# Microsoft Chicago Data Center

PJM data center · https://askthegrid.com/assets/facilities/microsoft-chicago-data-center

Microsoft's Chicago data center is a 700,000 sq ft facility at 601 Northwest Ave in Northlake, Cook County, Illinois, which began service in 2009. Microsoft said its first phase represents 30 MW of critical power, with another 30 MW pre-positioned for growth. The site has three 66 MW substations and 11 diesel generators of 2.8 MW each. Its lower floor holds server containers, 56 per phase, cooled by a 65-degree chilled-water loop; the raised floor uses 47-degree water. The investment was $500 million.

## Identity and location

- Operating status: operating
- Asset scope: facility
- Location: 601 Northwest Ave, Northlake, Cook County, IL

## Power and grid context

- Critical it load: 30 MW · reported · phase · Phase 1 — Microsoft: the first phase represents 30 MW of critical power, with another 30 MW pre-positioned for future growth.
- Substation: Three on-site 66 MW substations

## Development

- Gross floor area: 700,000 square feet

## Compute and operations

- Facility classes: hyperscale, cloud

## Sources

- [U.S. Census street-address geocode](https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/geographies/onelineaddress?address=601+Northwest+Ave%2C+Northlake%2C+IL%2C+60164&benchmark=Public_AR_Current&vintage=Current_Current&format=json)
- [Documents - IEPA Document Explorer](https://webapps.illinois.gov/EPA/DocumentExplorer/Documents/Index/170001764240)
- [Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal UST Search: Facility Details for Northlake Data Center](https://webapps.sfm.illinois.gov/USTSearch/Facility.aspx?ID=2044001)
- [Microsoft Unveils Its Container-Powered Cloud](https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/cloud/microsoft-unveils-its-container-powered-cloud)
- [Microsoft's 198 Megawatts of Motivation](https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/hyperscalers/microsoft-s-198-megawatts-of-motivation)
- [Microsoft Opens Massive Chicago Datacenter | Datamation](https://www.datamation.com/storage/microsoft-opens-massive-chicago-datacenter/)

## Data quality

- Power values retain their reported, requested, contracted, energized, gross-campus, or critical-IT basis.
- Map point: approximate U.S. Census street-address geocode.

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Canonical page: https://askthegrid.com/assets/facilities/microsoft-chicago-data-center
Profile generated: 2026-10-09T03:45:53.550627Z
Source: Ask the Grid — https://askthegrid.com/