Location: Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey
Capacity: 1,400 passengers per hour
Estimated cost: $25 million
Kingda Ka, which opened in 2005, is both the world’s tallest and the world’s fastest roller coaster. The hydraulic launch system propels thrill-seekers 45 stories into the sky, speeding from 0 to 128 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds.