List of roller coaster rankings

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Looking along Formula Rossa's launch track where a train is being launched
Formula Rossa, the world's fastest roller coaster.

Roller coasters are amusement rides developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. During the 16th and 17th centuries, rides consisting of wooden sleds that took riders down large slides made from ice were popular in Russia. The first roller coasters, where the train was attached to a wooden track, appeared in France in the early 1800s.[1] Although wooden roller coasters are still being produced, steel roller coasters are more common and can be found on every continent except Antarctica.[2]

Ranked by height, speed, length, inversions, and steepness, roller coasters are also rated through public opinion polls. Amusement parks often compete to build the tallest, fastest, and longest rides to attract thrill seekers and boost overall park attendance.[3] However, many records do not usually last long. When Magnum XL-200 opened in 1989, it began a new era of roller coasters and increased competition among parks to set new world records. The Magnum XL–200 was the first complete-circuit roller coaster built over 200 feet (61 m).[4][5] Other notable roller coasters include Formula Rossa which reaches a top speed of 149 miles per hour (240 km/h),[6] Kingda Ka which stands at 456 feet (139 m) tall,[7] Steel Dragon 2000 which measures 8,133 feet (2,479 m) in length.[8] and The Smiler which features fourteen inversions.

Key[]

Key
Key Meaning
1 Record holder
** Under construction
* Still exists but not operating

Height rankings[]

Tallest steel roller coasters[]

Tallest steel roller coasters[9]
Rank Name Park Country Height Manufacturer Record held
1 Kingda Ka Six Flags Great Adventure  United States 456 ft (139 m) Intamin May 2005 – present
2 Top Thrill Dragster Cedar Point  United States 420 ft (130 m) Intamin May 2003 – May 2005
3 Superman: Escape from Krypton[note 1] Six Flags Magic Mountain  United States 415 ft (126 m) Intamin March 1997 – May 2003
4 Red Force Ferrari Land  Spain 367.3 ft (112.0 m) Intamin N/A
5 Fury 325 Carowinds  United States 325 ft (99 m) Bolliger & Mabillard N/A
6 Steel Dragon 2000 Nagashima Spa Land  Japan 318.3 ft (97.0 m) Morgan N/A
7 Millennium Force Cedar Point  United States 310 ft (94 m) Intamin N/A
8 Leviathan Canada's Wonderland  Canada 306 ft (93 m) Bolliger & Mabillard N/A
9 Intimidator 305 Kings Dominion  United States 305 ft (93 m) Intamin N/A
10 Orion Kings Island  United States 287 ft (87 m) Bolliger & Mabillard N/A

Longest steel roller coaster drops[]

Longest steel roller coaster drops[10]
Rank Name Park Country Drop length Manufacturer Record held
1 Kingda Ka Six Flags Great Adventure  United States 418 ft (127 m) Intamin May 2005 – present
2 Top Thrill Dragster Cedar Point  United States 400 ft (120 m) Intamin May 2003–2005
3 Red Force Ferrari Land  Spain Unknown Intamin N/A
4 Superman: Escape from Krypton[note 1] Six Flags Magic Mountain  United States 328.1 ft (100.0 m) Intamin March 1997 – May 2003
5 Fury 325 Carowinds  United States 320 ft (98 m) Bolliger & Mabillard N/A
6 Steel Dragon 2000 Nagashima Spa Land  Japan 306.8 ft (93.5 m) D. H. Morgan Manufacturing N/A
7 Leviathan Canada's Wonderland  Canada 306 ft (93 m) Bolliger & Mabillard N/A
8 Intimidator 305 Kings Dominion  United States 300 ft (91 m) Intamin N/A
Millennium Force Cedar Point  United States 300 ft (91 m) Intamin N/A
Orion Kings Island  United States 300 ft (91 m) Bolliger & Mabillard N/A

Tallest wooden roller coasters[]

