Top 20 Tallest Rollercoasters In The World: The Definitive List

For any adrenaline-seeker, riding giant roller coasters is a must. Have you ever wondered how tall roller coasters can be? This article will introduce the top 20 tallest roller coasters in the world, giving you the best ride of your life. If you are looking for a comprehensive list of the tallest rollercoasters in the world, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will introduce some most exhilarating rides and review the riding experience. 20 Operating Tallest Rollercoasters In The World The definition of “tallest” can be a bit ambiguous. Before we jump into the next part, we would like to clarify the difference between two terms: Height: The distance between the ground and the highest point of the rollercoaster, usually the top of a drop. Drop: The distance in which the train drops vertically, and thus gives you a feeling of weightlessness. The drop height can be smaller, equal to, or greater than the height of the rollercoaster. In this article, we have arranged the rankings in drop rather than height. This is because the drop is where you actually experience the thrills of riding the rollercoaster. Other factors can affect the experience, such as speed or inversions (loops, corkscrews, barrel rolls, etc.). However, it's essential to remember that everyone's tolerance for thrill and intensity is different. A coaster that may be too intense for one person may be perfect for another. Generally, people with heart or blood pressure problems, under a certain height or over the age of 66, are advised against riding. If unsure, consult a doctor and go for shorter rides first. We would also exclude the non-operation rollercoasters - either under construction or shut down completely. Some of which you might have heard of, like the Falcon’s Flight, the Top Thrill Dragster, or the Tower of Terror II. 20. Diamondback - 66-Metre Drop You’re hard-pressed to find a ride as exciting as this. Photo by FlickreviewR, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Kings Island, Ohio, USA Height: 70 m (230 ft) Drop: 66 m (215 ft) Speed: 130 km/h (80 mph) Duration: 3:00 The cool Diamondback is designed to maximise the amount of airtime, featuring several drops and hills, even a 180-degree turn that will give you vertigo. It also used staggered seating to give riders a better view as they go up in the air. However, the most exciting part about the coaster is the splashdown at the end of the ride. It also has a fantastic smoothness and excellent pacing, according to reviews, so if you have the chance, just try it! 19. Nitro - 66-Metre Drop The Nitro gives you an amazing floating feeling. Photo by Pablo Costa Tirado (…, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey, USA Height: 70 m (230 ft) Drop: 66 m (215 ft) Speed: 130 km/h (80 mph) Duration: 2:20 The Nitro might be lacking in the height department, but it does not disappoint when it comes to thrills. The ride features long airtime, a sharp U-turn, a hammerhead turn, and many hills. It boasts an excellent seating design, so slim and sleek that it makes you feel like you are floating through the air. If you come to Six Flags Great Adventure, consider riding this along with the infamous Kingda Ka, which we will discuss later. 18. Thunder Dolphin - 66-Metre Drop There are not many rollercoasters that pass through buildings like it’s nothing. Photo by Radek Kucharski from Warsaw, Poland, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Tokyo Dome City Attractions, Tokyo, Japan Height: 80 m (260 ft) Drop: 66 m (217 ft) Speed: 130 km/h (81 mph) Duration: 1:30 If you are in Japan, don’t miss out on the Thunder Dolphin. Its design gives an exciting edge to the ride by passing through holes in the LaQua building and the Big O - the world’s first centerless Ferris wheel. Besides the excellent view, the Thunder Dolphin is also a rollercoaster fan favourite. It received great compliments regarding the pacing, the force, and the smooth feeling like gliding in the air. If this doesn’t convince you to give it a chance, we don’t know what does. 17. Silver Star - 67-Metre Drop It’s not the most intense rollercoaster, but it’s still fun. Photo by Jérémy-Günther-Heinz Jähnick / Europa-Park - Silver Star (15) / Wikimedia Commons. Location: Europa-Park, Rust, Germany Height: 73 m (240 ft) Drop: 67 m (220 ft) Speed: 127 km/h (79 mph) Duration: 4:00 A trip is Europ-Park should be on everyone’s list when they come to this beautiful country. It is not the ride for the audacious or those seeking extreme sensations. The Silver Star is designed to be family-friendly. Some even go so far as to say it is the watered-down version of Hyperion. However, this doesn’t mean it is not fun, per se. It still features a lot of airtime hills, some curves, and turnarounds. It would be an exciting ride if you are a first-time rider or don’t fancy hair-raising airtime horror that much. 16. Behemoth - 69-Metre Drop Riding the Behemoth is a treat for adrenaline junkies. Photo by Kotsy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Canada’s Wonderland, Ontario, Canada Height: 80 m (260 ft) Drop: 66 