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Theme Parks Near Washington DC: 3 Parks Within 3 Hours

The 3 best theme parks within 3 hours of Washington DC — Kings Dominion is 1.5 hours south, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is 2.5 hours. Live crowd data and best times.

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Parks ranked by drive time from Washington DC

1

Six Flags America

Upper Marlboro, MD

The closest park to DC — a smaller Six Flags property in Maryland. Joker's Jinx and Wild One are the standout rides. Good for a quick day trip but less impressive than the Virginia parks.

Live Waits
30 min 20 mi
2

Kings Dominion

Doswell, VA

Virginia's largest park. Intimidator 305 (giga-coaster, 90 mph), Twisted Timbers (RMC hybrid), and 14 total coasters make this the best thrill park in the mid-Atlantic.

Live Waits Best Time
1h 30m 95 mi
3

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Williamsburg, VA

Voted most beautiful theme park in the US. European country theming, Alpengeist (inverted coaster), and Verbolten — worth the 2.5-hour drive from DC.

Live Waits Best Time
2h 30m 155 mi

Planning your trip from Washington DC

Washington DC visitors have two excellent theme park options within a reasonable drive. Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia is 90 minutes south on I-95 — Virginia's largest park with 14 coasters including Intimidator 305, a 305-foot giga-coaster. Busch Gardens Williamsburg is 2.5 hours south, consistently voted one of the most beautiful parks in the US.

Both Virginia parks run much lighter crowds than DC-area family attractions. A Tuesday in September at Kings Dominion can have Intimidator 305 running under 20 minutes. Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland is technically the closest park to DC (30 minutes), but the coaster lineup there is modest compared to the Virginia parks.

Frequently asked questions

What is the closest theme park to Washington DC? +
Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland is the closest major theme park to Washington DC at approximately 20 miles (30 minutes) from the Capitol. For better coaster options, Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia is 1.5 hours south on I-95 and significantly better than Six Flags America for thrill seekers.
Is Kings Dominion worth visiting from Washington DC? +
Yes. The 90-minute drive from DC to Kings Dominion is well worth it. Intimidator 305 (305-foot giga-coaster at 90 mph) and Twisted Timbers (RMC hybrid woodie) are both world-class rides. The park runs notably lighter crowds than Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and a September weekday visit can yield extremely short lines on everything.
How far is Busch Gardens Williamsburg from DC? +
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is approximately 155 miles (2.5 hours) south of Washington DC via I-95 South. The Colonial Williamsburg historic area is right next to the park, making a Busch Gardens + history trip a natural combination. Many DC visitors make it a weekend trip.