Microsoft Azure, the cloud computing service of Microsoft, currently operates or is establishing data centers in over 35 countries and more than 160 locations around the world. Growth in user traffic as well as Microsoft’s cloud-based products and services, including Bing, Azure, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Dynamics 365, OneDrive, Skype, Xbox, and Outlook.com, are all fueling the company’s need for more data center capacity. To understand the company’s portfolio in greater detail, Dgtl Infra answers the questions: How Many Data Centers Does Microsoft Azure Have? and Where Are Microsoft Azure Data Centers Located?
In total, Microsoft Azure operates over 200 physical data centers in various global locations, with each distinct building home to a group of networked computer servers. These data centers are arranged into 78 regions – Microsoft Azure’s term for a set of data centers – that are deployed within a latency-defined perimeter and linked by over 175k miles of terrestrial and subsea fiber-optic networks.
How Many Data Centers Does Microsoft Azure Have?
Microsoft Azure currently has 59 regions in operation and a further 19 under development, meaning that the company will have a total of 78 regions available in the near-term. Within each Azure region are 1 to 3 unique physical locations, known as availability zones, which offer high uptime to protect data and applications from data center failures.
Presently, Microsoft Azure has 113 availability zones in operation and a further 51 under development, meaning that the company will have a total of 164 availability zones existing in the near-term.
Microsoft Azure Regions and Availability Zones
Each Microsoft Azure availability zone is made up of one or more data centers equipped with independent power, cooling, and networking. The physical separation of availability zones within a region protects applications and data from facility-level disruptions.
Microsoft Azure’s over 200 data centers provide high-availability, low-latency, and scalability, by being connected with Azure’s diverse and global fiber paths. Moreover, Microsoft Azure’s Chief Technology Officer, Mark Russinovich, states that the company will “be adding 50 to 100 new datacenters each year for the foreseeable future”.
Value Proposition
Microsoft Azure’s cloud services enable corporate enterprises to achieve efficiencies and reduce costs. To deliver this cloud offering, Azure’s scaled data center portfolio drives three economies of scale:
- Data centers that deploy computational resources and power at a significantly lower cost per unit than smaller ones
- Data centers that coordinate and aggregate diverse customer, geographic, and application demand patterns, improving the utilization of computing, storage, and network resources
- Multi-tenant facilities lower application maintenance and labor costs
READ MORE: Top 10 Cloud Service Providers Globally in 2023
Overall, Microsoft’s cloud serves over 1 billion customers and more than 20 million companies globally, with 95% of Fortune 500 companies running on Microsoft cloud services.
READ MORE: Amazon Web Services (AWS) Data Center Locations
Where Are Microsoft Azure Data Centers Located?
While Microsoft does not disclose the exact addresses of its data centers, the company does identify its regions and availability zones. To this end, below is a summary of Microsoft Azure’s – operating and future – 78 regions and 164 availability zones throughout the United States, Azure Government, Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, as well as in the Middle East and Africa.
Note that certain regions, which are marked with an asterisk in the tables below, are access-restricted to support specific Microsoft Azure customer scenarios. For example, these regions may be reserved for customers requiring in-country disaster recovery.
United States
In the United States, Microsoft Azure operates or is planning 10 regions and 26 availability zones. Specifically, Azure is available or will be opening in the following markets: Des Moines, Iowa; Richmond, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; San Antonio, Texas; Cheyenne, Wyoming; San Francisco, California; Moses Lake (Quincy), Washington; and Phoenix, Arizona.
Regions
Within these markets, Microsoft Azure operates data centers in the following regions: Central US, East US, East US 2, North Central US, South Central US, West Central US, West US, West US 2, and West US 3. While Azure is establishing its next United States data center region, known as East US 3, in Georgia, with a presence in both Fulton and Douglas Counties.
