That's mostly for efficiency. Imagine going on the top floor and having to wait for 10+ stops on the way up. That said, I think split elevators are more common

That's mostly for efficiency. Imagine going on the top floor and having to wait for 10+ stops on the way up. That said, I think split elevators are more common in commercial buildings. I've seen residential skyscrapers have elevators cover all floors. For example, One Rincon Hill in San Francisco has 3 elevators that all cover all 64 floors.