How long did it take to build the Empire State Building? The Empire State building is located on Fifth Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets in Manhattan. It took only one year and 45 days to build, or more than seven million man-hours. At peak times, there were as many as 3,400 workers at one time. Visitors can see 80 miles into New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts on a clear day.