United States – Regions and Availability Zones
| Regions | # of Zones | City | State | Opened |
| Central US | 3 | Des Moines | Iowa | 2014 |
| East US | 3 | Richmond | Virginia | 2012 |
| East US 2 | 3 | Richmond | Virginia | 2014 |
| East US 3 | 3 | Atlanta | Georgia | Future |
| North Central US | 1 | Chicago | Illinois | 2009 |
| South Central US | 3 | San Antonio | Texas | 2008 |
| West Central US | 3 | Cheyenne | Wyoming | 2016 |
| West US | 1 | San Francisco | California | 2012 |
| West US 2 | 3 | Moses Lake | Washington | 2007 |
| West US 3 | 3 | Phoenix | Arizona | 2021 |
| Total | 26 | — | — | — |
Azure Government
Azure Government is a cloud service built to meet government security and compliance requirements for classified and unclassified U.S. Government data. For example, agencies and organizations that Azure Government targets are the Department of Defense (DoD), the U.S. Intelligence Community – which includes the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – federal civilians, and state & local governments.
Through the Azure Government service, Microsoft Azure operates or is planning 8 regions and 12 availability zones. Presently, Azure Government is available in the following markets: Des Moines, Iowa; Richmond, Virginia; Phoenix, Arizona; Austin, Texas; Washington, D.C.; and San Francisco, California.
Regions
Within these markets, Microsoft Azure operates data centers in the following regions: US DoD Central, US DoD East, US Gov Arizona, US Gov Texas, US Gov Virginia, US Sec East, and US Sec West. Additionally, Azure is establishing its next Azure Government data center region, known as US Sec West Central, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Azure Government – Regions and Availability Zones
| Regions | # of Zones | City | State | Opened |
| US DoD Central | 1 | Des Moines | Iowa | 2017 |
| US DoD East | 1 | Richmond | Virginia | 2017 |
| US Gov Arizona | 1 | Phoenix | Arizona | 2017 |
| US Gov Texas | 1 | Austin | Texas | 2017 |
| US Gov Virginia | 3 | Washington | D.C. | 2014 |
| US Sec East | 1 | Richmond | Virginia | 2020 |
| US Sec West | 1 | San Francisco | California | 2020 |
| US Sec West Central | 3 | Des Moines | Iowa | Future |
| Total | 12 | — | — | — |
Americas
In the Americas, Microsoft Azure operates or is planning 6 regions and 16 availability zones. Specifically, Azure is available or will be opening in the following markets: Campinas (São Paulo), Brazil; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Toronto, Canada; Quebec City, Canada; Santiago, Chile; and Querétaro State, Mexico.
Regions
Within these markets, Microsoft Azure operates data centers in the following regions: Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Canada Central, and Canada East. Also, Azure is establishing its next two Americas data center regions, known as Chile Central and Mexico Central, in Santiago, Chile and Querétaro State, Mexico, respectively.
Americas – Regions and Availability Zones
| Regions | # of Zones | Location | Country | Opened |
| Brazil South | 3 | Campinas | Brazil | 2014 |
| Brazil Southeast* | 3 | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 2020 |
| Canada Central | 3 | Toronto | Canada | 2016 |
| Canada East | 1 | Quebec City | Canada | 2016 |
| Chile Central | 3 | Santiago | Chile | Future |
| Mexico Central | 3 | Querétaro State | Mexico | Future |
| Total | 16 | — | — | — |
In Chile, Microsoft disclosed plans for its first data center development project in the commune of Quilicura, a location within the country’s capital, Santiago. Overall, this $317m facility will comprise 26 MVA of utility power and 732k sqft (68k sqm) of area. Also, as part of Microsoft’s expansion into Chile, the company has made a commitment for its data centers to shift to a 100% supply of renewable energy by 2025.
