The ten tallest guyed masts in the world currently standing, from the legendary KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota to the tallest European broadcast towers — ranked by structural height in meters.
Guyed masts are among the tallest structures ever built by human hands. Unlike self-supporting towers or buildings, these slender, lattice-like structures rely on a web of steel guy wires anchored to the ground to maintain stability. They are primarily used for television and radio broadcasting, where height is critical for signal range. The United States has the highest concentration of the world's tallest guyed masts, built during the 1960s expansion of broadcast television.
This list ranks the ten tallest guyed masts in the world currently standing, by pinnacle height in meters. The former tallest, the Warsaw Radio Mast (646.4 m), collapsed in 1991 and is excluded. Structures are ordered by their structural height from base to tip, following the same measurement standard used by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
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Height (m)
Height (m)
KVLY-TV Mast
628.8 m
KRDK-TV Mast
627.8 m
KXTV / KOVR TV Mast
624.5 m
KATV Tower
609.6 m
WECT TV6 Tower
609.6 m
WTVM / WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower
609.6 m
WOFL-TV Tower
609.6 m
KLDE TV Tower
609.6 m
WFTV Tower
609.6 m
WHRO-TV Tower
609.6 m
The ranking
1
KVLY-TV Mast
The KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, is the tallest guyed mast currently standing at 628.8 meters. Completed in 1963, it was the first man-made structure to exceed 2,000 feet (610 m) and held the title of the world's tallest structure of any type until 1974 when the Warsaw Radio Mast was built. The mast serves Fargo station KVLY (channel 11) and is located 3 miles west of Blanchard, halfway between Fargo and Grand Forks.
The KRDK-TV mast (formerly KXJB-TV) in Galesburg, North Dakota, stands at 627.8 meters, just 1 meter shorter than the KVLY mast. Completed in 1966, it is located 3.5 miles northeast of Galesburg and serves the Fargo and Grand Forks television markets. The mast was originally built for KXJB-TV (now KRDK-TV) and was repainted and re-guyed in the 2000s to maintain its structural integrity.
Location: Galesburg, ND, USAYear completed: 1966Owner: Major Market TelevisionFCC height: 2,059 ft
3
KXTV / KOVR TV Mast
The KXTV/KOVR television mast in Walnut Grove, California, stands at 624.5 meters, making it the third-tallest guyed mast in the world. Located in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the mast is shared by Sacramento station KXTV (ABC) and Stockton station KOVR (CBS). It was completed in the 1960s and serves the greater Sacramento television market.
Location: Walnut Grove, CA, USAYear completed: 1962Owner: Sinclair / CBSFCC height: 2,049 ft
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4
KATV Tower
The KATV Tower in Barraque Township, Arkansas, stands at 609.6 meters (exactly 2,000 feet). Completed in 1965, it was the third-tallest human-made structure at the time and the second-tallest broadcast tower. The tower serves Little Rock ABC affiliate KATV and is located off Arkansas Highway 365. It was one of several 2,000-foot broadcast towers built during the mid-1960s.
The WECT TV6 Tower near White Lake, North Carolina, stands at 609.6 meters. Completed in 1965, it serves Wilmington CBS affiliate WECT (channel 6). The tower is located in Bladen County, approximately 30 miles northwest of Wilmington, and is one of the tallest structures on the East Coast of the United States.
Location: White Lake, NC, USAYear completed: 1965Owner: Gray TelevisionFCC height: 2,000 ft
6
WTVM / WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower
The WTVM/WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower in Cusseta, Georgia, stands at 609.6 meters. This multi-purpose broadcast tower serves Columbus, Georgia ABC affiliate WTVM (channel 9), Columbus CBS affiliate WRBL (channel 3), and WVRK-FM. The tower is located in Chattahoochee County, Georgia, and is one of the tallest structures in the southeastern United States.
Location: Cusseta, GA, USAYear completed: 1964Owner: MultipleFCC height: 2,000 ft
7
WOFL-TV Tower
The WOFL-TV Tower in Brookville, Florida, stands at 609.6 meters. Completed in 1974, it serves Orlando Fox affiliate WOFL (channel 35). The tower is located in Hernando County, approximately 50 miles northwest of Orlando, and is one of the tallest structures in Florida. Its construction in 1974 made it one of the later 2,000-foot broadcast towers built in the United States.
