Google Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs, Iowa, US · operating · operated for Alphabet (Google)
One of Google's oldest and largest US campuses, running since the late 2000s and still expanding — a reference point for what a classic hyperscale campus looks like before the AI-era designs, and for how one grows across two decades.
What's documented
- Built from a $600 million initial investment announced in 2007; Google states more than $20 billion invested in Iowa since. [source]
- Grew to nearly 3 million square feet across three buildings, with expansions announced in 2012, 2015 and 2024, including a further $1 billion for two new buildings in July 2024. [source]
- MidAmerican Energy contracted up to 407 MW of wind power for the campus — Google's largest renewable purchase at the time. [source]
- Uses evaporative cooling; in 2025 it consumed about 1.3 billion gallons of water, the most of any Google data center location that year. [source]
- In 2025 Google announced a further $7 billion across Iowa over two years, covering Council Bluffs expansion and a new Cedar Rapids campus. [source]
The generic bill of materials
Whatever the vendor list, a facility like this contains the same part categories:rack-scale systems, direct-to-chip cold plates, coolant distribution units, large power transformers (345–765 kv) & substations, ups (static, modular, rotary/drups) & ups power semis, backup generation: gensets, fuel systems, hvo, chillers & compressors — the full set is in the scales matrix.