In Mexico, Microsoft is building a data center on the Arkansas State University Campus Querétaro, which is located at Carretera Estatal 100, km 17.5, Municipio Colón, in Querétaro, Mexico. Notably, Ascenty, which is jointly-owned by Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR) and Brookfield Infrastructure is constructing its México 2 data center on the same campus. Specifically, Ascenty’s México 2 facility will offer 31 megawatts of power capacity and 3.4k racks, across 258k sqft of area.
Europe
In Europe, Microsoft Azure operates or is planning 24 regions and 52 availability zones. Particularly, Azure is available or will be opening in the following markets: Vienna, Austria; Brussels, Belgium; Copenhagen, Denmark; Helsinki, Finland; Paris, France; Marseille, France; Frankfurt, Germany; Berlin, Germany; Magdeburg, Germany; Athens, Greece; Dublin, Ireland; Milan, Italy; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Oslo, Norway; Stavanger, Norway; Warsaw, Poland; Madrid, Spain; Gävle, Sweden; Staffanstorp (Malmö), Sweden; Zürich, Switzerland; Geneva, Switzerland; London, United Kingdom; and Cardiff, United Kingdom.
Regions
Within these markets, Microsoft Azure operates data centers in the following regions: France Central, France South, Germany Central (Sovereign), Germany North, Germany Northeast (Sovereign), Germany West Central, North Europe, West Europe, Norway East, Norway West, Sweden Central, Sweden South, Switzerland North, Switzerland West, UK South, and UK West.
In addition, Azure is establishing 8 new data center regions in Europe, known as Austria East, Belgium Central, Denmark East, Finland Central, Greece Central, Italy North, Poland Central, and Spain Central. These new regions will be in Vienna, Austria; Brussels, Belgium; Copenhagen, Denmark; Helsinki, Finland; Athens, Greece; Milan, Italy; Warsaw, Poland; and Madrid, Spain.
Europe – Regions and Availability Zones
| Regions | # of Zones | Location | Country | Opened |
| Austria East | 3 | Vienna | Austria | Future |
| Belgium Central | 1 | Brussels | Belgium | Future |
| Denmark East | 3 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Future |
| Finland Central | 1 | Helsinki | Finland | Future |
| France Central | 3 | Paris | France | 2018 |
| France South* | 1 | Marseille | France | 2018 |
| Germany Central (Sovereign) | 1 | Frankfurt | Germany | 2016 |
| Germany North* | 1 | Berlin | Germany | 2019 |
| Germany Northeast (Sovereign) | 1 | Magdeburg | Germany | 2016 |
| Germany West Central | 3 | Frankfurt | Germany | 2019 |
| Greece Central | 3 | Athens | Greece | Future |
| North Europe | 3 | Dublin | Ireland | 2009 |
| Italy North | 3 | Milan | Italy | Future |
| West Europe | 3 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 2010 |
| Norway East | 3 | Oslo | Norway | 2019 |
| Norway West* | 1 | Stavanger | Norway | 2019 |
| Poland Central | 3 | Warsaw | Poland | Future |
| Spain Central | 3 | Madrid | Spain | Future |
| Sweden Central | 3 | Gävle | Sweden | 2021 |
| Sweden South* | 3 | Staffanstorp | Sweden | 2021 |
| Switzerland North | 1 | Zürich | Switzerland | 2019 |
| Switzerland West* | 1 | Geneva | Switzerland | 2019 |
| UK South | 3 | London | UK | 2016 |
| UK West | 1 | Cardiff | UK | 2016 |
| Total | 52 | — | — | — |
Additional details on Microsoft Azure’s 8 new data center regions in locations throughout Europe are as follows:
- Austria East (Vienna): cloud region will have 3 availability zones and will help generate up to $2.1bn in new revenue in Austria’s ecosystem of local partners and cloud customers, over the next 4 years
- Belgium Central (Brussels): cloud region will have 1 availability zone and will help generate up to €31.5bn in new revenue for Belgium, over the next 4 years
- Denmark East (Copenhagen): cloud region will have 3 availability zones and plans to be powered by 100% renewable energy