Location: Brookville, FL, USAYear completed: 1974Owner: Fox Television StationsFCC height: 2,000 ft
8
KLDE TV Tower
The KLDE TV Tower (also known as the KXLN-TV tower) in Victoria County, Texas, stands at 609.6 meters. Completed in 1965, it serves the Houston television market despite being located over 100 miles southwest of the city. The tower was built for KLDE (now Univision affiliate KXLN) and is one of several 2,000-foot broadcast towers in Texas.
Location: Victoria County, TX, USAYear completed: 1965Owner: UnivisionFCC height: 2,000 ft
9
WFTV Tower
The WFTV Tower in Christmas, Florida, stands at 609.6 meters. Completed in 1965, it serves Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV (channel 9). The tower is located in Orange County, Florida, near the town of Christmas, approximately 20 miles east of Orlando. It is part of a cluster of tall broadcast towers serving the central Florida television market.
Location: Christmas, FL, USAYear completed: 1965Owner: Cox Media GroupFCC height: 2,000 ft
10
WHRO-TV Tower
The WHRO-TV Tower in Driver, Virginia, stands at 609.6 meters. Completed in 1963, it serves Norfolk PBS member station WHRO-TV (channel 15). The tower is located in Suffolk, Virginia, in the Hampton Roads area. It was the first 2,000-foot broadcast tower built in the eastern United States and remains one of the tallest structures on the Atlantic coast.
Location: Driver, VA, USAYear completed: 1963Owner: WHRO Public MediaFCC height: 2,000 ft
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Full comparison
#
Name
Location
Year completed
Owner
FCC height
1
KVLY-TV Mast
Blanchard, ND, USA
1963
Gray Television
2,063 ft
2
KRDK-TV Mast
Galesburg, ND, USA
1966
Major Market Television
2,059 ft
3
KXTV / KOVR TV Mast
Walnut Grove, CA, USA
1962
Sinclair / CBS
2,049 ft
4
KATV Tower
Barraque, AR, USA
1965
Sinclair Broadcast Group
2,000 ft
5
WECT TV6 Tower
White Lake, NC, USA
1965
Gray Television
2,000 ft
6
WTVM / WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower
Cusseta, GA, USA
1964
Multiple
2,000 ft
7
WOFL-TV Tower
Brookville, FL, USA
1974
Fox Television Stations
2,000 ft
8
KLDE TV Tower
Victoria County, TX, USA
1965
Univision
2,000 ft
9
WFTV Tower
Christmas, FL, USA
1965
Cox Media Group
2,000 ft
10
WHRO-TV Tower
Driver, VA, USA
1963
WHRO Public Media
2,000 ft
How we ranked this
Masts are ranked by pinnacle height in meters, measured from the base of the structure at ground level to the highest point of the antenna tip. Only guyed masts — vertical structures supported by guy wires — that are currently standing are included. Self-supporting towers (e.g., Tokyo Skytree, CN Tower) and buildings (e.g., Burj Khalifa) are excluded. Heights are sourced from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) antenna structure registration database, structural engineering records, and Wikipedia lists of tallest structures. Where multiple masts share the same height, they are ordered by the priority of their construction date.
FAQ
What is the difference between a guyed mast and a self-supporting tower?
A guyed mast relies on guy wires — steel cables anchored to the ground at angles — to remain upright. The mast itself is a vertical truss that can support its own weight but would collapse without the lateral support of the guy wires. A self-supporting tower (like the Tokyo Skytree or CN Tower) has a wider base and can stand without external support. Guyed masts are lighter, cheaper to build, and can reach greater heights, but they require a large footprint for the guy wire anchors.
Why are so many of the tallest guyed masts in the United States?
The United States built most of the world's tallest guyed masts during the 1960s expansion of broadcast television. The FCC's regulations allowed television towers up to 2,000 feet (609.6 m) without special aeronautical studies, and broadcasters competed to maximize signal range and reach rural audiences. The flat terrain of the Great Plains and Midwest made tall towers particularly effective for covering large areas.
What was the tallest guyed mast ever built?
The tallest guyed mast ever built was the Warsaw Radio Mast in Konstantynów, Poland, which stood at 646.4 meters (2,121 feet). Completed in 1974, it was the tallest structure in the world until it collapsed during renovation work on August 8, 1991. After its collapse, the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota regained the title of tallest guyed mast at 628.8 meters.