On September 11, 2001, five buildings in New York City fully collapsed as a direct result of the attacks, and several others were later demolished because they were too damaged to save.

Core World Trade Center losses

At the World Trade Center site itself, the following were destroyed:

  • 1 World Trade Center (North Tower) – fully collapsed after being hit by American Airlines Flight 11.
  • 2 World Trade Center (South Tower) – fully collapsed after being hit by United Airlines Flight 175.
  • 3 World Trade Center (Marriott World Trade Center hotel) – largely destroyed by debris and fire; what remained was later razed.
  • 4 World Trade Center and 5 World Trade Center – severely damaged by falling debris and fires; both were later demolished.
  • 7 World Trade Center – not hit by a plane but suffered fire‑induced structural failure and collapsed later that afternoon; it was also a total loss.

So the World Trade Center complex effectively lost all seven of its main buildings , either in the collapses or in subsequent demolition.

Other NYC buildings affected

Beyond the WTC, FEMA’s assessment lists 56 buildings in New York City as damaged or destroyed in some way by the attacks:

  • 5 fully collapsed (the five WTC buildings noted above).
  • 3 partially collapsed.
  • 11 with major structural damage.
  • 37 with moderate damage.

This includes nearby office towers, churches, and infrastructure such as pedestrian bridges and parts of the underground concourse.

Simple answer to “how many destroyed?”

If you mean completely destroyed or later demolished , the clearest answer is:

  • At least 5 buildings fully collapsed on 9/11 in NYC (1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 World Trade Center).
  • All seven original WTC buildings were ultimately destroyed or razed due to the attack’s effects.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.