The Top 10 Tallest Roller Coasters In The World
From the primitive Russian ice slides of the 17th century to the gravity-defying steel marvels of today, roller coasters have always been a source of excitement and exhilaration. With towering drops and heart-pounding loops, rollercoasters offer thrills like nothing else most of us have known, and with each passing year these adrenaline-inducing attractions get bigger and taller and faster as amusement parks compete to attract thrill seekers and boost attendance.
The ten steel roller coasters featured here are the tallest currently operating coasters in the world. If you’re a serious roller coaster aficionado, then you know that the big daddy of them all was the 456-foot Kingda Ka at Six Flags in New Jersey, which closed down for good in November 2024. Second to that was the 420-foot Top Thrill 2 at Cedar Point in Ohio, which is temporarily closed until 2025. The third, which will eventually top this list, is the under-construction Falcons Flight in Saudi Arabia.
For now, though, and until the next big thing comes along, these ten coasters tower over all the rest, and we think you’ll agree that sometimes bigger is better!
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1. Superman: Escape from Krypton – Six Flags Magic Mountain, California, USA
Since its opening in 1997 at the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park in Valencia, California, the Superman: Escape from Krypton roller coaster has lost and regained its title as the world’s tallest operating coaster. Coming in at a whopping 415 feet in height, the ride features two parallel tracks with cars facing either forwards or backwards at launch, depending on which track the rider chooses. With a g-force of 4.5 during launch and about 6.5 seconds of weightlessness in the vertical section, this one is definitely not for the faint of heart!
2. Red Force – PortAventura World, Spain
Although a full 48 feet shorter than #1 on this list at 367 feet, the Red Force roller coaster at PortAventura World in Spain is the tallest “full-circuit” coaster in the world. It’s also the fastest, with a maximum speed of 112 mph, which it achieves right after launch in just 5 seconds. Similar to Superman, Red Force executes a vertical climb, but instead of hitting a dead end at the top and coming back down the same way it went up, this one goes up and over the “top hat” feature at the apex, twisting as it goes so the train doesn’t invert, and comes back down the other side.
3. Fury – Carowinds, North Carolina, USA
Consistently ranked as the “world’s best steel coaster” in the annual Golden Ticket Awards published by Amusement Today magazine since its opening in 2015, the 325-foot tall Fury roller coaster at Carowinds in North Carolina reaches a top speed of 95 mph in its initial drop, then winds through high speed curves and passes over and under the park’s main entrance. It has the unique distinction of crossing the North Carolina and South Carolina state line twice during it’s three and a half minute run. It’s also the tallest overall that uses a traditional lift hill, that first section of upward-sloping track that gets it to its max height.
4. Steel Dragon 2000 – Nagashima Spa Land, Japan
The fourth tallest operating roller coaster in the world at a height of 318 feet is the Steel Dragon 2000, located at Nagashima Spa Land amusement park in Japan. Built in 2000, this 8,133 ft long coaster is the longest in the world, and like the Fury above, it also features a traditional lift hill. Because of Japan’s susceptibility to earthquakes, extra steel was used in its design, driving up construction costs but also ensuring the safety of its riders. Much of the extra steel can be seen here in the coaster’s lift hill and subsequent camelback hills, giving it the look of a traditional wooden roller coaster.
5. Millennium Force – Cedar Point, Ohio, USA
Coming in at a respectable 310 feet is Cedar Point’s Millennium Force roller coaster in Sandusky, Ohio, built in the year 2000. In addition to its 300-foot drop from the cable-lift hill, the coaster features two tunnels, three overbanked turns and three other hills. A bit shorter in length than some of the other coasters featured here, at 2 minutes and 20 seconds, and despite records it set at the time of its launch having been broken by subsequent coasters, it’s still a rider favorite and continues to rank high in various polls.
6. Leviathan – Canada’s Wonderland, Ontario, Canada
At 306 feet tall, the Leviathan roller coaster at Canada’s Wonderland amusement park near Toronto is the country’s tallest and fastest. Named for a giant sea serpent of Greek mythology, Leviathan takes riders on a three and half minute ride down a steep 80-degree drop and through a series of high-speed turns, curves, and hills. In addition to being the tallest coaster in Canada, it’s also the highest spot in the park, so riders may want to take advantage of the view from the top of the lift hill before the real thrills begin.
7. Pantherian – Kings Dominion, Virginia, USA
Originally named Intimidator 305 after racing legend Dale Earnhardt (who was known as The Intimidator), the Pantherian is a 305-foot tall roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Virginia. When the ride opened in 2010, the G-forces created by it’s high speed and fast turn at the bottom of the first drop were so high that some riders complained of greyouts or blackouts, so modifications were made to widen the turn during its first off-season. It stands to reason the ride had a NASCAR racing theme originally, but because of licensing issues all ties to Earnhardt and racing were removed in 2024, including the name.
8. Orion – King’s Island, Ohio, USA
At a height of 287 feet and a max speed of 91 mph, the Orion roller coaster at King’s Island in Ohio is no small potatoes! It’s one of only seven giga coasters in the world, a class of roller coasters having a height or drop of 300 feet or more. Opening in 2020, it’s the newest of our “ten tallest” and was constructed in an area of the park previously occupied by the flying rollercoaster Firehawk. The popularity of this new coaster was established with its win for 2020 “Best New Amusement Park Attraction” in a USA Today reader poll.
9. Thunder Dolphin – Tokyo Dome City, Tokyo, Japan
At 262 feet tall at its highest point, the Thunder Dolphin coaster comes in at #9 on the list of the world’s ten tallest operating roller coasters. It’s one of three Japan-based rides on this list, however its real claim to fame is the fact that part of the coaster’s track passes through the center of the Big-O, the world’s first hubless Ferris wheel (pictured here with the Thunder Dolphin). The track also passes through a hole in the LaQua building. Like many of these super-tall high-speed coasters, it too suffered a closure for a time when a young girl was injured from a falling bolt in 2010. The ride didn’t reopen until 2013.
10. Fujiyama – Fuji-Q Highland, Japan
Named after the iconic Japanese volcano Mount Fuji, the 259-foot tall Fujiyama roller coaster at the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Japan, opened in 1996 and at the time was the world’s tallest coaster, had the largest drop, and was the fastest. All of these records were broken within a few years, however, but to this day still holds a pretty impressive spot among the biggest and best coasters worldwide.
So, thrill-seekers, there you have it – the world’s tallest roller coasters, at least for now. Records are broken every year as new ones are built and older ones shut down, but if there are any in this list above that you haven’t yet ridden, then best get moving and plan your next trip, because adventure waits for no one!
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