Cedar Point in Ohio has been named the most extreme amusement park in America for thrill seekers, according to new research analysing roller coaster performance and ride intensity across the United States.
The study, conducted by Solitaired, ranked amusement parks based on factors including the number of thrill and extreme roller coasters, maximum ride height, speed, drops and inversions. Researchers combined the data to produce a final “daredevil score” out of 100.
Cedar Point secured first place with a score of 99.65, ahead of Six Flags Magic Mountain in California and Kings Island in Ohio. The findings highlight the growing competition among US amusement parks to attract visitors seeking increasingly high-speed and technically advanced rides.
Researchers found that Cedar Point’s dominance was driven largely by its extensive roller coaster offering and the presence of Top Thrill 2, currently one of the tallest and fastest coasters in the country. The ride reaches 420 feet, features a 400-foot drop and achieves speeds of 120 mph.
The Ohio-based park operates 18 roller coasters in total, with 16 categorised as thrill or extreme rides.
Six Flags Magic Mountain ranked second with a score of 94.02. Located in California, the park has 17 roller coasters, including 15 classed as thrill or extreme attractions. Its signature ride, Goliath, reaches 235 feet and travels at speeds of up to 85 mph.
Kings Island completed the top three with a score of 92.48. The Ohio park offers 15 roller coasters, including 11 thrill-focused rides. Its tallest coaster, Orion, reaches 287 feet and records a 300-foot drop while achieving speeds of 91 mph.
Regional parks compete with larger theme park brands
The research also highlighted the strong performance of regional amusement parks, several of which outperformed internationally recognised entertainment destinations.
Carowinds in North Carolina ranked fourth with a score of 92.12. The park’s Fury 325 coaster reaches 325 feet and travels at 95 mph, helping secure its place among the country’s most extreme parks.
Kings Dominion in Virginia followed closely in fifth place with a score of 91.61. The park features 13 roller coasters, including 11 thrill or extreme attractions. Pantherian, its tallest coaster, reaches 305 feet with a 300-foot drop and speeds of 90 mph.
Six Flags Great America in Illinois ranked sixth, earning a score of 91.39. The park operates 16 roller coasters, 14 of which were categorised as thrill or extreme rides. Raging Bull remains one of its standout attractions, reaching 202 feet with a 208-foot drop.
Hersheypark in Pennsylvania secured seventh place with a score of 90.12. The park features 14 roller coasters, including 13 thrill-oriented rides. Candymonium, its tallest coaster, stands at 210 feet and reaches speeds of 76 mph.
Six Flags Over Texas placed eighth with a score of 90.06. The Arlington-based park operates 13 roller coasters, with Titan serving as its largest attraction at 245 feet tall and speeds of 85 mph.
Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey ranked ninth, scoring 88.89, while Six Flags New England completed the top 10 with a score of 87.61.
Neal Taparia, co-founder of Solitaired, said the findings demonstrate how thrill-focused parks continue to differentiate themselves through investment in larger and faster attractions.
“For a lot of people, amusement parks are about the whole day out, but for daredevils, the roller coasters are usually the main event. What stands out here is that Cedar Point is still very hard to beat. The park does not just have a lot of coasters, it has several genuinely extreme rides, including Top Thrill 2, which reaches 420 feet and 120 mph.
“It is also interesting to see Six Flags Magic Mountain landing second place. The park has a huge number of thrill and extreme coasters, and that really helps it stand out, even without having the tallest ride in the top 10.
“The ranking also shows that this is not only about one famous coaster. Parks that scored highly tend to have a strong mix of height, speed, drops and ride variety, which is exactly what thrill seekers are usually looking for. And the parks with the highest daredevil scores are not necessarily the ones with the biggest marketing budgets. Parks like Carowinds and Kings Dominion consistently invest in extreme ride lineups, and for pure thrill seekers, that matters more than brand recognition.
“For anyone planning a trip around roller coasters, it is worth looking past the biggest theme park names and focusing on the ride lineup itself. Some parks are built much more clearly around thrill rides, and that is where daredevils are likely to get the most out of a visit.”
