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Kennywood
vs
Six Flags Darien Lake

On a typical day Six Flags Darien Lake queues less: about 16 minutes a ride against 34 at Kennywood, a difference of roughly 18 minutes on every queue you join.

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 Six Flags Darien Lake compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyKennywoodUnited StatesSix Flags Darien LakeUnited States
Average wait per ride 34 min16 min (best of the two)
Rides with recorded waits 12 (best of the two)10
Longest typical queue Exterminator70 minViper26 min
Shortest typical queue Aero 36013 minBoomerang4 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running95% (best of the two)66%

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 Six Flags Darien Lake compared on live queue times
Right nowKennywoodUnited StatesSix Flags Darien LakeUnited 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 Six Flags Darien Lake queues less: about 16 minutes a ride against 34 at Kennywood, a difference of roughly 18 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 - 34 minutes a ride here against 16 at Six Flags Darien Lake - for what Kennywood has that Six Flags Darien Lake does not
  • You want more to do: 12 rides here have recorded wait data against 10 at Six Flags Darien Lake
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Kennywood's rides run 95% of opening hours against 66% at Six Flags Darien Lake
  • Exterminator is on your list - it is Kennywood's longest typical queue at about 70 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Kennywood's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Six Flags Darien Lake if…

  • You want shorter queues: Six Flags Darien Lake averages 16 minutes a ride against 34 at Kennywood
  • Viper is on your list - it is Six Flags Darien Lake's longest typical queue at about 26 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Six Flags Darien Lake'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

Six Flags Darien Lake

Six Flags Darien Lake sits in Darien Center, New York, between Buffalo and Rochester. The coaster line-up includes Ride of Steel (a 208-foot hyper coaster from Intamin), Tantrum (a 98-foot Eurofighter), Motocoaster launched coaster, Predator wooden coaster, and the classic Viper stand-up. A Hurricane Harbor water park and a camping resort operate on the same property.

Western New York school holidays, US summer weekends and the Fright Fest event drive Darien Lake's peak crowds. Weekdays in May, September and early October stay dramatically quieter. Check live wait times for Ride of Steel and Tantrum on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek visit - many rides run near walk-on levels on quieter mornings.

Six Flags Darien Lake live queue times

05 · Questions

Kennywood or Six Flags Darien Lake?

Which is better, Kennywood or Six Flags Darien Lake?

If you are judging on queues, Six Flags Darien Lake: it averages about 16 minutes a ride on a typical day against 34 at Kennywood, roughly 18 minutes back on every queue you join. Kennywood has 12 rides with recorded waits against 10 at Six Flags Darien Lake. Kennywood also runs its rides more reliably - 95% of opening hours against 66%.

Which has shorter queues, Kennywood or Six Flags Darien Lake?

Six Flags Darien Lake, by about 18 minutes a ride. On a typical day Six Flags Darien Lake averages 16 minutes against 34 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 Six Flags Darien Lake best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Kennywood and Six Flags Darien Lake 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 Six Flags Darien Lake for the full ride lists.

Is Kennywood bigger than Six Flags Darien Lake?

By rides we track waits for, Kennywood is the bigger day out: 12 rides against 10. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Six Flags Darien Lake 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.