The US data center footprint is expanding fast, and it is no longer just a handful of metro clusters. A Baxtel-based database snapshot (as of Jan 28, 2026, Alaska not included) counts 3,936 data centers across the country across operational and development stages.
Even with growth spreading outward, a few states still dominate the national footprint. Virginia leads with 622 total sites (planned + operational), anchored by Northern Virginia’s “Data Center Alley.” Texas is second with 519, followed by California with 233.
Development is still a major part of the story. Of the 3,936 total sites, 2,338 are operational (59%), while the remainder sits in the pipeline: 965 planned (25%), 487 under construction (12%), and 146 in land bank (3.7%). In other words, roughly two in five sites are not yet operating, which helps explain why grid and infrastructure planning is becoming a central constraint in many regions.
Why it matters
● Virginia remains the anchor: the largest total footprint and the best-known mega-cluster.
● Texas is the scale challenger: #2 nationally, with continued pull from power, land, and growth corridors.
● The pipeline is still large: ~41% of sites are not yet operational (planned, construction, or land bank).
● Clustering is shifting outward: more states are now participating in new builds beyond historical hubs.
What the map shows
A US-wide view of data center sites that makes both concentration and expansion easy to see.
● Operational sites (red) plotted nationwide to show today’s density patterns
● Under-development sites (black) to highlight where growth is queued next
● A simple “where it is now vs where it’s being built” view that supports fast regional comparisons
A deeper dive with DataLink
Using Rextag Energy DataLink, users can:
● Identify the densest operational clusters and the next-wave development zones
● Compare states or regions visually (today’s footprint vs future footprint)
● Add infrastructure context layers (power, substations, pipelines, etc.) to evaluate siting constraints and connectivity
● Export map views for internal planning, benchmarking, or market coverage discussions
