List of roller coaster rankings
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Roller coasters are amusement rides developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. Early iterations during the 16th and 17th centuries, which were popular in Russia, were wooden sleds that took riders down large slides made from ice. The first roller coasters that attached a train to a wooden track appeared in France in the early 1800s.[1] Although wooden roller coasters are still being produced, steel roller coasters, introduced in the mid-20th-century, became more common and can be found on every continent except Antarctica.[2]
Amusement parks often compete to build the tallest, fastest, and longest rides to attract thrill seekers and boost park attendance.[3] Ranked by height, speed, length, and number of inversions, roller coasters often became the focal point for competing parks. Computer-simulated models led to innovations that produced more intense thrills while improving quality and durability.[4] The debut of Magnum XL-200 in 1989 at Cedar Point introduced the first complete-circuit roller coaster to exceed 200 feet (61 m),[5][6] marking a pivot point in the industry.[4] The new era, sometimes referred to as the Coaster Wars,[4] saw increasing competition as parks sought to be the latest to break world records, with some only lasting a year or less.[7]
The pace of competition eventually slowed, however.[4][7] Former record holder Kingda Ka, the previous tallest coaster in the world at 456 feet (139 m),[8] held onto its record from 2005 until its closure in 2024.[4][7] Other notable coasters include Formula Rossa, the world's fastest, which reaches a top speed of 149 mph (240 km/h),[9] Steel Dragon 2000, the world's longest, measuring 8,133 feet (2,479 m),[10] and The Smiler which features fourteen inversions.[11]
Key
| Key | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Record holder |
| ** | Under construction |
| * | Still exists but not operating |
Height rankings
Tallest steel roller coasters
Longest steel roller coaster drops
Tallest wooden roller coasters
| 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 | — |
| 4 | Goliath | Six Flags Great America | United States |
165 ft (50 m) | Rocky Mountain Construction | — |
| 5 | Colossos - Kampf der Giganten | Heide Park |  Germany |
164 ft (50 m) | Intamin | — |
| 6 | The Voyage | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | United States |
159 ft (48 m) | The Gravity Group | — |
| 7 | Hades 360 | Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park | United States |
136 ft (41 m) | The Gravity Group | — |
| 8 | Wodan Timbur Coaster | Europa-Park | Germany |
131.2 ft (40.0 m) | Great Coasters International | — |
| 9 | Le Monstre | La Ronde |  Canada |
130.9 ft (39.9 m) | Martin & Vleminckx | July 1985 – March 1990 |
| 10 | American Eagle | Six Flags Great America | United States |
127 ft (39 m) | Intamin | May 1981 – July 1985 |
Longest wooden roller coaster drops
Gallery
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Speed rankings
Fastest steel roller coasters
Fastest wooden roller coasters
Gallery
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Length rankings
Longest steel roller coasters
Longest wooden roller coasters
| Rank | Name | Park | Country | Length | Manufacturer | Record held |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Beast | Kings Island | United States |
7,361 ft (2,244 m) | Kings Island | April 1979 – present |
| 2 | The Voyage | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | United States |
6,442 ft (1,964 m) | The Gravity Group | — |
| 3 | T Express | Everland | South Korea |
5,383.8 ft (1,641.0 m) | Intamin | — |
| 4 | Shivering Timbers | Michigan's Adventure | United States |
5,383 ft (1,641 m) | Custom Coasters International | — |
| 5 | Jupiter | Kijima Amusement Park |  Japan |
5,249 ft (1,600 m) | Intamin | — |
| 6 | Python in Bamboo Forest | Nanchang Sunac Land |  China |
5,111 ft (1,558 m) | Great Coasters International | — |
| 7 | Wood Coaster | Knight Valley | China |
4,817 ft (1,468 m) | Great Coasters International | — |
| 8 | Hades 360 | Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park | United States |
4,746 ft (1,447 m) | The Gravity Group | — |
| 9 | Boulder Dash | Lake Compounce | United States |
4,725 ft (1,440 m) | Custom Coasters International | — |
| 10 | American Eagle | Six Flags Great America | United States |
4,650 ft (1,420 m) | Intamin | — |
Gallery
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Inversion rankings
Summarize
Perspective
This listing contains all types of roller coaster inversions.
