Best states for roller coasters in 2025

For roller coaster enthusiasts, not all states are equal when it comes to thrilling, adrenaline-pumping rides. 

In fact, there seems to be somewhat of a consensus among connoisseurs regarding which states are the best for coasters in 2025, based on both the quantity – and quality – of the rides offered.

Best states for roller coasters in 2025

What they're saying:

Someone posed the question on Reddit’s r/RollerCoasters, and overwhelmingly, users suggested these four states in no particular order:

• California
• Florida
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania

FOX Television Stations asked Sean from the site Coaster Kings (thecoasterkings.com) to rank his favorite states – who similarly listed those four states, along with Texas. The same goes for World of Immersion, a YouTube page on amusement and theme parks, which ranked its top five as California (No. 1), Florida, (No. 2), Ohio (No. 3), Pennsylvania (No. 4) and Texas (No. 5). 

"When it gets to numbers, California has the most permanent coasters by far, with 98," Sean told FOX Television Stations. "Texas is in 2nd place with 66, Florida is 3rd with 61 (thanks to Universal's Epic Universe theme park opening this year), and Pennsylvania is 4th with 59."

"Ohio is in 7th place with 45, but the substance of parks like Cedar Point and Kings Island give it a lot of heft," he added. 

What makes these states great for roller coasters?

California:

The Golden State has the greatest variety, with the world's largest coaster collection at Six Flags Magic Mountain, notable historical coasters at Belmont Park and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, according to Sean with Coaster Kings. It also has thematic coaster experiences at parks like Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood, and not to forget other notable thrilling rides at parks like Knott's Berry Farm, California's Great America, SeaWorld San Diego, and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. 

Florida:

The Sunshine State, mainly Orlando, is often cited as a great state for roller coasters thanks to its impressive collection of world-class theme parks and a great variety of roller coasters. Parks at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort both offer "thrilling and immersive coaster experiences, and parks like Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld Orlando also host quite solid coaster collections," Sean told FOX Television Stations. In 2025, Universal Orlando Resort's new park "Universal Epic Universe" will open and bring notable new coasters "that further solidify Florida as a true coaster destination." 

Ohio:

This state is well-known for its two very large and substantial roller coaster collections at Cedar Point and Kings Island, "which have made Ohio a coaster destination for about as long as people really traveled for them," according to Sean. "Most enthusiasts still consider Cedar Point to have the strongest collection of roller coasters, though we particularly appreciate the balance and quality of the Kings Island collection as well," he told FOX Television Stations. Cedar Point will debut a highly-anticipated tilt coaster in 2025, where an entire piece of track tilts and reconnects vertically onto the drop. 

Pennsylvania:

The man behind TheCoasterKings.com called Hersheypark "the rollercoaster nucleus of Pennsylvania," thanks to its 14 coasters and one of the most well-rounded collections anywhere in the world. Kennywood and Dorney Park each have a solid collection of eight coasters. "Kennywood is most famous for their 3 vintage woodies, whereas Dorney is perhaps most known for their 3 custom B&Ms," Sean told FOX Television Stations. "Knoebels and Waldameer are also must-see parks for the state. Both are family-owned and feature multiple wood coasters and other unique rides."

Texas:

Not to be forgotten is Texas, which offers another fun collection of parks and coasters, Sean said. Seaside amusement parks, including the Galveston Pier and Kemah Boardwalk, have "impressive signature coasters." Parks like Six Flags Over Texas, the original Six Flags park, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and SeaWorld San Antonio all feature several impressive large-scale roller coasters, too. Texas also has a variety of smaller parks located throughout the state with fun coasters, making it have the second-highest number of coasters in the United States. In 2025, Texas "stands strong in the top 5 because Austin's Cotaland at the Circuit of the Americas complex is opening a very noteworthy tilt coaster from Dutch manufacturer Vekoma named ‘Circuit Breaker,’ alongside another impressive steel coaster: Palindrome."

Dig deeper:

When asked what makes a great roller coaster, Sean – who also shares his passion for coasters in a podcast series called Coaster Kings Radio – told FOX Television Stations that it’s about "a balance between innovation, thrill, and immersion."

What they're saying:

"I love a good thrilling steel beast, but at the end of the day, I prefer a coaster that manages to do it all," he said. "Thematic elements are often overlooked by enthusiasts, but if a coaster manages to be polished, unique, themed, AND thrilling, then we have a real winner."

Worst states for roller coasters in 2025

Big picture view:

Roller coaster enthusiasts will likely want to avoid Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii, North Dakota and Alaska when seeking out the best rides. 

Rhode Island, Delaware, and Hawaii lack a permanent coaster of any kind, as do Puerto Rico and D.C., according to TheCoasterKings.com. The only permanent coaster in North Dakota is a "kiddie," and while Alaska has a permanent Zyklon coaster, it only runs during the state fair over two weeks in the summer.