Six Flags Magic Mountain is a 209-acre amusement park in Valencia, California, roughly 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. It originally opened on May 29, 1971, developed by the Newhall Land and Farming Company, and was acquired by Six Flags in 1979. The park operates year-round and drew 3.317 million visitors in 2024.
Long marketed as the ‘Thrill Capital of the World,’ Six Flags Magic Mountain became the first amusement park in history to operate 20 simultaneous roller coasters when Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage debuted in July 2022. As of 2025 the park runs about 18 coasters following the permanent closure of Superman: Escape from Krypton in September 2024, yet still holds multiple world records and ranks among the top thrill destinations in North America.
Stats at a Glance
- Opened: May 29, 1971
- Location: Valencia, California
- Acreage: 209 acres
- Operating Coasters (2025): About 18
- 2024 Attendance: 3.317 million
- Owner: Six Flags (since 1979)
- World Record: First park to operate 20 coasters simultaneously (2022)
A Legacy of World Firsts
Six Flags Magic Mountain has led coaster innovation for five decades. In 1976, Revolution (then called The Great American Revolution) became the first modern 360-degree looping steel coaster in the world. In March 1997, Superman: Escape from Krypton opened as the world’s tallest roller coaster at 415 feet — its top speed of 100 mph tied Tower of Terror at Dreamworld, Australia, which had opened two months earlier in January 1997 as the first coaster ever to break the 100 mph barrier. In 2002, X2 — designed by Arrow Dynamics — debuted as the world’s first fourth-dimension coaster, with independently rotating seats mounted on the ends of each axle. The park’s record-setting streak continued in July 2022 when Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage, built by Rocky Mountain Construction, opened as the world’s tallest and longest single-rail roller coaster at 131 feet and more than 3,300 feet of track.
Signature Rides Worth the Trip
X2 remains one of the most singular coasters anywhere: standing 174 feet tall, reaching 76 mph, and threading 3,609 feet of track while riders spin freely in rotating cars — an experience no other park replicated for years. Twisted Colossus, opened in 2015 and rebuilt by Rocky Mountain Construction on the skeleton of the original wooden Colossus, stretches nearly 5,000 feet and is a Möbius-loop design — both tracks must be completed before riders return to the station — making it the world’s longest racing coaster. Tatsu, a Bolliger and Mabillard flying coaster that launched in 2006, puts riders face-down in a prone position through an elevation change of around 263 feet, ranking among the tallest flying coasters ever constructed.
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Six Flags Magic Mountain FAQs
Where is Six Flags Magic Mountain located?
The park is in Valencia, an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California, about 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
How many roller coasters does Six Flags Magic Mountain have?
As of 2025 the park operates about 18 roller coasters after the permanent closure of Superman: Escape from Krypton in September 2024. It was the first amusement park in history to reach 20 simultaneous coasters, achieving that milestone in 2022.
What is X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain?
X2 is a fourth-dimension roller coaster built by Arrow Dynamics that opened in 2002 as the world’s first of its kind. Riders sit in seats attached to the outer edges of the axle and can rotate 360 degrees independently of the train, reaching 76 mph on a 174-foot layout.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.