List_of_roller_coaster_records

List of roller coaster rankings

List of roller coaster rankings

Add article description

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]

Formula Rossa, the world's fastest roller coaster.

Amusement parks often compete to build the tallest, fastest, and longest rides to attract thrill seekers and boost overall 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 new 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] Record holder Kingda Ka, the tallest coaster in the world at 456 feet (139 m),[8] has held onto its record since 2005.[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

More information Key, Meaning ...

Height rankings

Tallest steel roller coasters

More information Rank, Name ...

Longest steel roller coaster drops

More information Rank, Name ...

Tallest wooden roller coasters

More information Rank, Name ...

Longest wooden roller coaster drops

More information Rank, Name ...
Kingda Ka, the tallest roller coaster in the world.
Among the tallest wooden coasters in the world, El Toro also features one of the longest drops.
Colossos of Heide Park in Germany, one of the tallest wooden coasters in the world.

Speed rankings

Fastest steel roller coasters

More information Rank, Name ...

Fastest wooden roller coasters

More information Rank, Name ...
Formula Rossa in Abu Dhabi, the fastest roller coaster in the world.
American Eagle opened in 1981 as the fastest roller coaster in the world.
The Voyage, one of the fastest wooden coasters in the world.

Length rankings

Longest steel roller coasters

More information Rank, Name ...


Longest wooden roller coasters

More information Rank, Name ...
Steel Dragon 2000, the longest roller coaster in the world.

Inversion rankings

This listing contains all types of roller coaster inversions.

Steel roller coasters

More information Rank, Name ...

Wooden roller coasters

More information Rank, Name ...

Drop angle rankings

Steel roller coasters

More information Rank, Name ...

Wooden roller coasters

More information Rank, Name ...

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    A shuttle roller coaster, not complete-circuit
  2. [N 2]
    Drop height estimated at 345 ft (105 m) according to TripSavvy.[15]
  3. [N 3]
    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).[16]
  4. [N 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).[20]
  5. [N 5]
    Record was held by The Ultimate from July 1991 – August 2000, with a length of 7,442 feet (2,268 m).[22]

References

  1. [1]
    Harris, Tom. "How Roller Coasters Work". Discovery Communications. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
  2. [2]
    Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Census Report". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  3. [3]
    Martín, Hugo (March 13, 2012). "Thrill ride designers compete to push the limits". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  4. [4]
    "Top Thrill Dragster: The Inside Track on Cedar Point's Landmark Coaster and Potential Final Lap". Theme Park Tourist. March 25, 2022. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  5. [5]
    "It's opening weekend for Cedar Point". Associated Press. May 15, 2009. Archived from the original on May 18, 2009. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
  6. [6]
    "Magnum XL–200 20th anniversary ceremony". PointBuzz. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  7. [7]
    Miller, Danny (July 29, 2013). "Battle Resurgence: Are the Coaster Wars back?". COASTER-net. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  8. [8]
    Marden, Duane. "Kingda Ka  (Six Flags Great Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  9. [9]
    Marden, Duane. "Formula Rossa  (Ferrari World Abu Dhabi)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  10. [10]
    Marden, Duane. "Steel Dragon 2000  (Nagashima Spa Land)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  11. [11]
    Marden, Duane. "The Smiler  (Alton Towers)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  12. [12]
    Marden, Duane. "Steel Record Holders – Height". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
  13. [13]
    astilwell (November 14, 2023). "Intamin Reveals Falcon's Flight Details - Coaster101". Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  14. [14]
    Marden, Duane. "Steel Record Holders – Drop". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  15. [15]
    Levine, Arthur (January 7, 2021). "The 10 Tallest Roller Coasters in the World". TripSavvy. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  16. [16]
    Marden, Duane. "Son of Beast  (Kings Island)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  17. [17]
    Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Height". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  18. [18]
    Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Drop". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  19. [19]
    Marden, Duane. "Record Holders – Steel – Speed". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  20. [20]
    Marden, Duane. "Lightning Rod  (Dollywood)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  21. [21]
    Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Speed". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  22. [22]
    Marden, Duane. "Ultimate  (Lightwater Valley)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  23. [23]
    Marden, Duane. "Record Holders – Steel – Length". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  24. [24]
    Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Length". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  25. [25]
    Marden, Duane. "Steel Record Holders – Most Inversions". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  26. [26]
    Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Most Inversions". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  27. [27]
    Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Drop Angle". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  28. [28]
    Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Drop Angle". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roller coasters.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article List_of_roller_coaster_records, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.