Council Bluffs data center expansion continues to advance as Google accelerates construction across its Iowa digital infrastructure portfolio. The company is progressing with the expansion of its established Council Bluffs campus while simultaneously developing a new hyper scale data center in Cedar Rapids under a broader $7 billion investment announced in 2025. The combined program strengthens Iowa’s position as a major hub for cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States.
Google’s latest investment doubles its long-term commitment to Iowa, where it has operated data centers since 2007. The expansion supports rising demand for Google Cloud services and AI workloads while creating additional construction opportunities across the state. The first buildings under the broader expansion program are expected to come online in phases as construction progresses.
The Council Bluffs campus remains one of Google’s largest data center operations globally. Recent investments build on more than $6.8 billion already committed to Iowa over nearly two decades, reinforcing the state’s strategic importance within Google’s global infrastructure network.
Council Bluffs data center supports expanding AI infrastructure
Construction activities continue at the Council Bluffs campus as Google upgrades facilities to support next-generation cloud computing and artificial intelligence applications. The company announced a further $1 billion expansion in 2024 before incorporating the campus into its larger $7 billion statewide investment program the following year.
In parallel, Google confirmed plans to establish a second Iowa campus in Cedar Rapids. Together, the two developments will expand computing capacity while improving service resilience for enterprise and AI customers across North America. The Cedar Rapids campus is expected to be developed in multiple phases over several years.
The expansion also reflects Google’s broader AI infrastructure strategy. The company continues investing in hyper scale facilities capable of supporting increasingly complex artificial intelligence workloads and cloud services.
That strategy extends beyond Iowa. Google’s AI infrastructure portfolio also includes the Anthropic data center project, where a $15 billion construction financing package is supporting a new AI campus under development in Hubbard, Texas. The project will provide dedicated computing capacity for Anthropic using Google’s Tensor Processing Units, highlighting the company’s growing investment in next-generation AI infrastructure.
Council Bluffs data center remains central to Google’s U.S. growth
Google’s Iowa expansion comes as hyper scale developers continue investing heavily in digital infrastructure across the United States. Reliable electricity, skilled labour and established utility partnerships continue to make Iowa an attractive location for large-scale data center construction.
Meanwhile, Council Bluffs has emerged as one of the country’s leading data center markets. The concentration of hyper scale developments has attracted further investment from other technology companies while strengthening the region’s digital economy.
Construction at the Council Bluffs campus also supports Google’s long-term sustainability and operational objectives. Modern facilities incorporate more efficient cooling systems, upgraded electrical infrastructure and advanced computing technologies designed to improve energy performance while supporting growing AI demand.
With construction progressing across both Council Bluffs and Cedar Rapids, Google continues expanding one of its largest U.S. infrastructure programs. The investment is expected to increase cloud capacity, strengthen AI capabilities and generate long-term economic benefits for Iowa’s construction sector and technology ecosystem.
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Additional employment opportunities at the Google Council Bluffs data centre
In addition to the 900 employees existing at the site, the expansion will create more positions there. Google reportedly has two data centres in Council Bluffs, one close to Lake Manawa and another near the Southlands campus, according to Baxtel. The Southlands Council Bluff complex contains four buildings totalling 2.9 million square feet (270,000 square metres), according to Baxtel. Along with the data centre investment, Google has also awarded the Advance Southwest Iowa Corp a $250,000 grant to build a co-working entrepreneurial hub that will aid new local business owners.
The investment, according to US Senator Joni Ernst, “With this expansion, not only are they making the physical, capital investment here in Pottawattamie County, but they are also affecting the livelihoods of so many people that will choose to call southwest Iowa and southeast Nebraska their home.”After the Iowa Economic Development Authority approved a $16.6 million local property tax credit for the corporation, the Des Moines Register reported in October 2022 that Google was expecting to invest $600 million in the Council Bluffs site. Google previously stated that the expansion will be operational by the end of 2024 and that construction would start in Q3 2022.
Also read: $2.3 Billion Crusoe Data Center Project Advances with Major Expansion Across Texas AI Infrastructure
Project fact sheet
Project name: Council Bluffs Data Center Expansion
Location: Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States
Developer: Google
Project type: Hyper scale data center expansion
Program investment: Part of Google’s $7 billion Iowa investment program
Previous Iowa investment: More than $6.8 billion since 2007
Primary purpose: Expand AI and Google Cloud infrastructure
Related development: New hyper scale data center campus in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Current status: Expansion progressing as part of Google’s statewide AI infrastructure program
Expected benefits: Increased cloud capacity, AI computing capability, construction employment and long-term economic growth
Project team
Project owner and developer: Google
Facility operator: Google
Cloud services provider: Google Cloud
AI infrastructure provider: Google
Host state: State of Iowa
Host community: City of Council Bluffs
Supporting community: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Primary end users: Google Cloud customers and artificial intelligence workloads
Construction scope: Expansion of existing Council Bluffs campus and development of new Cedar Rapids campus
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