m (217 ft) Speed: 130 km/h (81 mph) Duration: 1:30 What is unique about Behemoth is that it is designed to be aggressive. You can’t possibly be bored on the train, as it is full of surprising changes in direction and height and unexpected forces that can give you whiplash. And numbers show that the designs are, in fact, extreme - in which there are, among many things else, a hairpin 180-degree hammerhead turn, a downward 540-degree helix, and another upward 270-degree helix. It might not be one of the tallest, but it might just give you the thrill ride of your life. 15. Fujiyama - 70-Metre Drop It is not called “The king of roller coasters” without good reasons. Photo by Dick Thomas Johnson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Fuji-Q Highland, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan Height: 79 m (259 ft) Drop: 70 m (230 ft) Speed: 130 km/h (81 mph) Duration: 3:36 “The king of roller coasters”, as many would call it, lie at the iconic landmark of Japan, Mount Fuji. It was once the world’s highest coaster when it debuted in 1996. Now it’s no longer the case, but Fujiyama still boasts one of the highest class specifications in the world. A 70m drop with an unrivalled view of Mt. Fuji is not to be missed. Before you plan to visit the park, it’s advisable to do a weather check. When it rains, most open-air attractions are closed. And your trip can end up being a bit disappointing (and soaking wet). 14. Yukon Striker - 75-Metre Drop This roller coaster is absolutely a must-try if you visit Canada’s Wonderland. Photo by Jason Zhang, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Canada’s Wonderland, Ontario, Canada Height: 68 m (223 ft) Drop: 74.7 m (245 ft) Speed: 130 km/h (81 mph) Duration: 3:25 In terms of design, the Yukon Striker would be excellent for thrill-seekers. Throughout the ride, you would be sent flying and experience the feeling of being untethered and weightless in the air. Overall, an exciting ride. From the start, you would see yourself plunging straight down, a 90-degree fall, into the gaping maw of a water tunnel. After emerging from the tunnel, you would enter two exhilarating Immelmann loops, a zero-gravity roll, a 360-degree vertical loop, some airtime hills and a helix. 13. Titan - 78-Metre Drop The experience of riding the Titan can be a mixed bag. Photo by Jeremy Thompson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Six Flags Over Texas, Texas, USA Height: 75 m (245 ft) Drop: 78 m (255 ft) Speed: 37 km/h (85 mph) Duration: 3:30 Standing at 245 feet high, the coaster is marvellous, like the gods in the Greek mythology. It’s maybe not among the best landmarks in the USA, but it’s the tallest, fastest, and longest coaster in Texas. Look, we don’t want to spoil all the fun, but the experience of riding the Titan can be a bit weird and forced. The pacing might seem peculiar- it is extremely intense to the point of causing blackouts at some point, but the midcourse brakes and helixes are reported to be underwhelming. The Titan would take you through a breathtaking 540-degree spiral, and another 570-degree spiral, which is so intense it could give you blackouts. However, the drop and airtime are rather anti-climatic, and some even coin the nickname “airtime-less hill” because of how disappointing the drop was. 12. Goliath - 78-Metre Drop This Goliath coaster is in California, don’t mistake it for any other Goliaths. Photo by Alton, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Six Flags Magic Mountain, California, USA Height: 72 m (235 ft) Drop: 78 m (255 ft) Speed: 137 km/h) (85 mph) Duration: 3:00 The name can cause a bit of confusion, as there are also Goliath - another steel roller coaster in the Netherlands, and Goliath - a wooden rollercoaster in Illinois, USA. The Goliath we’re talking about is located in Six Flag Magic Mountain, California, so make sure you don’t get that wrong. Goliath tries hard not to terrify the riders, as most apparent in the mid-course trim brake, which slows the train down (and some might not be very happy about it). However, after this break, the train also enters a highly banked helix so intense that it might cause grey outs. 12. Shambhala - 78-Metre Drop This roller coaster doesn’t hold back on the thrills. Photo by Christophe Badoux via Wikimedia Commons. Location: PortAventura Park, Tarragona, Spain Height: 76 m (249 ft) Drop: 78 m (256 ft Speed: 134 km/h (83 mph) Duration: 3:00 The creator of Shambhala surely doesn’t hold back on the hills and midcourse brakes, as there are multiple of them throughout the ride. After an initial 90-degree turn to the right, you would experience a 77.4-degree drop, followed by five camel-back hills, a figure-eight-shaped helix, and an ampersand turn. On the way, it interestingly crosses paths with Dragon Khan, another rollercoaster in the same park, multiple times. At the end of the ride, the train enters a splashdown section, but instead of heading straight into the water, water jets shoot up as it passes by. 11. Coaster Through The Clouds - 78-Metre Drop If you are looking for a less intense coaster, this one is it. Photo by Martin Lewison, CC BY-SA 2.0, via coasterpedia.net. Location: Nanchang Sunac Land, Jiangxi, China Height: 74 m (243 ft) Drop: 78 m (255 ft) Speed: 136 km/h (84.5 mph) Duration: 4:12 Painted green and red, perhaps to resemble the traditional Chinese dragon of old, Coaster Through The Clouds is a signature spot all on its own. It has a 78-metre drop, precluded by a pre-drop that is sure to give you a fun time. Generally, the experience falls under the “acceptable” category. Most people say that it’s not too good, but not too bad either. Nevertheless, the tallest roller coaster in China is always worth a try. Remember to visit other notable attractions once you have the chance to visit China. 