Data Centers in Columbus

Columbus, Ohio, United States – Midwest Hub for Low-Latency Connectivity

Columbus is a premier North American data center market for enterprises that demand high uptime and low-latency connectivity. Its central location and minimal disaster risk provide a stable, cost-effective platform for reaching customers across the Midwest and Eastern United States, directly supporting critical application performance and business continuity.

Columbus, Ohio, United States: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Columbus has emerged as a critical interconnection point in the Midwest, offering a rich and resilient connectivity landscape. Its location is ideal for disaster recovery sites for East Coast operations.

• Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality: The market provides access to over 19 unique network providers, as of September 2025. Customers benefit from a competitive environment inside carrier-neutral facilities, ensuring optimal routing and pricing.
• Direct Cloud On-Ramps: With 2 dedicated cloud on-ramps serving 3 cloud regions, Columbus offers direct, low-latency connections to major hyperscalers. Private on-ramps are available for AWS and Google Cloud (GCP), as of September 2025.
• Internet Exchange Points (IXPs): The local ecosystem is anchored by the Ohio IX. This exchange facilitates efficient, low-cost traffic exchange between networks, improving performance for local users.
• Bare Metal: Bare metal cloud solutions are readily available from multiple providers in the Columbus market. Options from providers like phoenixNAP give businesses dedicated server performance without the capital expense.

Power Analysis

Columbus provides reliable and competitively priced power, essential for supporting modern, high-density computing workloads.

• Average Cost Of Power: Industrial electricity rates typically range from $0.08 to $0.11/kWh, as of October 2023. This competitive rate helps manage the total cost of ownership for power-intensive deployments. The state's energy is primarily generated from natural gas (59%) and coal (19%), with nuclear and renewables contributing the remainder, as of 2023.
• Power Grid Reliability: The regional power grid is well-engineered and stable. Data centers in the primary technology corridors are supported by redundant power feeds and multiple substations, ensuring high levels of uptime.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

The business environment in Ohio is favorable for technology infrastructure investment, supported by a strong local economy and targeted incentive programs.

• Proximity To Key Business Districts: Columbus data centers are strategically located to serve the region's dense concentration of financial services, logistics, retail, and government entities. This proximity enables low-latency performance for local business operations.
• Regional Market Reach: From Columbus, organizations can effectively serve a massive population across the Midwest and Northeast. The location provides single-digit millisecond latency to major metro areas like Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis.
• Tax Advantage For Data Centers: Ohio offers significant tax incentives for large-scale data center projects, including potential sales tax exemptions on equipment purchases. These programs can substantially reduce both the initial capital investment and ongoing operational tax burdens.

Natural Disaster Risk

Columbus is one of the safest data center markets in North America from a natural disaster perspective, making it a top choice for primary infrastructure and backup sites.

The region has a low-risk profile, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 19.50, as of September 2025. Key environmental risks are manageable and primarily limited to seasonal weather events. The most significant potential hazards include tornadoes, riverine flooding, strong wind, hail, and winter weather. The area has low seismic risk and is not exposed to hurricanes or other coastal threats.