The Ultimate Race To The Sky: 5 Tallest Roller Coasters In The World (Including The Shocking 640-Foot Future King)

The world of extreme thrill rides is undergoing a seismic shift in late 2025. For nearly two decades, the title of the world’s tallest roller coaster belonged to the towering 456-foot structure of Kingda Ka, but a new era of sky-scraping dominance is emerging. As of this current date, December 12, 2025, the record for the tallest *operational* roller coaster has been claimed by a renovated American icon, while construction is rapidly progressing on a revolutionary new "Exa-Coaster" in the Middle East that will shatter the 600-foot barrier and redefine the limits of human-made height.

This article dives into the dramatic, three-way battle for the record: the legendary past, the current operational champion, and the mind-blowing future of height. We will explore the technical specifications, the historical context, and the shocking news surrounding the closure of one of the most famous roller coasters ever built, making way for the next generation of record-breaking giants.

The Reign of the Giants: A Roller Coaster Biography List

The record for the world's tallest roller coaster is a title coveted by amusement parks globally. The race has led to the creation of three distinct classifications based on height: Hyper Coasters (200–299 ft), Giga Coasters (300–399 ft), and Strata Coasters (400–499 ft). Now, a new classification, the Exa-Coaster, is set to debut. Here is a list of the most important record holders and contenders, detailing their height, speed, and location.

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• Falcon's Flight (Future King)
  • Height: ~640 feet (~195 m)
  • Speed: ~155 mph (~250 km/h)
  • Location: Six Flags Qiddiya City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Status: Under Construction, Expected Late 2025
  • Classification: Exa Coaster (First in the World)
• Kingda Ka (Former Record Holder—Closed)
  • Height: 456 feet (139 m)
  • Speed: 128 mph (206 km/h)
  • Location: Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey, USA
  • Status: Permanently Closed/Demolished (Early 2025)
  • Classification: Strata Coaster
• Top Thrill 2 (Current Operational Champion)
  • Height: 420 feet (128 m)
  • Speed: 120 mph (193 km/h)
  • Location: Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, USA
  • Status: Operational (Opened May 2024)
  • Classification: Strata Coaster
• Red Force
  • Height: 436 feet (133 m)
  • Speed: 112 mph (180 km/h)
  • Location: Ferrari Land, Salou, Spain
  • Status: Operational
  • Classification: Strata Coaster
• Formula Rossa (World's Fastest)
  • Height: 171 feet (52 m)
  • Speed: 149 mph (240 km/h)
  • Location: Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi, UAE
  • Status: Operational
  • Classification: Launched Coaster (Holds the World's Fastest Record)

The End of an Era: Kingda Ka's Demolition and Retirement

For almost two decades, the most common answer to "What is the tallest roller coaster in the world?" was unequivocally Kingda Ka. Located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, this Intamin-manufactured behemoth opened in 2005 and immediately claimed the record for both height and speed (though it was later surpassed in speed by Formula Rossa in 2010).

Kingda Ka was the quintessential Strata Coaster, a term coined for any roller coaster reaching 400 to 499 feet in height. Its 456-foot launch tower was a landmark, utilizing a powerful hydraulic launch system to propel riders to 128 mph in just 3.5 seconds. The sheer vertical climb and 418-foot drop made it a pilgrimage site for thrill-seekers worldwide.

Why Kingda Ka is Closing

In a move that shocked the amusement park community, Six Flags Great Adventure confirmed that Kingda Ka is being permanently removed from the park. Reports indicate that the ride ceased operations without an official warning before its final closure. The ride was confirmed to be demolished and removed in early 2025, with park management citing the expensive nature of maintaining the complex hydraulic launch system and the desire to use the prime real estate for new, multi-record-breaking attractions in 2025 and 2026.

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With Kingda Ka's official retirement, the title of the world's tallest roller coaster (based on the highest point of the structure) is now in a state of transition, shifting the focus entirely to the new generation of giants.

The Current Champion: Top Thrill 2 and the Strata Coaster Class

With Kingda Ka out of the picture, the spotlight shines on the new contender for the tallest operational roller coaster: Top Thrill 2 at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.

Top Thrill 2 is a re-imagining of the park’s former record-holder, Top Thrill Dragster. While the original Dragster was also a Strata Coaster that reached 420 feet, the new version, which opened in May 2024, features a completely new ride experience.

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The updated ride replaces the old hydraulic launch with a modern LSM (Linear Synchronous Motor) launch system, which allows the train to launch forwards, then backwards up a new vertical spike, and finally forwards again over the top hat. The ride now hits its maximum height of 420 feet multiple times during the circuit, making it the tallest operational roller coaster in the world as certified by Guinness World Records for a steel coaster.

The other major operational contender is Red Force at Ferrari Land in Spain, which stands slightly taller than Top Thrill 2 at 436 feet but is generally considered a close runner-up in the Strata Coaster class.

The Future of Fear: Falcon's Flight, The World's First Exa-Coaster

The current height records are about to be absolutely obliterated by a new project under construction in the Middle East. The future of the world's tallest roller coaster belongs to Falcon's Flight, set to open in late 2025 at the Six Flags Qiddiya City park near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Falcon's Flight is not just breaking the 400-foot Strata Coaster barrier; it is set to become the world's first-ever Exa-Coaster, a new classification for any coaster surpassing 600 feet (183 meters).

Unprecedented Specifications and Technology

Manufactured by the Swiss company Intamin (the same manufacturer behind Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster), Falcon’s Flight will be a triple-record holder: the world's tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster.

• Height: The final structure is expected to reach an astonishing 639-640 feet.
• Speed: Riders will accelerate to a top speed of 155 mph, narrowly beating the current speed record holder, Formula Rossa (149 mph).
• Length: The track will stretch over 13,000 feet (about 4 kilometers), making it the longest roller coaster in the world.
• The Canyon Drop: The ride’s most unique element will be a 519-foot vertical drop that dives straight into a natural canyon.

The sheer scale of Falcon's Flight is a testament to the ambition of the Qiddiya City entertainment complex. It utilizes a state-of-the-art magnetic launch system and will feature three separate launches across its massive layout, offering a ride time that is significantly longer than the quick, intense bursts of its Strata Coaster predecessors. Its development represents a major leap in roller coaster engineering, pushing the limits of what structural integrity and speed can achieve.

The Evolving Landscape of Extreme Thrill Rides

The quest for the tallest roller coaster is a continuous cycle of innovation. From the first 200-foot Hyper Coaster, Magnum XL-200, to the 400-foot Strata Coasters like Kingda Ka and Top Thrill 2, and now to the upcoming 600-foot Exa-Coaster, the boundaries of fear and engineering are constantly being redrawn.

While Kingda Ka's reign has come to an end, its legacy paved the way for the next generation of giants. For thrill enthusiasts planning their next adventure, the focus is now squarely on the newly renovated Top Thrill 2 in Ohio and the groundbreaking Falcon's Flight in Saudi Arabia. The late 2025 opening of the world’s first Exa-Coaster promises to be a monumental moment, ushering in a new golden age of record-breaking, sky-high thrills.