So, you’re standing at the corner of Mission and Fremont in San Francisco, looking up until your neck hurts. It’s huge. It's the kind of tall that makes the surrounding skyscrapers look like miniatures. Naturally, the first thing anyone asks is: how many floors is Salesforce Tower? Most people just want a quick number. They want to know if it beats the Transamerica Pyramid (it does) or if it's the tallest building in the West (depends on who you ask in Los Angeles). But the answer isn't just a single digit you can pull off a napkin. Depending on whether you're talking about where people actually sit and type on laptops, or where the literal roof ends, the number shifts.
The official count is 61 floors.
But wait. If you look at the elevator panel or the architectural blueprints, things get a little more "San Francisco."
Why the Floor Count Is Actually Tricky
The building stands at a staggering 1,070 feet. That's a lot of vertical real estate. Now, while there are 61 "functional" floors, the top of the tower is actually a massive, hollow crown. This 150-foot ornamental top doesn't have offices. It has art. Specifically, the "Day for Night" installation by Jim Campbell, which uses 11,000 LED lights to project moving images of the city back to its residents.
If you were to count every single level, including the mechanical spaces and the massive basement levels that anchor this beast into the Bay Area bedrock, the number goes up. But for the sake of the city’s skyline records, 61 is the magic number.
It’s actually kinda funny when you think about it. The Salesforce Tower has fewer floors than the Willis Tower in Chicago, yet it feels more imposing because of its girth and that glowing crown. It’s not just about height; it’s about presence.
Breaking Down the Vertical Space
The bottom levels are mostly about the hustle and bustle. You’ve got the lobby—which is basically a giant art gallery with that massive video wall—and then you move into the meat of the building.
- The Salesforce "Ohana" Floors: These are the crown jewels. Instead of the top floor being a corner office for a CEO, Salesforce decided to make the 61st floor a community space. It’s called the Ohana Floor. They host nonprofits and community events there for free. It has 360-degree views and more plants than a botanical garden.
- Tenant Spaces: Below that, you have floors occupied by other big names like Bain & Company and Accenture. Each floor is roughly 25,000 to 30,000 square feet. That is a massive amount of open-plan office space.
- The Transit Connection: You can’t talk about the floors without talking about the "fourth floor." That’s the level where the building connects to the Salesforce Park, a 5.4-acre rooftop park that sits on top of the Transit Center next door. You can literally walk out of an office building and into a forest in the sky.
The Engineering Magic Holding Up Those 61 Floors
Building a skyscraper in a seismic zone like San Francisco is a nightmare. Honestly, it’s a miracle of engineering. To support how many floors is Salesforce Tower, architects Pelli Clarke Pelli (now Pelli Clarke & Partners) had to design a core that could sway without snapping.
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The tower is anchored by 42 "piles." These are massive steel-and-concrete columns drilled nearly 300 feet down into the Franciscan shale. If you’ve ever walked around the SoMa district, you know the ground is basically "muck" and landfill. Without those piles, the 61 floors would literally sink or tilt.
The walls of the elevator core are also incredibly thick—about four feet of reinforced concrete at the base. This acts like a giant spine. When an earthquake hits (and in SF, it’s a matter of when, not if), the building is designed to flex.
Does It Have a 13th Floor?
In many American skyscrapers, developers skip the 13th floor because of triskaidekaphobia (the fear of the number 13). It’s a weird tradition. Salesforce Tower, however, is a modern tech hub. It doesn't play those games.
The numbering is straightforward.
If you’re looking for a "secret" floor, you won't find one, but the mechanical levels between the occupied office spaces and the LED crown are where the real heavy lifting happens. These floors house the HVAC systems and the massive dampers that keep the building from swaying too much in the wind.
Comparing the Tower to Other Giants
To understand the scale of how many floors is Salesforce Tower, you have to look at its neighbors.
- The Transamerica Pyramid: For decades, this was the king of SF. It has 48 floors. Salesforce Tower dwarfs it by 13 floors and over 200 feet in height.
- 181 Fremont: Right next door is 181 Fremont. It has 57 floors. It’s leaner and contains luxury condos, whereas Salesforce is predominantly office space.
- Wilshire Grand Center (LA): This is the rival. The Wilshire Grand in Los Angeles claims to be taller because of its spire, reaching 1,100 feet. But San Franciscans will point out that Salesforce Tower’s roof is higher. It’s a classic California feud.
The floor count matters because of density. Salesforce Tower isn't a skinny needle. It's a broad, tapering obelisk. It houses roughly 10,000 workers on a busy Tuesday. That’s a small city’s worth of people stacked vertically.
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Life Inside the 61 Floors
What’s it actually like inside?
The elevators are high-speed, obviously. You can get from the lobby to the 61st floor in about 40 seconds. Your ears will pop. Once you’re up there, the floor-to-ceiling glass is a bit unnerving if you aren't a fan of heights. On a clear day, you can see the Farallon Islands, which are 30 miles out into the Pacific. You can see the Golden Gate Bridge looking like a toy.
The air is different up there too. The building uses a sophisticated air filtration system that pulls in outdoor air and cleans it, which was a huge selling point during the wildfire seasons we’ve had recently.
It's also surprisingly quiet. Even though you’re in the middle of a massive construction and transit hub, the triple-pane glass cuts out the sounds of sirens and buses. It feels like a pressurized cabin in a luxury jet.
Sustainability and the Future
Salesforce didn't just want a tall building; they wanted a "green" one.
- Water Recycling: It has the largest onsite water recycling system in a commercial skyscraper in the U.S. They recycle water from sinks and toilets to use for drip irrigation in the park and for the cooling towers.
- Energy Efficiency: The floor-to-ceiling windows aren't just for the views. They maximize natural light, reducing the need for overhead LED lighting during the day.
The Cultural Impact of the Height
When the tower was finished in 2018, people were divided. Some called it a "monolith of tech bro culture." Others saw it as the crowning achievement of a new San Francisco.
Regardless of your politics, you can't deny that the 61 floors changed the city's identity. For nearly 50 years, the Transamerica Pyramid was the silhouette on every postcard. Now, it’s the Salesforce Tower.
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It acts as a literal North Star for residents. If you’re lost in the Mission or wandering around Hayes Valley, you just look for the glowing tip of the tower to find your way back to the downtown core.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Visit
If you’re planning on seeing the tower or want to experience those 61 floors yourself, here is how you actually do it:
Don't try to just walk into the offices. Security is tight. You can't get past the lobby without a badge. However, the lobby itself is worth a quick look for the digital art.
Book an Ohana Floor Tour. Salesforce occasionally opens the 61st floor to the public for "Ohana Floor Tours." These are free but they book up months in advance. You have to register on the official Salesforce website. It is hands-down the best view in the city.
Visit the Salesforce Park. This is the "cheat code." You get the feeling of being part of the tower complex without needing a security clearance. Take the gondola from the corner of Mission and Fremont up to the park level. It’s a great way to see the architecture up close.
Watch the Light Show. Wait until 30 minutes after sunset. The top 150 feet of the building—those "extra" non-floors—turn into a canvas. Every night is different. Sometimes it’s dancers, sometimes it’s the ocean, and on Halloween, it’s been known to turn into the Eye of Sauron.
The Salesforce Tower is more than just a floor count. It’s a 61-story ecosystem that defines the modern San Francisco skyline. Whether you love the "Salesforce" name on the side or not, the engineering and the sheer height of the structure are undeniable feats of human ambition.
If you want to understand the scale, just remember: 61 occupied floors, a 150-foot crown, and 1,070 feet of glass and steel reaching into the fog. That’s the reality of the tallest building in San Francisco.