Special Report

Biggest Christmas Tree in Every State

a_Taiga / iStock

The lighting of the Christmas, or holiday, tree is one of the most anticipated and festive events for communities across the nation. Outside of parades honoring veterans or fireworks displays on July 4, few events bring communities together during the year as the lighting of the local Christmas tree.

It is an opportunity for children to experience the wonder of the season and perhaps see Santa Claus. The tree-lighting event is also a time for neighbors to become reacquainted over a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. Even though in recent years the displaying of the Christmas tree on public property has prompted constitutional issues involving the separation of church and state, the tree itself has become a symbol of civic pride, and it brings communities together.

24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of the tallest Christmas tree in every state. We tapped sources such as media reports, state and city chambers of commerce, forestry commissions, the National Christmas Tree Association, and Christmas tree associations in various states to assemble the list. Since many of the tallest trees have yet to be raised for this holiday season, we used the best available information from last year for the list. Many of the tree-lighting traditions use natural trees such as Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Balsam fir, and white pine. Other localities have opted for artificial trees, and 24/7 Wall St. has included those as well. Heights for trees in some states are estimates.

Click here to see the biggest Christmas tree in every state.

We can thank Edward H. Johnson, a colleague of Thomas Edison, for first electrically illuminating a Christmas tree at his home in New York City in 1882. Electricity allowed Christmas trees to glow for days, and soon they began to appear in town squares and eventually malls across the country. That tradition has led to such celebrated tree-lighting extravaganzas as the annual ceremony at Rockefeller Center, which began during the Great Depression and is televised every year.

One of the more poignant tree-lighting ceremonies occurs in Boston. The Christmas tree there is a gift from the province of Nova Scotia, Canada in gratitude for Boston’s help following the 1917 explosion of an ammunition ship that devastated the city of Halifax and killed almost 2,000 people.

Even if you don’t know the lyrics of “O Tannenbaum,” grab a hot chocolate, pull on your scarf, and enjoy 24/7 Wall St.’s list of the tallest Christmas tree in every state.

Stuart Seeger / Flickr

1. Alabama
> Location: Lister Hill Plaza, Montgomery
> Height: 35 feet

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homespetersburg.com

2. Alaska
> Location: Petersburg
> Height: 70 feet

Kevin Schraer / Flickr

3. Arizona
> Location: Outlets at Anthem, Phoenix
> Height: 80 feet

Downtown Little Rock Partnership / Facebook

4. Arkansas
> Location: W Capitol Ave. and Main St., Little Rock
> Height: 55 feet

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Justin Higuchi / Flickr

5. California
> Location: Citadel Outlets, Los Angeles
> Height:115 feet

Matt Renoux / KUSA

6. Colorado
> Location: Kremmling
> Height: 65 feet

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Christian Abraham

7. Connecticut
> Location: Town Hall Green, Fairfield
> Height: 90 feet

visitdelaware.com

8. Delaware
> Location: Rehoboth Beach
> Height: 30 feet

Larry Richardson / YouTube

9. Florida
> Location: Old School Square, Delray Beach
> Height: 100 feet

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rjcox / Flickr

10. Georgia
> Location: Macy’s, Atlanta
> Height: 56 feet

mattspinner / Flickr

11. Hawaii
> Location: Courthouse Square,  Lahaina
> Height: 60 feet

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Sarah / Pinterest

12. Idaho
> Location: The Coeur d’Alene Resort, Coeur d’Alene
> Height: 161 feet

Chris Krzentz / YouTube

13. Illinois
> Location: Millenium Park, Chicago
> Height: 62 feet

broadwayfortwayne.com

14. Indiana
> Location: Fort Wayne
> Height: 40 feet

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Liz Martin / The Gazette

15. Iowa
> Location: Cedar Rapids
> Height: 35 feet

Courtesy of Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce

16. Kansas
> Location: Blue Earth Plaza, Manhattan
> Height: 75 feet

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Courtesy of Downtown Lexington

