San Antonio vs. Tampa–Orlando: Patterns of Placement

Taking a closer look at the maps of data centers in San Antonio, Texas and Tampa/Orlando, Florida, two distinct patterns of development emerge. For San Antonio, data centers are clustered tightly together, with some major companies cramping the development of 3-7 individual data centers within one block. These clusters are concentrated primarily on the city's outskirts in order to make room for such large campuses. Specific placements in San Antonio appear to be based on energy infrastructure and proximity to major highways like Highway 151 and around the Loop 1604 corridor. High-voltage transmission lines and large substations (junction points where the flow of electricity within the grid is adjusted/controlled) are often found nearby. These clear patterns of development reflect coordinated planning on behalf of the data companies and an abundance of inexpensive land and power in this region. 

In contrast, the data centers in the Tampa-Orlando region are fewer and far between. Facilities are dispersed near city centers, typically smaller and sited in a mix of commercial zones and telecom hubs, as opposed to the concentrated industrial parks of Texas. This scattered pattern reflects a market in Florida that is more oriented toward network services and regional demand, rather than the large cloud operations seen in Texas.

These significant differences in data center development highlight how local conditions strongly influence placement strategies. Texas’s abundant land and deregulated, low-cost energy market lend the state to the development of massive campuses. On the other hand, Florida’s higher land costs and storm-related building codes favor smaller facilities and incremental expansion. Taken together, the two maps illustrate a broader contrast between San Antonio’s concentrated, large-scale development and Florida’s more dispersed connectivity-driven approach.