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Kennywood
vs
Kings Dominion

On a typical day Kings Dominion queues less: about 13 minutes a ride against 22 at Kennywood, a difference of roughly 9 minutes on every queue you join.

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01 · On a typical day

What you would normally queue.

Averages across recent weeks, so one broken ride or one wet Tuesday cannot decide it. This is the comparison to plan a trip on; the live figures below are the one to act on today.

Kennywood and Kings Dominion compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyKennywoodUnited StatesKings DominionUnited States
Average wait per ride 22 min13 min (best of the two)
Rides with recorded waits 1125 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue Exterminator52 minTumbili25 min
Shortest typical queue SwingShot5 minCarousel4 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is runningNot recorded90%

Averaged across every ride at each park with recorded waits. A ride that never opened is left out, so a park is not flattered by counting a shut ride as a queue of zero.

02 · Right now

Both parks, this minute.

Live queue times at both parks. These fill in as soon as the page loads, and keep updating while you are here.

Kennywood and Kings Dominion compared on live queue times
Right nowKennywoodUnited StatesKings DominionUnited States
Average wait right now --
Rides open --
Opening hours today --
Longest queue --
Shortest queue --

These keep refreshing while this page is open. A closed park posts no waits, so its rows read as dashes rather than zeroes.

Verdict, on a typical day On a typical day Kings Dominion queues less: about 13 minutes a ride against 22 at Kennywood, a difference of roughly 9 minutes on every queue you join.

03 · Choosing

Which one is your day out.

Every line here is earned by one of the figures above - nothing is a generic sentence with a park name dropped into it.

Pick Kennywood if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 22 minutes a ride here against 13 at Kings Dominion - for what Kennywood has that Kings Dominion does not
  • Exterminator is on your list - it is Kennywood's longest typical queue at about 52 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Kennywood's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Kings Dominion if…

  • You want shorter queues: Kings Dominion averages 13 minutes a ride against 22 at Kennywood
  • You want more to do: 25 rides here have recorded wait data against 11 at Kennywood
  • Tumbili is on your list - it is Kings Dominion's longest typical queue at about 25 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Kings Dominion's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Kennywood

Kennywood is a historic traditional amusement park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh. It has been running since 1898 and is a US National Historic Landmark - home to three classic wooden coasters (Thunderbolt, Jack Rabbit, Racer) alongside modern additions like Phantom's Revenge (a steel coaster known for a near-400 ft second drop) and Steel Curtain (part of a Steelers-themed area).

Kennywood's season runs roughly May to October, with peak crowds concentrated on summer weekends, July 4th, and during the Phantom Fright Nights event. Weekdays in June and September stay noticeably calmer. Check live queue times before committing to Phantom's Revenge or Steel Curtain, and use our crowd calendar to pick a quieter day if you want plenty of re-rides.

Kennywood live queue times

Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion sits in Doswell, Virginia, about 25 minutes north of Richmond. The park has one of the strongest regional coaster line-ups on the US East Coast: Intimidator 305 (a 305-foot giga coaster), Twisted Timbers (a Rocky Mountain Construction hybrid), Apple Zapple, Dominator (a 215-foot floorless coaster), and Racer 75. A Soak City water park is included with admission during summer.

Virginia summer school breaks, weekend visits from the DC / Richmond area, and the Halloween Haunt drive Kings Dominion's busiest periods. Weekdays in May, September and October are dramatically calmer. Check live queue times for Intimidator 305 and Twisted Timbers first thing on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek date for shorter waits.

Kings Dominion live queue times

05 · Questions

Kennywood or Kings Dominion?

Which is better, Kennywood or Kings Dominion?

If you are judging on queues, Kings Dominion: it averages about 13 minutes a ride on a typical day against 22 at Kennywood, roughly 9 minutes back on every queue you join. Kennywood has 11 rides with recorded waits against 25 at Kings Dominion.

Which has shorter queues, Kennywood or Kings Dominion?

Kings Dominion, by about 9 minutes a ride. On a typical day Kings Dominion averages 13 minutes against 22 at Kennywood. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Kennywood best time to visit and Kings Dominion best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Kennywood and Kings Dominion in the same trip?

Yes - both parks are in United States, so a two-park trip is realistic over a long weekend. Split the days so you start at whichever opens earliest and drive to the other in the evening.

How many rides does each park have?

See the tables above for ride counts - or jump to Kennywood and Kings Dominion for the full ride lists.

Is Kennywood bigger than Kings Dominion?

By rides we track waits for, Kings Dominion is the bigger day out: 25 rides against 11. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Kings Dominion is the quicker park.

Then pick
the quiet day.

Both parks have a crowd calendar with six weeks of forecast and the best day left to go.

Kennywood calendarKings Dominion calendarCompare other parks
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