Kingda Ka, Steel roller coaster in Jackson, United States
Kingda Ka is a steel roller coaster in Jackson that launches hydraulically through the amusement park, reaching 139 meters (456 feet) above ground. The track extends 950 meters (3118 feet) and features a vertical spiral after the highest point.
Intamin completed the ride in 2005, creating worldwide benchmarks for height and speed among roller coasters. Since then it remains one of the most recognized examples of hydraulic launch high-speed attractions.
Screams and cheers accompany every launch as onlookers line the barriers to watch the trains vanish within seconds. Families return repeatedly to witness other riders' reactions and share this experience together.
Riders must meet a minimum height requirement of 137 centimeters (54 inches) to experience the hydraulic launch accelerating from zero to 206 kilometers per hour (128 miles per hour). Windy days can lead to operational interruptions, while wait times grow considerably longer during weekends and holidays.
The descent after the summit includes a vertical spiral twist while simultaneously incorporating a safety system in case trains roll backward during ascent. This design ensures every ride completes safely even when unexpected conditions occur.
Location: New Jersey
Official opening: May 21, 2005
Height: 139 m
Length: 950.4 m
GPS coordinates: 40.13972,-74.43472
Latest update: December 3, 2025 08:27
This collection brings together roller coasters designed to push the limits of speed and engineering. The attractions feature diverse technologies, from hybrid wooden and steel structures to fully metallic constructions. The courses include multiple inversions, nearly vertical drops at angles close to 90 degrees, and speeds exceeding 87 miles per hour (140 km/h). Some models utilize the natural terrain to create prolonged acceleration sensations. Participating parks are located across several continents. In North America, Cedar Point in Ohio houses Steel Vengeance with its four inversions at 75 miles per hour (120 km/h), while Kings Dominion in Virginia offers Intimidator 305 with its steep descent at 53 degrees. In Europe, PortAventura in Spain hosts Shambhala, which peaks at 250 meters (820 feet), and Alton Towers in the UK features The Smiler with its fourteen inversions. Asia also has notable rides like T-Express at Everland in South Korea, spanning nearly 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) across hilly terrain.
This collection brings together some of the most technically ambitious structures ever built, from record-breaking skyscrapers and suspension bridges to high-speed roller coasters that push the boundaries of what steel and concrete can achieve. These sites span continents and represent decades of engineering progress, offering visitors a chance to experience human innovation at heights and speeds that were once impossible. Whether you're standing on the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, walking across the glass floor panels of the CN Tower in Toronto, or racing through the launch sequence of Kingda Ka in New Jersey, each structure tells a story of technical ambition and problem-solving. The collection includes landmarks like the 324-meter Eiffel Tower in Paris, completed for the 1889 World Exhibition, and modern marvels such as Tokyo Skytree, which rises 634 meters above the city. You'll find the Millau Viaduct spanning the Tarn River valley in France at a height of 336 meters (1,100 feet), the tilted medieval bell tower in Pisa leaning at a 3.97-degree angle, and Russia's SkyBridge suspended between mountain peaks at 2,320 meters (7,600 feet) elevation. These places attract millions of visitors each year, offering not just views and thrills but a firsthand understanding of what modern engineering can accomplish when designers set out to build something exceptional.
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