Tallest wooden roller coasters[note 2][note 3][13]
Rank Name Park Country Height Manufacturer Record held
1 T Express Everland  South Korea 183.8 ft (56.0 m) Intamin June 2009 – present
Wildfire Kolmården Wildlife Park  Sweden 183.8 ft (56.0 m) Rocky Mountain Construction June 2016 – present
3 El Toro Six Flags Great Adventure  United States 181 ft (55 m) Intamin N/A
4 Goliath Six Flags Great America  United States 165 ft (50 m) Rocky Mountain Construction N/A
5 Colossos - Kampf der Giganten Heide Park  Germany 164 ft (50 m) Intamin N/A
6 The Voyage Holiday World & Splashin' Safari  United States 159 ft (48 m) The Gravity Group N/A
7 Hades 360 Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park  United States 136 ft (41 m) The Gravity Group N/A
8 Wodan Timbur Coaster Europa-Park  Germany 131.2 ft (40.0 m) Great Coasters International N/A
9 Le Monstre La Ronde  Canada 130.9 ft (39.9 m) Martin & Vleminckx N/A
10 American Eagle Six Flags Great America  United States 127 ft (39 m) Intamin N/A

Longest wooden roller coaster drops[]

Longest wooden roller coaster drops[note 3][14]
Rank Name Park Country Drop length Manufacturer Record held
1 Goliath Six Flags Great America  United States 180 ft (55 m) Rocky Mountain Construction June 2014 – present
2 El Toro Six Flags Great Adventure  United States 176 ft (54 m) Intamin June 2009 – June 2014
3 Outlaw Run Silver Dollar City  United States 162 ft (49 m) Rocky Mountain Construction N/A
4 Wildfire Kolmården Wildlife Park  Sweden 160.8 ft (49.0 m) Rocky Mountain Construction N/A
5 Colossos - Kampf der Giganten Heide Park  Germany 159.1 ft (48.5 m) Intamin N/A
6 The Voyage Holiday World & Splashin' Safari  United States 154 ft (47 m) The Gravity Group N/A
7 T Express Everland  South Korea 150.9 ft (46.0 m) Intamin N/A
8 The Boss Six Flags St. Louis  United States 150 ft (46 m) Custom Coasters International N/A
9 American Eagle Six Flags Great America  United States 147 ft (45 m) Intamin May 1981 – May 1991
10 The Beast Kings Island  United States 141 ft (43 m) Kings Island April 1979 – May 1981

Gallery[]

  • View from the ground up the 456-foot-tall structure of Kingda Ka

    Kingda Ka, the tallest roller coaster in the world.

  • An overview of the Mean Streak roller coaster in the background with the Maverick roller coaster in the foreground

    Mean Streak opened as the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world in 1991.

  • An overview of the station and lift hill of Colossos at Heide Park

    Colossos of Heide Park in Germany, one of the tallest wooden roller coasters in the world.

Speed rankings[]

Fastest steel roller coasters[]

Fastest steel roller coasters[15]
Rank Name Park Country Speed Manufacturer Record held
1 Formula Rossa Ferrari World Abu Dhabi  United Arab Emirates 149.1 mph (240.0 km/h) Intamin November 2010 – present
2 Kingda Ka Six Flags Great Adventure  United States 128 mph (206 km/h) Intamin May 2005 – November 2010
3 Top Thrill Dragster Cedar Point  United States 120 mph (190 km/h) Intamin May 2003 – May 2005
4 Do-Dodonpa Fuji-Q Highland  Japan 111.8 mph (179.9 km/h) S&S December 2001 – May 2003
Red Force Ferrari Land  Spain 111.8 mph (179.9 km/h) Intamin N/A
6 Superman: Escape from Krypton[note 1] Six Flags Magic Mountain  United States 100 mph (160 km/h) Intamin March 1997 – December 2001
* Ring Racer Nürburgring  Germany 99.4 mph (160.0 km/h) S&S N/A
7 Steel Dragon 2000 Nagashima Spa Land  Japan 95 mph (153 km/h) Morgan N/A
Fury 325 Carowinds  United States 95 mph (153 km/h) Bolliger & Mabillard N/A
9 Millennium Force Cedar Point  United States 93 mph (150 km/h) Intamin N/A
10 Leviathan Canada's Wonderland  Canada 92 mph (148 km/h) Bolliger & Mabillard N/A

Fastest wooden roller coasters[]