17. Kentucky
> Location: Triangle Park, Lexington
> Height: 40 feet

Pinterest

18. Louisiana
> Location: Washington Military Park, New Orleans
> Height: 30 feet

PJ Walter / Pinterest

19. Maine
> Location: Rockland
> Height: 30 feet

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dpbirds / Flickr

20. Maryland
> Location: National Harbor, Oxon Hill
> Height: 65 feet

Courtesy of Boston Parks and Recreation

21. Massachusetts
> Location: Boston Common, Boston
> Height: 85 feet

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Mercedes Mejia / Michigan Radio

22. Michigan
> Location: Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts, Muskegon
> Height: 67 feet

Marvin Steele / Pinterest

23. Minnesota
> Location: Minnesota Governor’s Residence, St. Paul
> Height: 30 feet

Outlets at Vicksburg / Yelp

24. Mississippi
> Location: Outlets at Vicksburg
> Height: 50 feet

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Rebecca / Pinterest

25. Missouri
> Location: Crown Center, Kansas City
> Height: 100 feet

waymarking.com

26. Montana
> Location: Troy
> Height: 80 feet

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Shelby L. Bell / Flickr

27. Nebraska
> Location: Durham Museum, Omaha
> Height: 40 feet

Courtesy of City of Sparks

28. Nevada
> Location: Nugget Casino Resort, Sparks
> Height: 105 feet

Selbe Lynn / Flickr

29. New Hampshire
> Location: Portsmouth
> Height: 20 feet

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cranburychristmaslights.com

30. New Jersey
> Location: Cranbury
> Height: 36 feet

MarbleStreetStudio.com

31. New Mexico
> Location: Albuquerque Plaza Don Luis
> Height: 130 feet

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cmart7327 / Getty Images

32. New York
> Location: Rockefeller Center, New York City
> Height: 85 feet

Courtesy of Carowinds

33. North Carolina
> Location: Charlotte
> Height: 70 feet

Courtesy of North Dakota's Council on the Arts

34. North Dakota
> Location: Capitol Building, Bismarck
> Height: 40 feet

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Pinterest

35. Ohio
> Location: Toledo Zoo
> Height: 85 feet

winterfest.tulsa / Facebook

36. Oklahoma
> Location: Tulsa
> Height: 44 feet

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drburtoni / Flickr

37. Oregon
> Location: Pioneer Square, Portland
> Height: 75 feet

David Fulmer / Flickr

38. Pennsylvania
> Location: Kennywood Park, West Mifflin
> Height: 90 feet

DenisTangneyJ / Getty Images

39. Rhode Island
> Location: State House, Providence
> Height: 45 feet

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Courtesy of Shandon Baptist Church

40. South Carolina
> Location: Shandon Baptist Church, Columbia
> Height: 35 feet

Jeffrey Beall / Flickr

41. South Dakota
> Location: State Capitol, Pierre
> Height: 27.5 feet

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Brent Moore / Flickr

42. Tennessee
> Location: State Capitol, Nashville
> Height: 40 feet

Keerthivasan Rajamani / Flickr

43. Texas
> Location: Galleria Mall, Dallas
> Height: 55 feet

OutletsAtTraverseMountain / Facebook

44. Utah
> Location: The Outlets at Traverse Mountain, Lehi
> Height: 75 feet

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Don Shall / Flickr

45. Vermont
> Location: Burlington
> Height: 40 feet

traveler1116 / Getty Images

46. Virginia
> Location: Executive Mansion, Richmond
> Height: 20 feet

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Courtesy of Washington State Fair

47. Washington
> Location: Puyallup
> Height: 185 feet

zachary.locks / www.zachlocksphotography.com

48. West Virginia
> Location: State Capitol, Charleston
> Height: 21 feet

Wisconsin State Capitol / Flickr

49. Wisconsin
> Location: Madison
> Height: 40 feet

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Courtesy of Wyoming's office of tourism

50. Wyoming
> Location: Sinclair
> Height: 80 feet

 

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