Data center construction
Data center construction is concentrated in a few states, led by Texas and Virginia. The buildings get the attention, but each project also needs power, roads, staging yards and parking for workers. Those site needs affect how fast a project moves.
The numbers
- 703U.S. data centers under construction, per Aterio as of March 2026.JOLT, Published September 16, 2026
- 5,756data centers tracked in total: operational, under construction and announced.JOLT, Published September 16, 2026
- 39%of construction is in Texas (140) and Virginia (136).JOLT, Published September 16, 2026
What I see from the operator's seat
I build parking and yards, so I look at a data center site from the gate in. Before a building rises, the site needs a laydown yard for materials, a contractor lot, safe truck circulation and a place for workers to park and get to the job.
Workers arrive in shifts. Deliveries come in waves. A site that plans parking and staging early has fewer surprises with neighbors and on the schedule.
The count comes from Aterio's tracker as Visual Capitalist published it, compiled into a CSV by JOLT. I cite the original tracker and the publisher together.
Quotable lines
“A data center site needs parking and staging before it needs servers.” — Ross D. Blankenship, founder of Wins Parking
“Power gets the headlines. Roads and yards set the schedule.” — Ross D. Blankenship, founder of Wins Parking
“Two states hold about four in ten data centers under construction.” — Ross D. Blankenship, founder of Wins Parking
Five story angles
- How many data centers are under construction in your state, and where.
- What a data center site needs before the building goes up.
- Worker parking and shuttles on large construction sites.
- Why Texas and Virginia lead, and what neighbors are asking for.
- Laydown yards: the temporary land market behind big builds.
Frequently asked questions
How many data centers are under construction in the U.S.?
703, per Aterio as of March 2026, published by Visual Capitalist and compiled by JOLT on September 16, 2026.
Which states build the most data centers?
Texas, with 140 under construction, and Virginia, with 136. Together they account for 39% of the total.
What does a data center site need besides power?
Staging yards, contractor parking, safe truck routes and worker access for the length of construction.