Fastest wooden roller coasters[note 3][note 4][17]
Rank Name Park Country Speed Manufacturer Record held
1 Goliath Six Flags Great America  United States 72 mph (116 km/h) Rocky Mountain Construction June 2014 – June 2016
September 2020 – present
2 Wildfire Kolmården Wildlife Park  Sweden 71.5 mph (115.1 km/h) Rocky Mountain Construction N/A
3 El Toro Six Flags Great Adventure  United States 70 mph (110 km/h) Intamin June 2009 – June 2014
4 Colossos - Kampf der Giganten Heide Park  Germany 68.4 mph (110.1 km/h) Intamin N/A
5 Outlaw Run Silver Dollar City  United States 68 mph (109 km/h) Rocky Mountain Construction N/A
6 The Voyage Holiday World & Splashin' Safari  United States 67 mph (108 km/h) The Gravity Group N/A
7 The Boss Six Flags St. Louis  United States 66.3 mph (106.7 km/h) Custom Coasters International April 2000 – May 2000
8 American Eagle Six Flags Great America  United States 66 mph (106 km/h) Intamin May 1981 – April 2000
9 The Beast Kings Island  United States 64.8 mph (104.3 km/h) Kings Island April 1979 – May 1981
10 T Express Everland  South Korea 64.6 mph (104.0 km/h) Intamin N/A

Gallery[]

  • An overview of El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure

    El Toro, formerly the fastest wooden roller coaster in the world.

  • A train ascending American Eagle's lift hill

    American Eagle opened as the fastest wooden roller coaster in the world in 1981.

Length rankings[]

Longest steel roller coasters[]

Longest steel roller coasters[18]
Rank Name Park Country Length Manufacturer Record held
1 Steel Dragon 2000 Nagashima Spa Land  Japan 8,133 ft (2,479 m) D. H. Morgan Manufacturing August 2000 – present
* The Ultimate Lightwater Valley  United Kingdom 7,442 ft (2,268 m) British Rail July 1991 – August 2000
2 Fujiyama Fuji-Q Highland  Japan 6,709 ft (2,045 m) TOGO N/A
3 Fury 325 Carowinds  United States 6,602 ft (2,012 m) Bolliger & Mabillard N/A
4 Millennium Force Cedar Point  United States 6,595 ft (2,010 m) Intamin N/A
5 Formula Rossa Ferrari World Abu Dhabi  United Arab Emirates 6,562 ft (2,000 m) Intamin N/A
6 Incredicoaster Disney California Adventure  United States 6,072 ft (1,851 m) Intamin N/A
* Desperado Buffalo Bill's  United States 5,843 ft (1,781 m) Arrow Dynamics N/A
7 Steel Vengeance Cedar Point  United States 5,740 ft (1,750 m) Rocky Mountain Construction N/A
8 Mamba Worlds of Fun  United States 5,600 ft (1,700 m) D. H. Morgan Manufacturing N/A
Steel Force Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom  United States 5,600 ft (1,700 m) D. H. Morgan Manufacturing N/A

Gallery[]

Longest wooden roller coasters[]

Longest wooden roller coasters[19]
Rank Name Park Country Length Manufacturer Record held
1 The Beast Kings Island  United States 7,359 ft (2,243 m) Kings Island April 1979 – present
2 The Voyage Holiday World & Splashin' Safari  United States 6,442 ft (1,964 m) The Gravity Group N/A
3 T Express Everland  South Korea 5,383.8 ft (1,641.0 m) Intamin N/A
4 Shivering Timbers Michigan's Adventure  United States 5,383 ft (1,641 m) Custom Coasters International N/A
5 Jupiter Kijima Amusement Park  Japan 5,249 ft (1,600 m) Intamin N/A
6 Python in Bamboo Forest Nanchang Wanda Theme Park  China 5,111 ft (1,558 m) Great Coasters International N/A
7 Wood Coaster Knight Valley  China 4,817 ft (1,468 m) Great Coasters International N/A
8 Hades 360 Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park  United States 4,746 ft (1,447 m) The Gravity Group N/A
9 Boulder Dash Lake Compounce  United States 4,725 ft (1,440 m) Custom Coasters International N/A
10 American Eagle Six Flags Great America  United States 4,650 ft (1,420 m) Intamin N/A

Inversion rankings[]

This listing contains all types of roller coaster inversions.