Steel roller coasters
| 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 | — |
| 2 | 10 Inversion Roller Coaster | Chimelong Paradise | China |
10 | Intamin | February 2006 – May 2013 |
| Altair | Cinecittà World |  Italy |
Intamin | — | ||
| Colossus | Thorpe Park | United Kingdom |
Intamin | March 2002 – May 2013 | ||
| Crazy Coaster | Locajoy Holiday | China |
Intamin | — | ||
| Velikolukskiy Myasokombinat-2 | Wonder Island |  Russia |
Intamin | — | ||
| Sik | Flamingo Land | United Kingdom |
Intamin | — | ||
| * | LightSpeed | Wonderland Eurasia |  Turkey |
10 | Intamin | — |
| ** | AlpenFury | Canada's Wonderland | Canada | 9 | Premier Rides | — |
| 8 | Avalancha | Xetulul |  Guatemala |
8 | Intamin | — |
| Dragon Khan | PortAventura Park |  Spain |
Bolliger & Mabillard | May 1995 – March 2002 | ||
| * | Steel Curtain | Kennywood | United States |
8 | S&S - Sansei Technologies | — |
| ** | unknown (formerly known as Monte Makaya) | Mirabilandia |  Brazil |
8 | Intamin | January 1998 – March 2002 |
Wooden roller coasters
| 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 | — |
| 4 | Hades 360 | Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park | United States |
1 | The Gravity Group | — |
| Jungle Trailblazer | Oriental Heritage, Ningbo | China |
Martin & Vleminckx Rides | — | ||
| Jungle Trailblazer | Oriental Heritage, Wuhu | China |
Martin & Vleminckx Rides | — | ||
| Jungle Trailblazer | Oriental Heritage, Jinan | China |
Martin & Vleminckx Rides | — | ||
| Mine Blower | Fun Spot America: Kissimmee | United States |
The Gravity Group | — |
Drop angle rankings
Steel roller coasters
| Rank | Name | Park | Country | Drop angle | Manufacturer | Record held |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * | TMNT Shellraiser | Nickelodeon Universe | United States |
121.5° | Gerstlauer | October 2019 – January 2024 |
| 1 | Takabisha | Fuji-Q Highland | Japan |
121.0° | Gerstlauer | 15 July 2011 – October 2019, January 2024 – Present |
| 2 | Green Lantern Coaster | Warner Bros. Movie World |  Australia |
120.5° | S&S Worldwide | — |
| 3 | Crazy Bird | Happy Valley Tianjin | China |
120.0° | S&S Worldwide | — |
| 4 | Cannibal | Lagoon | United States |
116.0° | Lagoon Corporation | — |
| 5 | Timber Drop | Fraispertuis City |  France |
113.0° | S&S Worldwide | 2 July 2011 – 14 July 2011 |
| 6 | Mumbo Jumbo | Flamingo Land Resort | United Kingdom |
112.0° | S&S Worldwide | July 2009 – 1 July 2011 |
| 7 | Steel Hawg | Indiana Beach | United States |
111.0° | S&S Worldwide | July 2008 – July 2009 |
| 8 | Defiance | Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park | United States |
102.3° | Gerstlauer | — |
| 9 | Monster | Adventureland | United States |
101.0° | Gerstlauer | — |
| Toutatis | Parc Astérix | France |
Intamin | — |
Wooden roller coasters
| Rank | Name | Park | Country | Drop angle | Manufacturer | Record held |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switchback | ZDT's Amusement Park | United States |
87.0° | Gravitykraft Corporation | October 2015 – present |
| 2 | Goliath | Six Flags Great America | United States |
85.0° | Rocky Mountain Construction | June 2014 – October 2015 |
| 3 | Wildfire | Kolmården Wildlife Park | Sweden |
83.0° | Rocky Mountain Construction | — |
| 4 | Outlaw Run | Silver Dollar City | United States |
81.0° | Rocky Mountain Construction | March 2013 – June 2014 |
| 5 | T Express | Everland | South Korea |
77.0° | Intamin | March 2008 – March 2013 |
| 6 | El Toro | Six Flags Great Adventure | United States |
76.0° | Intamin | June 2006 – March 2008 |
| 7 | Balder | Liseberg | Sweden |
70.0° | Intamin | April 2003 – June 2006 |
| 8 | Voyage | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | United States |
66.0° | Gravitykraft Corporation | — |
| 9 | Hades 360 | Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park | United States |
65.0° | Gravitykraft Corporation | — |
| Cú Chulainn | Emerald Park |  Ireland |
Gravitykraft Corporation | — |
Notes
- A shuttle roller coaster, not complete-circuit
- Record was held by Tower of Terror II[note 1] from January 1997 – March 1997, with a height of 377.3 feet (115.0 m).[12]
- Record was held by Superman: Escape from Krypton[note 1] from March 1997 – May 2003, with a height of 415 feet (126 m).[13]
- Record was held by Tower of Terror II[note 1] from January 1997 – May 2003 and Superman: Escape from Krypton[note 1] from March 1997 – May 2003, with a drop distance of 328.1 feet (100.0 m).[12][13]
- 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).[18]
- Record was held by Tower of Terror II[note 1] from January 1997 – December 2001 and Superman: Escape from Krypton[note 1] from March 1997 – December 2001, with a maximum speed of 100.0 mph (160.9 km/h).[12][13]
- Record was held by Do-Dodonpa from December 2001 – May 2003. It had a maximum speed of 106.9 mph (172.0 km/h).[21]
- 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).[24]
- Record was held by The Ultimate from July 1991 – August 2000, with a length of 7,442 feet (2,268 m).[26]
- Record was held by Son of Beast from May 2000 – July 2006, with 1 inversion. The vertical loop was removed in the 2006/2007 offseason following its July 2006 accident.[18]
References
External links
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