10. Hyperion - 82-Metre Drop If you are looking for a less intense coaster, this one is it. Photo by Alex234, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Energylandia, Zator, Poland Height: 76 m (249 ft) Drop: 82 m (269 ft) Speed: 142 km/h (88 mph) Duration: 2:50 Being the second tallest rollercoaster in all of Europe, Hyperion is a ride to look forward to. It included several hills and turns, as well as an inversion. Along the track runs a water feature, which surrounds it on both sides. It is incredibly smooth at the first two-thirds of the ride, but the final part might be a bit rough. It is also not the most “head-spinning to the point of blacking out” rollercoaster out there, but on the other hand, this makes it suitable for everyone. If you are planning a trip to Europe, you can check our packing checklist & tips for a smooth journey. 9. Orion - 91-Metre Drop The Orion was voted the “Best New Amusement Park Attraction” in a USA Today poll. Photo by Airtime Thrills Raw Footage, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Kings Island, Ohio, USA Height: 87 m (287 ft) Drop: 91 m (300 ft) Speed: 146 km/h (91 mph) Duration: 3:00 Notice something strange in the stats? One unique feature of the Orion is how its drop is taller than its height. This is because while the peak of the lift hill is 87 metres tall above ground level, the bottom of the first drop is below ground level, allowing for a 91-metre drop. In 2020, the Orion was voted the “Best New Amusement Park Attraction” in a USA Today poll. The highlight of the ride would be the famous “Orion Belt”, in which the riders are taken on a head-spinning spiral that can take their breath (and temporary vision) away. 8. Intimidator 305 - 91.4-Meter Drop This roller coaster surely lives up to its name. Photo by Ben Schumin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Kings Dominion, Virginia, USA Height: 93 m (305 ft) Drop: 91.4 m (300 ft ) Speed: 145 km/h (90 mph) Duration: 3:00 Interesting fact: The racing theme and the name Intimidator 305 were inspired by the late NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, whose nickname was “The Intimidator”. The 305 is a reference to its height. It even has Earnhardt’s signature and a Chevy logo painted on the front. When it was first opened, the ride was reported to be so intense that it caused several “grey out” or “blackout” incidents. The passengers partially or fully lost their vision completely during the ride. Due to these complaints, the ride has then been re-adjusted to make it more public-friendly (although some thrill seekers love the blackout or grey out sessions). 7. Millennium Force - 91-Metre Drop The Millenium Force has everything you look for in a roller coaster. Photo by Eric Marshall, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Sandusky, Ohio, USA Height: 94 m (310 ft) Drop: 91 m (300 ft) Speed: 50 km/h (93mph) Duration: 2:20 The Millenium Force is somewhat of a household name in the rollercoaster world. Upon its debut, it was declared the world’s first giga coaster at that time and created a media buzz. There has been no official list comparing the views from rollercoasters (so far), but if there is, Millenium Force would certainly take one of the first places. From the train, you can observe the scenery as it runs along Sandusky Bay and then heads towards an island in the park. The whole journey consists of two tunnels, three overbanked turns, four hills, and a highlight of a 300 ft 80-degree drop. The ride is reported to bring about an intense experience of weightlessness and rapid movements like no other. It is also claimed to be smooth and well-paced, which should earn it a top contender position on your bucket list. 6. Leviathan - 93.3-Meter Drop Experience the most intense twists and turns on the Leviathan. Photo by Jason Zhang, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Canada’s Wonderland, Ontario, Canada Height: 93.3 m (306 ft) Drop: 93.3 m (306 ft) Speed: 148 km/h (92 mph) Duration: 3:28 Not to be confused with the other Leviathan wooden roller coaster in SeaWorld, Queensland, Australia, this rollercoaster is a steel roller coaster located in Ontario, Canada. First making its debut in 2012, it still holds the record of being the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in Canada. The ride has received positive reviews since its opening, frequently using words like “smooth”, “excellent pacing”, and “thrilling”. Appropriately named after the