Steel roller coasters[]

Most inversions on a steel roller coaster[20]
Rank Name Park Country Inversions Manufacturer Record held
1 The Smiler Alton Towers  United Kingdom 14 Gerstlauer May 2013 – present
** Eleventh Roller Coaster Great Xingdong Tourist World  China 11 Hebei Zhongye N/A
2 10 Inversion Roller Coaster Chimelong Paradise  China 10 Intamin February 2006 – May 2013
Altair Cinecittà World  Italy Intamin N/A
Colossus Thorpe Park  United Kingdom Intamin March 2002 – May 2013
Crazy Coaster Locajoy Holiday  China Intamin N/A
Velikolukskiy Myasokombinat-2 Wonder Island  Russia Intamin N/A
* LightSpeed Wonderland Eurasia  Turkey 10 Intamin N/A
** unknown Flamingo Land  United Kingdom 10 Intamin N/A
7 Avalancha Xetulul  Guatemala 8 Intamin N/A
Dragon Khan PortAventura Park  Spain Bolliger & Mabillard May 1995 – March 2002
Steel Curtain Kennywood  United States S&S - Sansei Technologies N/A
** unknown Mirabilandia  Brazil 8 Intamin N/A

Wooden roller coasters[]

Most inversions on a wooden roller coaster[note 3][21]
Rank Name Park Country Inversions Manufacturer Record held
1 Outlaw Run Silver Dollar City  United States 3 Rocky Mountain Construction March 2013 – present
Wildfire Kolmården Wildlife Park  Sweden Rocky Mountain Construction June 2016 – present
3 Goliath Six Flags Great America  United States 2 Rocky Mountain Construction N/A
4 Hades 360 Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park  United States 1 The Gravity Group N/A
Jungle Trailblazer Oriental Heritage, Ningbo  China Martin & Vleminckx Rides N/A
Jungle Trailblazer Oriental Heritage, Wuhu  China Martin & Vleminckx Rides N/A
Jungle Trailblazer Oriental Heritage, Jinan  China Martin & Vleminckx Rides N/A
Mine Blower Fun Spot America: Kissimmee  United States The Gravity Group N/A

Notes[]

  1. ^ a b c A shuttle roller coaster, not complete-circuit
  2. ^ Record was held by The Rattler from March 1992 – May 2000, with a height of 179.7 feet (54.8 m).[11]
  3. ^ a b c d Record was held by Son of Beast from May 2000 – June 2009. It had a height of 218 feet (66 m), a drop distance of 214 feet (65 m) and a maximum speed of 78 mph (126 km/h).[12]
  4. ^ Record was held by Lightning Rod from June 2016 – September 2020, before its conversion into a steel roller coaster. It had a drop distance of 165 feet (50 m) and a maximum speed of 73 mph (117 km/h).[16]

References[]

  1. ^ Harris, Tom. "How Roller Coasters Work". Discovery Communications. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
  2. ^ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Census Report". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  3. ^ Martín, Hugo (March 13, 2012). "Thrill ride designers compete to push the limits". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  4. ^ "It's opening weekend for Cedar Point". Associated Press. May 15, 2009. Archived from the original on May 18, 2009. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
  5. ^ "Magnum XL–200 20th anniversary ceremony". PointBuzz. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  6. ^ Marden, Duane. "Formula Rossa  (Ferrari World Abu Dhabi)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  7. ^ Marden, Duane. "Kingda Ka  (Six Flags Great Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  8. ^ Marden, Duane. "Steel Dragon 2000  (Nagashima Spa Land)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  9. ^ Marden, Duane. "Steel Record Holders – Height". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
  10. ^ Marden, Duane. "Steel Record Holders – Drop". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  11. ^ Marden, Duane. "Iron Rattler  (Six Flags Fiesta Texas)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  12. ^ Marden, Duane. "Son of Beast  (Kings Island)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  13. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Height". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  14. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Drop". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  15. ^ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders – Steel – Speed". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  16. ^ Marden, Duane. "Lightning Rod  (Dollywood)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  17. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Speed". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  18. ^ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders – Steel – Length". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  19. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Length". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  20. ^ Marden, Duane. "Steel Record Holders – Most Inversions". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  21. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Most Inversions". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 11, 2012.

External links[]

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