Did you know the JPMorgan Chase Tower downtown is the tallest building in Houston—and for now, in all of Texas—topping out at 75 stories and 1,002 feet? No other structure has breached that floor count, and likely never will.

This isn’t merely a coincidence or a matter of cost-cutting. The reason goes back to the late 1970s, when the building was still in the planning stages. Originally, its developers envisioned an 80-story skyscraper designed to stand out in the skyline—an architectural statement that would capture Houston’s economic height at the time. But the Federal Aviation Administration had something to say.

Federal regulators conducted the standard airspace evaluation as the final blueprints for that bold 80-story design were taking shape. What they found posed a problem: The height of the proposed skyscraper appeared to encroach on flight paths leading into William P. Hobby Airport. The FAA required a thorough review to ensure that planes could navigate safely around the new structure.

Although the agency never issued a direct prohibition, the extra scrutiny meant construction could be delayed, or worse, halted if developers couldn’t satisfy aviation safety parameters. After countless discussions and feasibility checks, the building’s backers chose to modify their original blueprint, lowering the final plan to 75 floors. The reduction of the tower’s height would drop the risk of infringing on flight paths into Hobby.

With the redesign in place, the construction proceeded and the skyscraper formally opened in 1982, becoming (and remaining) the city’s loftiest. While local statutes do not explicitly forbid a taller structure, the tower’s brush with the FAA has since made developers and investors a bit more cautious. Proposing something higher means walking into the same maze of aviation reviews, cost overruns, and uncertainties.

Houston is not alone in this. Other American cities deal with oversight whenever proposed buildings might infringe on air traffic routes. In Seattle, for instance, the 4/C tower in the city center originally aimed to be 101 stories, but once the FAA assessed its position relative to flight corridors—particularly those approaching and departing from nearby airports—the building’s planned height was deemed potentially problematic. The result was a reduction of several floors, ensuring aircraft could operate without added risks.

While architects might not always see eye to eye with aviation officials, it’s not the local government or a municipal zoning board calling the shots—these are federal regulations. Title 14 Part 77 of the Code of Federal Regulations outlines how structures near airports must not exceed certain elevation profiles. If a proposed design crosses into that protected airspace, the FAA requires the developer to either reduce the height or prove, through detailed studies and possibly revised plans, that flight safety remains guaranteed.

None of this means Houston can’t see a new record-breaking skyscraper one day. The FAA’s rules aren’t a blanket “no,” but more a set of carefully applied regulations based on building location, size, and impact on aviation. Technological advances in navigation and changes to flight routes sometimes alter what’s permissible.

For now, the Chase Tower holds its place as the tallest structure in Texas, but an Austin skyscraper currently under construction will soon have it beat by a mere 20 feet, reaching 1,022 feet by the time it’s completed in 2026. Perhaps the FAA can go check it out.