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Kennywood
vs
Six Flags Great America

On a typical day Kennywood queues less: about 22 minutes a ride against 24 at Six Flags Great America, a difference of roughly 2 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 Great America compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyKennywoodUnited StatesSix Flags Great AmericaUnited States
Average wait per ride 22 min (best of the two)24 min
Rides with recorded waits 1123 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue Exterminator52 minWrath of Rakshasa48 min
Shortest typical queue SwingShot5 minRue Le Dodge6 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is runningNot recorded74%

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 Great America compared on live queue times
Right nowKennywoodUnited StatesSix Flags Great AmericaUnited 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 Kennywood queues less: about 22 minutes a ride against 24 at Six Flags Great America, a difference of roughly 2 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 want shorter queues: Kennywood averages 22 minutes a ride against 24 at Six Flags Great America
  • 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 Six Flags Great America if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 24 minutes a ride here against 22 at Kennywood - for what Six Flags Great America has that Kennywood does not
  • You want more to do: 23 rides here have recorded wait data against 11 at Kennywood
  • Wrath of Rakshasa is on your list - it is Six Flags Great America's longest typical queue at about 48 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Six Flags Great America'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 Great America

Six Flags Great America sits in Gurnee, Illinois, between Chicago and Milwaukee. The coaster line-up includes Maxx Force (with one of the world's fastest inversions), X Flight wing coaster, Goliath (a Rocky Mountain Construction wooden coaster), Raging Bull, American Eagle duelling wooden coaster, and Batman: The Ride. A Hurricane Harbor water park is included during summer.

Illinois and Wisconsin school holidays, Chicago-area weekend visits, and the popular Fright Fest event drive Six Flags Great America's busiest periods. Weekdays in May, June, September and October are dramatically quieter. Check live wait times for Maxx Force and Goliath on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a lower-crowd midweek date for shorter queues.

Six Flags Great America live queue times

05 · Questions

Kennywood or Six Flags Great America?

Which is better, Kennywood or Six Flags Great America?

If you are judging on queues, Kennywood: it averages about 22 minutes a ride on a typical day against 24 at Six Flags Great America, roughly 2 minutes back on every queue you join. Kennywood has 11 rides with recorded waits against 23 at Six Flags Great America.

Which has shorter queues, Kennywood or Six Flags Great America?

Kennywood, by about 2 minutes a ride. On a typical day Kennywood averages 22 minutes against 24 at Six Flags Great America. 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 Great America best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Kennywood and Six Flags Great America 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 Great America for the full ride lists.

Is Kennywood bigger than Six Flags Great America?

By rides we track waits for, Six Flags Great America is the bigger day out: 23 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 Kennywood 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.

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