Kingda Ka


J1 · Defunct But Not Forgotten

J1 · World Icons US
Kingda Ka
Six Flags Great Adventure · US · Accelerator Coaster (hydraulic launch), 2005
Kingda Ka — Accelerator Coaster (hydraulic launch), Six Flags Great Adventure
UNOFFICIAL · NOT PARK-ENDORSED PHOTO · Jeremy Thompson · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Height 139 m
Speed 206 km/h
Inversions 0
Throughput 1,400est. rph
Build Cost $25est. m
Vintage 2005
LEGENDARY “Jackson had a steel mountain, and Intamin taught it to sprint.”
World Icons № 139/150

J1 · № 139/150

Kingda Ka

Six Flags Great Adventure · US · Intamin Accelerator Coaster (hydraulic launch)

“Jackson had a steel mountain, and Intamin taught it to sprint.”

UNOFFICIAL · NOT PARK-ENDORSED

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Fast facts

  • Kingda Ka was a steel, hydraulically launched Intamin Accelerator Coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. en.wikipedia.org
  • It opened to the public on May 21, 2005. en.wikipedia.org
  • Its height was 139 metres, or 456 feet. en.wikipedia.org
  • Its top speed was 206 km/h, or 128 mph. en.wikipedia.org
  • It had zero inversions and a rated capacity of 1,400 riders per hour. en.wikipedia.org
  • The ride cost $25 million to build. en.wikipedia.org
  • Six Flags confirmed its retirement in November 2024, and the tower was demolished on February 28, 2025. coasterpedia.net

The story of Kingda Ka

In 2005, Six Flags Great Adventure presented Kingda Ka as a grand piece of Jackson engineering. Intamin’s hydraulic launch sent the train from rest to 206 km/h before the tower carried visitors to 139 metres, a height that made the ride the tallest roller coaster in the world when it opened. en.wikipedia.org· intamin.com

The construction was treated as a civic occasion. In January 2005, the tower was topped out, and by May the finished machine stood over the New Jersey park with the confident posture of a modern monument. en.wikipedia.org

For its operating years, Kingda Ka was Great Adventure’s great vertical signature. Its launch, brief course, and high tower made the queue a place of anticipation, with the station dispatching trains toward a climb that visitors could see from across the grounds. coasterpedia.net· static.sixflags.com

Its final season ended in 2024. Six Flags announced that Kingda Ka would be removed to make way for a new record-breaking launch coaster, and the old tower was brought down by controlled implosion on February 28, 2025. cbsnews.com· coasterpedia.net

Sources

This background is AI-drafted from public sources and human-reviewed before publishing — approved 20 August 2026.

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