fearsome Biblical sea monster, the ride is full of exhilarating curves and turns that are guaranteed to make your stomach drop. 5. Steel Dragon 2000 - 93.5-Meter Drop The Steel Dragon 2000 is certainly not for the faint-hearted. Photo by Alpsdake, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Nagashima Spa Land, Mia Prefecture, Japan Height: 97 m (328 ft) Drop: 93.5 m (307 ft) Speed: 152.9 km/h (95 mph) Duration: 4:00 Opened in the year 2000, the name Steel Dragon is as fitting as it is cool, as the year 2000 represents the dragon in the Lunar zodiac calendar. Since then, it has been the reigning champion as the world’s longest roller coaster with a total length of 2,419 metres (8,133 feet). This rollercoaster is sure to give you a head-spinning adrenaline rush, going over a massive double-helix turnaround, two over 70 metres of airtime hills, and a series of tunnels and bunny hops. It is not for the faint-hearted surely, but if you are looking for a challenge, you know where to find it. 4. Fury 325 - 98-Metre Drop The Fury 325 promises a smooth and amazing ride. Photo by Martin Lewison, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Carowinds Amusement Park, North Carolina, USA Height: 99 m (325 ft) Drop: 98 m (320 ft) Speed: 153 km/h (95 mph) Duration: 3:25 While it’s far from being the tallest, the notorious Fury 325 proudly claims the title of the longest steel coaster in North America. Its incredible length, which is over 2km, allows for a significantly longer ride compared to many of its peers. The most awesome part of the ride, perhaps, is that after a 90m (158ft) high barrel turn and a high-speed S-curve, the train would head straight towards the park’s main entrance to fly smoothly over it. It is packed with thrilling twists and turns that would make some people’s stomachs churn. Then, it would take a breathtaking 91-angle horseshoe turn, only to dive straight under the same entrance. This certainly makes for a sight to behold! 3. Superman - Escape from Krypton - 100-Metre Drop Fly towards the sky like Superman with this roller coaster. Photo by Jeremy Thompson from United States of America, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Location: Six Flags Magic Mountain, California, USA Height: 126 m (415 ft) Drop: 100 m (328 ft) Speed: 160.9 km/h (100 mph) Duration: 0:28 Previously known as Superman: The Escape, this spectacular ride was originally opened in 1997. In the period 2010 - 2013, it was closed intermittently to undergo some major reconstructions and additions to make the ride more fun and exciting. This rollercoaster was meticulously designed with many interesting features, including backwards-launching cars, and two drop towers. It also has an impressive and fitting design, which pays homage to Superman lore. Once you get on the train, you will be launched backwards, reaching the speed of 160 km/h within seven mere seconds. Then, you would be propelled forward. The shuttle trains have been adjusted so you face the ground instead of the sky when going up. Hence, it really enhances the feeling of being suspended in midair. 2. Red Force - 112-Metre Drop Experience the full sensation of riding a LaFerrari road car. Photo by ThomasPA34, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Location: PortAventura World, Catalonia, Spain Height: 112 m (367 ft) Drop: 112 (367 ft) Speed: 180 km/h (112 mph) Duration: 0:39 Opened in 2017, Red Force is crowned as the highest rollercoaster in Europe. Like the name, it has a signature colour of bright red. It is promised by PortAventura World to bring riders the same experience as being in an F1 racing car due to its design and seating. If you embark on the Red Force, the ride will go like this: From the station, you will go down the launch track, which gives the coaster a chance to accelerate to 180 km/h. Then, you would climb vertically to go over the top hat, the highest point of the rollercoaster. After descending, the train would go up a small airtime hill before stopping. 1. Kingda Ka - 127-Metre Drop Be ready to enjoy the ride of your life. Photo by Dusso Janladde, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey, USA Height: 139 m (456 ft) Drop: 127 m (418 ft) Speed: 206 km/h (128 mph) Duration: 0:50 Kingda Ka is the world’s official highest and fastest rollercoaster. If you just love the feeling of being launched straight up to the top in the blink of an eye (3.5 seconds if we are being specific), and then falling right back down in a terrifying 270-degree spiral, then the Kingda Ka is for you. The layouts and experience of Kingda Ka surely fulfil the requirement of making it as thrilling as possible. However, there are also reviews of the train shuddering and staggering a bit at the end of the ride, which might make it anti-climatic for some. Pick Your Ride To The Sky So that’s about it! We’ve told you about the 20 tallest roller coasters in the world have to offer. Next time when you look for a thrilling, adrenaline-inducing ride, you know where to find them. If you find this article helpful, send it to your friends or loved ones so you can enjoy one of these exciting rides together. Thanh Huyen