Top 50 Buildings by Greenhouse Gas Emissions
These buildings are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases in Chicago, both directly (like by burning fossil gas on site for heating) and indirectly (by using electricity that is still produced with some fossil fuels).
Many of these buildings are very large, which is a big part of why they use so much energy and have such high emissions. Several of these buildings, however, are not that large, but are instead incredibly inefficient - they use a lot of energy to heat and cool relatively small buildings.
Curious to see buildings sorted by their emissions intensity instead? Check out the homepage!
Note: Data From Large Buildings in 2023
Note: This data only includes buildings whose emissions
are reported under the
Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance
. According to the City “As of 2016, this list includes all
commercial, institutional, and residential buildings larger than 50,000
square feet.”
The latest year of data is from 2023, but we update the site regularly when new data is available, and some buildings may have failed to report that year, and only have older data available.
Additionally, note that all tons specified are metric tons.
| Name / Address | Primary Property Type |
GHG Intensity (kg CO2 eq./sqft) |
Total GHG Emissions (tons CO2 eq.) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Digital Lakeside
📷
🕰️
C
350 E Cermak
| Data Center | 142.1 kg/sqft  | 173,706 tons |
|
5841 S. Maryland Ave MC0985
📷
🕰️
(UChicago)
D
5841 S. Maryland Ave MC0985
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 25.0 kg/sqft | 135,876 tons |
|
Rush University Medical Center
🚨
📷
D
1653 W Congress Pkwy
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 23.0 kg/sqft #40 Highest
| 97,340 tons #1 Highest
|
|
METROPOLITIAN PIER AND EXPOSITION AUTHORITY
🚨
📷
C
301 East Cermak Road
| Convention Center | 8.5 kg/sqft
Highest 20%
| 78,782 tons #2 Highest
|
|
Willis Tower (Rivion LLC)
🚨
📷
C
233 S Wacker Drive
| Office | 13.9 kg/sqft
Highest 5%
| 63,190 tons #3 Highest
|
|
CHI1 - Chicago DC1
🚨
📷
C
2800 S. Ashland Ave
| Data Center | 101.7 kg/sqft #2 Highest
| 48,295 tons #4 Highest
|
|
Illinois Institute of Technology
🕰️
(Illinois Tech)
D
3300 South Federal Street
| College/University | 15.6 kg/sqft | 45,930 tons |
|
Cook County Department of Corrections Campus
🕰️
C
2700 S California Ave
| Prison/Incarceration | 9.3 kg/sqft | 42,560 tons |
|
NMH Feinberg Pavilion and Galter Pavilion
📷
🕰️
⚠️
(Northwestern)
D
251 E Huron St
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 19.0 kg/sqft | 41,775 tons |
|
Stroger Hospital Campus
🚨
📷
D
1901 W. Harrison St.
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 25.3 kg/sqft #27 Highest
| 40,317 tons #5 Highest
|
|
CCD
🕰️
C
5700 S Maryland Ave
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 30.2 kg/sqft | 36,452 tons |
|
Crown Hall
📷
🕰️
(Illinois Tech)
F
3360 S State Street
| College/University | 555.1 kg/sqft | 30,139 tons |
|
600 West Chicago & 900 N Kingsbury
🚨
📷
C
600 West Chicago Avenue
| Office | 11.1 kg/sqft
Highest 9%
| 26,408 tons #6 Highest
|
|
300 E Randolph
📷
🕰️
C
300 E Randolph
| Office | 11.1 kg/sqft | 24,655 tons |
|
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
🚨
D
225 E Chicago Ave
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 19.1 kg/sqft
Highest 3%
| 24,546 tons #7 Highest
|
|
The John Hancock Center
🚨
📷
⚡
C
875 N Michigan Ave
| Mixed Use Property | 10.0 kg/sqft
Highest 12%
| 22,818 tons #8 Highest
|
|
Soldier Field
🕰️
C
1410 South Museum Campus Drive
| Stadium (Open) | 14.7 kg/sqft | 22,703 tons |
|
Water Tower Place
🚨
📷
C
835 N. Michigan Avenue
| Mixed Use Property | 8.8 kg/sqft
Highest 18%
| 22,605 tons #9 Highest
|
|
CH1
🚨
📷
⚡
C
427 S. Lasalle`
| Data Center | 135.1 kg/sqft #1 Highest
| 21,620 tons #10 Highest
|
|
900 North Michigan
🚨
📷
C
900 North Michigan
| Mixed Use Property | 9.9 kg/sqft
Highest 12%
| 21,211 tons #11 Highest
|
|
AMA Plaza
🚩
📷
C
330 North Wabash
| Office | 11.2 kg/sqft
Highest 8%
| 20,895 tons #12 Highest
|
|
Ascension Resurrection Medical Center Campus.
