When you think of the internet, you probably picture satellites, Wi-Fi, or the “cloud.” But here’s the bizarre reality: nearly 70% of the world’s internet traffic flows through Ashburn, Virginia.

Known as “Data Center Alley,” Ashburn is home to one of the largest concentrations of data centers on Earth. Hundreds of massive facilities — many the size of football fields — hum with servers, switches, and fiber connections that power everything from streaming Netflix to processing financial trades.

Why Virginia?

• 🌐 Location & Infrastructure: Close to Washington, D.C. and early backbone networks.

• ⚡ Reliable Power: Access to robust, affordable electricity for energy-hungry data centers.

• 🔗 Connectivity: Major fiber-optic cables converge here, making it a natural hub.

• 📈 Incentives: Tax breaks and incentives have attracted the biggest tech players.

Big names like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Google all operate huge facilities in the region. In fact, so much global internet traffic runs through Virginia that if Data Center Alley went offline, the impact would be felt worldwide.

The takeaway: The “cloud” may sound weightless, but in reality, it’s anchored firmly to the ground — and much of it runs right through Virginia.