No American amusement park is complete without a roller coaster in it. Some of these coasters have unbelievable speed, delivering riders an exhilarating experience. Constructed on steel tracks, they twist and turn at crazy angles and drop from immense heights. Here is a list of the top 10 fastest roller coasters in the U.S., some of which have even ranked in the Guinness Book of World Records.
In addition to being the tallest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka also holds the titles of being the fastest in North America and the second-fastest in the world. The strata coaster offers a hair-raising experience as it takes you 90° up within the blink of an eye. It then returns down for a 270° spiral before winding 129 feet in the shape of a camel hump. Within 3.5 seconds, it picks up an insane speed of 128 mph and takes about 50.6 seconds to complete the entire ride.
Amusement Park: Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey)
Speed: 128 mph (206 km/h)
Height: 456 ft (139 m)
No. of Trains: 4 trains (5 cars in each)
No. of Riders (per train): 18
Height Requirement (for riders): 4 ft 5 in – 6 ft 4 in
Duration: 50.6 seconds
Besides Kingda Ka, Top Thrill Dragster is the only strata coaster in the world. Though 30 seconds may sound short for a ride, it is enough to get your heart pumping. Within a mere 3.8 seconds, it accelerates to reach the top speed of 120 mph. The hydraulic launch allows the roller coaster to instantly sprint up vertically to the top at 420 feet and back down followed by a 280° twist.
On August 2021, a metal plate from the roller coaster detached and hit a woman’s head leading to serious brain injury. This incident compelled the park authorities to keep it closed for an uncertain period of time.
Amusement Park: Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio)
Speed: 120 mph (193 km/h)
Height: 420 ft (128 m)
No. of Trains: 6 trains (5 cars in each)
No. of Riders (per train): 18
Height Requirement (for riders): 4 ft 3 in – 6 ft 5 in
Duration: 30 seconds
This rollercoaster allows riders to enjoy a freefalling experience in the reverse direction. They are launched up at a vertical inclination with Superman-like speed to remain momentarily into the sky at 415 feet height. Even before you can register your mind to take in the views from the top, you will be pulled down backward at a staggering speed of 92 miles per hour, which will leave you to feel dizzy at the end.
Amusement Park: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California
Speed: 100 mph (160.9 km/h)
Height: 415 ft. (126.5 m)
No. of Trains: 2 trains (5 cars in each)
No. of Riders (per train): 20
Height Requirement (for riders): 4 ft
Duration: 28 seconds
Fury 325 is bestowed with the title of the tallest, fastest, and longest giga roller coaster in the world. Located in Carowinds amusement park, the coaster passes over the state line of North Carolina and South Carolina. It features three trains consisting of 32 seats in each that are pulled up to the top of a chain hill at 325 feet. It then descends 81°, followed by a series of loops at a breathtaking 95 mph. A minimum height of 4.5 feet is compulsory for riders to access the ride.
Amusement Park: Carowinds (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Speed: 95 mph (153 km/hr)
Height: 325 ft. (99 m)
No. of Trains: 3 trains (8 cars in each)
No. of Riders (per train): 32
Height Requirement (for riders): 4 ft 6 in
Duration: 3 minutes 25 seconds
The world’s first giga roller coaster, Millennium Force, is also the world’s eighth-fastest and USA’s fifth-fastest having a top speed of 93 mph. Perching immediately at 310 feet, it gives riders a momentary opportunity to view the south shore of Lake Erie and northern Sandusky before diving at an 80° angle. With a maximum speed of 93 mph, it continues racing over hills, past lagoons, and through tunnels, thus completing the entire circuit.
Amusement Park: Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio)
Speed: 93 mph (150 km/h)
Height: 310 ft. (94 m)
No. of Trains: 3 trains (9 cars in each)
No. of Riders (per train): 36
Height Requirement (for riders): 4 ft – 6 ft 6 in
Duration: 2 minutes 20 seconds
A recent addition to Kings Island amusement park, Orion, was opened for public use on July 2, 2020. It’s one of the seven giga coasters in the world. Reaching quickly to the top, it plunges 300 feet at a speed of 91 mph before speeding its way over seven hills along the 5321 feet track.
Amusement Park: Kings Island (Mason, Ohio)
Speed: 91 mph (146 km/h)
Height: 287 feet (87 m)
No. of Trains: 3 trains (8 cars in each)
No. of Riders (per train): 32
Height Requirement (for riders): 4 ft 6 in
Duration: 3 minutes
This steel roller coaster is one of the most intense coasters in the world, having its initial plunge from 300 feet at an 85° angle. The dizzy heights, over-banked curves, insane speed, and the extreme positive G-forces deliver a spine-tingling experience to riders.
Amusement Park: Kings Dominion (Doswell, Virginia)
Speed: 90 mph (145 km/h)
Height: 305 feet (93 m)
No. of Trains: 2 trains (8 cars in each)
No. of Riders (per train): 32
Height Requirement (for riders): 4 ft 6 in – 6 ft 5 in
Duration: 3 minutes
This 245-foot tall hyper roller coaster is found at Six Flags Over Texas amusement park. With 85 mph speed, it drops 245 feet into an underground tunnel and then twists through two consecutive 540° spirals. Though it is often confused with California’s Goliath coaster due to the similar layout, Titan is 10 feet taller and has an additional helix before the mid-course brake.
Amusement Park: Six Flags Over Texas (Arlington, Texas)
Speed: 85 mph (137 km/h)
Height: 245 ft (75 m)
No. of Trains: 3 trains (5 cars in each)
No. of Riders (per train): 30
Height Requirement (for riders): 4 ft
Duration: 4 minutes
Phantom’s Revenge is a unique ride that offers a one-of-a-kind experience. Unlike most roller coasters that start with the largest drop, Phantom’s Revenge has a thrilling second drop that crashes down 232 feet. With a maximum speed of 85 mph, it sprints on a 3,365 feet track that crosses right under another coaster called Thunderbolt.
Amusement Park: Kennywood (West Mifflin, Pennsylvania)
Speed: 85 mph (137 km/h)
Height: No. of Trains: 2 trains (7 cars in each)
No. of Riders (per train): 28
Height Requirement (for riders): 4 ft
Duration: 1 minute 57 seconds
This ’50-themed hyper roller coaster gains a speed of 82 mph in just 2.3 seconds. Its rapid movement of reaching the top at 205 feet and plummeting down 90 degrees makes the one-minute ride unforgettable.
Amusement Park: Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park, California)
Speed: 82 mph (132 km/h)
Height: 205 ft (62 m)
No. of Trains: 2 trains (5 cars in each)
No. of Riders (per train): 20
Height Requirement (for riders): 4 ft 3 in
Duration: 1 minute 2 seconds
Fastest Wooden Roller Coaster: Goliath
Amusement Park: Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois
Speed: 85 mph (137 km/h)
Height: 165 ft (50 m)
No. of Trains: 2 trains (6 cars in each)
No. of Riders (per train): 24
Height Requirement (for riders): 4 ft
Duration: 3 minutes
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