What is a data centre campus?

A data centre campus is a multi-building development on a single site, typically ranging from 50 MW to 500+ MW of total IT capacity. Campuses share common infrastructure — substations, fibre paths, water supply, security perimeters, and operations teams — creating economies of scale impossible with standalone facilities. Major campus clusters include Ashburn, Virginia (2,000+ MW across dozens of campuses), Prineville, Oregon (Meta and Apple mega-campuses), and Amsterdam's Schiphol-Rijk corridor. Building in phases allows operators to match capital deployment to demand, with each new building taking 12-18 months once site infrastructure is in place. Campus sites require 20-100+ acres and proximity to high-voltage transmission (115 kV+).