Data Centers in Aurora

Aurora – Strategic Connectivity and Scalable Infrastructure

Aurora – Scalable Infrastructure for the Modern Enterprise

This market serves enterprises requiring high-performance colocation near a major global financial hub while avoiding the premium costs of a downtown footprint. It provides a reliable balance of low-latency access and physical security for high-stakes compute and disaster recovery workloads.

Aurora: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality: There are over 6 providers in this market as of September 2025. Expect a range of 5–10 carriers offering diverse fiber entry points and local loop services to ensure reliable uptime and path redundancy.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps: There are 0 direct cloud on-ramps in the immediate vicinity as of September 2025. Most deployments utilize private network extensions or high-capacity waves to reach major on-ramps in Chicago, providing secure access to AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud (GCP).

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs): Public peering is primarily handled through the major Chicago exchanges located roughly 40 miles away. This allows local facilities to maintain high-speed connectivity to national backbones while keeping local traffic efficient via private peering.

Bare Metal: Bare metal services are available through regional and global providers such as Hivelocity and phoenixNAP as of September 2025. These options allow for rapid scaling of dedicated hardware without the overhead of traditional colocation procurement.

Power Analysis

Average Cost Of Power: Industrial electricity is estimated between $0.07 – $0.09/kWh as of September 2025. This pricing enables predictable operational expenses for power-hungry applications like high-frequency trading or AI training. The local generation mix was 54.89% low-carbon as of 2023, supporting corporate sustainability initiatives.

Power Grid Reliability: The infrastructure is supported by a well-engineered grid typical of the Chicago suburban tech corridors. Facilities generally benefit from redundant feeds and multi-substation support to maintain operational continuity during peak demand periods.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Proximity To Key Business Districts: Data centers here are located along the I-88 Technology Corridor, providing a central position for servicing Chicago-based financial institutions and healthcare giants. This location provides enough distance for geographic redundancy while maintaining sub-millisecond latency to the core.

Regional Market Reach: This site serves as a primary hub for the greater Chicago metropolitan area and the broader Midwest. It functions as a critical junction for traffic moving between the East Coast and West Coast carrier hotels.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers: Qualifying facilities benefit from a 20-year sales tax exemption on equipment and significant credits for construction wages. This structure provides a long-term financial runway for large-scale infrastructure investments and expansion.

Natural Disaster Risk

The natural disaster risk for Aurora is rated as Moderate with a score of 49.54 as of September 2025. The environment is stable compared to coastal markets, with most concerns centered on seasonal weather patterns rather than catastrophic seismic or oceanic events.

• Tornado: Moderate risk, typical for the Illinois plains.
• Hail: Moderate frequency during spring and summer months.
• Winter Weather: Frequent ice and snow events requiring reliable site access protocols.
• Strong Wind: Regular occurrences that necessitate resilient building envelopes.
• Lightning: Common during summer storm cells.
• River Flood: Localized risk managed through specific site elevation and drainage.