🚨
D
7435 West Talcott Avenue
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 18.9 kg/sqft
Highest 3%
| 20,709 tons #13 Highest
|
|
OneTwoPru
📷
⚠️
B
130 East Randolph & 180 North Stetson
| Office | 7.3 kg/sqft
Highest 31%
| 20,000 tons #14 Highest
|
|
Gordon Center for Integrative Science (GCIS)
🚨
📷
(UChicago)
D
929 East 57th Street
| Laboratory | 41.1 kg/sqft #6 Highest
| 19,721 tons #15 Highest
|
|
Aon Center
🚩
📷
B
200 E. Randolph Street
| Office | 5.9 kg/sqft 
Lowest 44%
| 18,914 tons #16 Highest
|
|
theMART, Chicago
🚩
📷
A
222 Merchandise Mart Plaza
| Office | 4.5 kg/sqft
Lowest 17%
| 18,631 tons #17 Highest
|
|
540 West Madison
🚩
C
540 W. Madison
| Financial Office | 15.2 kg/sqft
Highest 5%
| 18,624 tons #18 Highest
|
|
Hyde Park West Apartments
📷
🕰️
⚠️
F
5325 S. Cottage Grove Ave
| Multifamily Housing | 126.0 kg/sqft | 18,454 tons |
|
10/30 South Wacker
📷
🕰️
B
10 S Wacker Dr
| Office | 6.4 kg/sqft | 18,395 tons |
|
United Center
🕰️
C
1901 W Madison St
| Indoor Arena | 18.6 kg/sqft | 17,884 tons |
|
Michigan Plaza
🚩
📷
C
205/225 N Michigan Ave
| Office | 9.4 kg/sqft
Highest 14%
| 17,623 tons #19 Highest
|
|
IL0000FC-CHICAGO FEDERAL CTR
🚩
📷
B
219 S Dearborn
| Mixed Use Property | 5.5 kg/sqft
Lowest 36%
| 17,419 tons #20 Highest
|
|
Digital Printer's Row
📷
🕰️
C
600 S Federal St
| Data Center | 93.5 kg/sqft | 17,324 tons |
|
NMH Prentice Womens Hospital
🕰️
(Northwestern)
C
250 E Superior St
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 17.9 kg/sqft | 16,896 tons |
|
Hilton Chicago (CHICH)
🚨
📷
C
720 S. Michigan Avenue
| Hotel | 8.1 kg/sqft
Highest 22%
| 16,604 tons #21 Highest
|
|
Mercy Chicago - Hospital
🕰️
⚠️
C
2525 S Michigan Ave
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 22.0 kg/sqft | 16,524 tons |
|
The Art Institute of Chicago
🚨
📷
D
111 South Michigan Ave
| Museum | 16.3 kg/sqft
Highest 4%
| 16,445 tons #22 Highest
|
|
Swedish Hospital Campus
🚩
C
5145 North California
| Mixed Use Property | 20.5 kg/sqft
Highest 2%
| 16,427 tons #23 Highest
|
|
KCBD
🕰️
C
900 E. 57th St
| Laboratory | 42.9 kg/sqft | 16,175 tons |
|
350 North Orleans (Rivion LLC)
🚩
📷
C
350 North Orleans Street
| Office | 8.3 kg/sqft
Highest 21%
| 15,589 tons #24 Highest
|
|
Northeastern Illinois University
🕰️
C
5500 N. Saint Louis Avenue
| College/University | 12.3 kg/sqft | 15,478 tons |
|
Trump
🚩
📷
B
401 N. Wabash
| Mixed Use Property | 7.3 kg/sqft
Highest 31%
| 15,427 tons #25 Highest
|
|
DCAM
🕰️
C
5758 S Maryland Ave
| Ambulatory Surgical Center | 28.6 kg/sqft | 15,393 tons |
|
Navy Pier, Inc.
🚩
📷
C
600 E Grand Ave
| Mixed Use Property | 13.3 kg/sqft
Highest 6%
| 15,325 tons #26 Highest
|
|
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
🚨
📷
D
836 W. Wellington Avenue
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 12.0 kg/sqft
Highest 7%
| 15,246 tons #27 Highest
|
|
Ascension SMEMC St Mary Campus.
🚨
D
2233 West Division St
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 21.8 kg/sqft
Highest 2%
| 15,204 tons #28 Highest
|
|
Hyatt Regency Chicago
🚩
📷
C
151 East Wacker Drive
| Hotel | 7.5 kg/sqft
Highest 29%
| 15,113 tons #29 Highest
|
|
Old Post Office
🚩
📷
B
433 West Harrison Street
| Office | 6.0 kg/sqft
Lowest 47%
| 15,036 tons #30 Highest
|
|
71215A State St
📷
🕰️
⚠️
C
101 N State St E
| Retail Store | 8.0 kg/sqft | 14,741 tons |
|
The Franklin (227 West Monroe; 222 West Adams)
🚩
📷
A
227 West Monroe
| Office | 5.0 kg/sqft
Lowest 26%
| 14,740 tons #31 Highest
|
Data Source:
Chicago Energy Benchmarking Data