Data Centers in Virginia

166 data centers in Northern Virginia (2019)
166 data centers in Northern Virginia (2019)
Source: Baxtel, Northern Virginia Colocation & Data Center Market

In 2019, Virginia had 186 data centers. Of those, 166 were concentrated in Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, and Fauquier counties.

Only five were west of the Blue Ridge in Norton, Blacksburg, Covington, Waynesboro, plus two in Harrisonburg. There were individual data centers in Culpeper, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Mecklenburg. Virginia Beach had three others, and the remaining eight were near Richmond.1

The top data center provider was Digital Realty Trust, operating 30 facilities occupying over 3 million gross square feet (including space for offices as well as servers). All were in Northern Virginia, the "Data Center Alley" that had evolved into an ecosystem providing the world's largest data center market.

Equinix controlled 16 data centers occupying over 1 million gross square feet, all in Northern Virginia. The company's Asburn Campus was the largest data center complex in Virginia. Connectivity there was key. Customers located in one of the nine buildings, with a total of nearly 600,0000 gross square feet, could be connected directly to any other customer even if they were located in another building.

The QTS data center in Henrico County's in the White Oak Technology Park was the second-largest complex in the state. The three buildings were located at the former Qimonda semiconductor plant, which used to manufacture memory chips.2

Fiber Alley in Loudoun County includes multiple data centers west of Loudoun County Parkway and north of Waxpool Road
"Fiber Alley" in Loudoun County includes multiple data centers west of Loudoun County Parkway and north of Waxpool Road
Source: ESRI, ArcGis Online

By 2021, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) claimed that Virginia was "The World's Largest Data Center Market" because:3

Data centers operating in Virginia benefit from densely packed fiber backbones and a massive network of data centers that currently move an estimated 70% of the world’s internet traffic daily, as well as an advantageous cost environment centered on a competitive tax rate, affordable and abundant electricity (with rapidly expanding renewable power options), and competitive construction costs.

Electricity Transmission in Virginia

Prince William Digital Gateway

Virginia and the Internet

data centers often require construction of new transmission lines to deliver electricity
data centers often require construction of new transmission lines to deliver electricity

Links

data center west of Haymarket
data center west of Haymarket
Source: Historic Prince William, Aerial Photo Survey 2019

in 2021, data centers in Virginia were concentrated in Northern Virginia and the Richmond area
in 2021, data centers in Virginia were concentrated in Northern Virginia and the Richmond area
Source: Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), Data Centers in Virginia

References

1. "Virginia Data Centers and Colocation," Baxtel, https://baxtel.com/data-center/virginia (last checked December 4, 2019)
2. QTS Richmond, Baxtel, https://baxtel.com/data-center/qts-richmond; "Equinix Ashburn Campus," Baxtel, https://baxtel.com/data-center/equinix-ashburn-campus; "QTS Plans Huge Virginia Data Center," Data Center Knowledge, April 5, 2010, https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2010/04/05/qts-plans-huge-virginia-data-center (last checked December 4, 2019)
3. "Data Centers," Virginia Economic Development Partnership, https://www.vedp.org/industry/data-centers (last checked December 27, 2021)

electrical substations are concentrated in Northern Virginia to serve both the residential and commercial demand, particularly from data centers
electrical substations are concentrated in Northern Virginia to serve both the residential and commercial demand, particularly from data centers
Source: Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia's Land and Energy Navigator (VALEN)


Economics of Virginia
Virginia Places