet easier to imagine—a clean, solid stretch of vertical distance.
10. The Modern at Fort Lee – North Tower
The Modern at Fort Lee – North Tower reaches 500 feet as well. It’s one of those towers that catch your eye even from a few miles away.
When you think about 500 feet, think about stacking five blue whales—the largest animals on Earth—nose to tail. That’s roughly how tall this tower is.
That gives perspective on how enormous 500 feet really feels when you see it in steel and glass.
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11. Reflection Residences
The Reflection Residences also rise to about 500 feet in height.
From the street, the top windows look almost too far to count. A building that tall could fit two Statues of Liberty stacked one on top of the other and still have space to spare.
It’s the sort of scale where perspective changes—people below look small, and even nearby towers blend into the skyline instead of standing out.
12. Understanding 500 Feet in Real Terms
Five hundred feet doesn’t sound huge until you start comparing it. Here are a few quick ways to picture it:
- One and a half football fields long
- Fifty stories high if stacked vertically
- Five blue whales end to end
- One-tenth of the height of Mount Everest
When you look at it that way, 500 feet turns from a number into something real—something you can visualize and feel.
You could walk that distance in about two minutes or drive it in five seconds on a city street. But when you look up at a 500-foot building, that same distance feels endless.
That’s what makes it such a fascinating measurement. It’s both reachable and massive, depending on how you see it.
Conclusion
Five hundred feet is more than a number—it’s a scale that defines space and structure. Whether it’s the Guangming Building, the Modern at Fort Lee, or the Reflection Residences, that measurement marks a point where buildings begin to dominate the skyline.
It’s long enough to stretch across city blocks or rise above the clouds. It’s the length where design meets awe. You don’t need to imagine much—just look at any tower around 500 feet tall, and you’ll see what “impressive” truly means.
Five hundred feet stands as a symbol of balance between practicality and grandeur. Big, visible, and unforgettable.
FAQ: Things That Are 500 Feet Long
1. What buildings are about 500 feet tall?
Examples include the Guangming Building, Studio City Tower, and Reflection Residences.
2. How tall is 500 feet in meters?
Five hundred feet equals about 152 meters.
3. How many floors are in a 500-foot building?
Most towers around 500 feet have 45 to 50 stories, depending on ceiling height.
4. How long does it take to walk 500 feet?
At an average pace, it takes about two minutes to walk 500 feet.
5. What’s another way to picture 500 feet?
It’s about the height of two Statues of Liberty stacked or one and a half football fields laid end to end.