An internal combustion engine with coolant jackets is provided. The internal combustion engine includes a cylinder head coupled to a cylinder block to form a first cylinder, an upper head-associated coolant jacket including a coolant conduit traversing the cylinder head, a lower head-associated coolant jacket fluidly separated from the upper cylinder head coolant jacket and including a coolant conduit traversing the cylinder head vertically below the upper head-associated coolant jacket, and a block-associated coolant jacket including, a first coolant passage having an inlet in fluidic communication with a coolant pump outlet and an outlet in fluidic communication with an inlet of the lower head-associated coolant jacket, and a second coolant passage having an inlet in fluidic communication with an outlet of the lower head-associated coolant jacket and an outlet in fluidic communication with a heat exchanger.