- Finland Central (Helsinki): cloud region will have 1 availability zone and will help generate up to €17.2bn in new revenue between Finland’s ecosystem and cloud customers, over the next 4 years
- Greece Central (Athens): cloud region will have 3 availability zones and will comprise an investment of up to $1bn into Greece’s economy
- Italy North (Milan): cloud region will have 3 availability zones and forms part of Microsoft’s $1.5bn, five-year investment plan for Italy
- Poland Central (Warsaw): cloud region will have 3 availability zones and forms part of Microsoft’s $1bn, seven-year investment plan for Poland
- Spain Central (Madrid): cloud region will have 3 availability zones, with plans to leverage Telefónica’s infrastructure, as part of its global strategic partnership with Microsoft
Asia Pacific
In Asia Pacific, Microsoft Azure operates or is planning 24 regions and 46 availability zones. Specifically, Azure is available or will be opening in the following markets: Canberra, Australia; Sydney, Australia; Melbourne, Australia; Shanghai, China; Nanjing (Jiangsu), China; Beijing, China; Langfang (Beijing), China; Hong Kong, SAR; Pune, India; Chennai, India; Hyderabad, India; Mumbai, India; Jakarta, Indonesia; Tokyo (Saitama), Japan; Osaka, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; Busan, South Korea; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Auckland, New Zealand; Singapore; and Taipei, Taiwan.
Regions
Within these markets, Microsoft Azure operates data centers in the following regions: Australia Central, Australia Central 2, Australia East, Australia Southeast, China East, China East 2, China East 3, China North, China North 2, China North 3, East Asia, Central India, South India, West India, Japan East, Japan West, Korea Central, Korea South, and Southeast Asia.
Also, Azure is establishing 5 new data center regions in Asia Pacific, known as Southcentral India, Indonesia Central, Malaysia West, New Zealand North, and Taiwan North. These new regions will be in Hyderabad, India; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Auckland, New Zealand; and Taipei, Taiwan.
Asia Pacific – Regions and Availability Zones
| Regions | # of Zones | Location | Country | Opened |
| Australia Central | 1 | Canberra | Australia | 2018 |
| Australia Central 2* | 1 | Canberra | Australia | 2018 |
| Australia East | 3 | Sydney | Australia | 2014 |
| Australia Southeast | 1 | Melbourne | Australia | 2014 |
| China East | 1 | Shanghai | China | 2014 |
| China East 2 | 1 | Shanghai | China | 2018 |
| China East 3* | 1 | Nanjing | China | 2022 |
| China North | 1 | Beijing | China | 2014 |
| China North 2 | 1 | Beijing | China | 2018 |
| China North 3 | 3 | Langfang | China | 2022 |
| East Asia | 3 | Hong Kong | SAR | 2010 |
| Central India | 3 | Pune | India | 2015 |
| South India | 1 | Chennai | India | 2015 |
| Southcentral India | 1 | Hyderabad | India | Future |
| West India | 1 | Mumbai | India | 2015 |
| Indonesia Central | 3 | Jakarta | Indonesia | Future |
| Japan East | 3 | Tokyo, Saitama | Japan | 2014 |
| Japan West | 1 | Osaka | Japan | 2014 |
| Korea Central | 3 | Seoul | South Korea | 2017 |
| Korea South* | 1 | Busan | South Korea | 2017 |
| Malaysia West | 3 | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | Future |
| New Zealand North | 3 | Auckland | New Zealand | Future |
| Southeast Asia | 3 | Singapore | Singapore | 2010 |
| Taiwan North | 3 | Taipei | Taiwan | Future |
| Total | 46 | — | — | — |
Additional details on Microsoft Azure’s 5 new data center regions in locations throughout Asia Pacific are as follows:
- Southcentral India (Hyderabad): cloud region will have 1 availability zone. Hyderabad resides in the state of Telangana and Microsoft is partnering with the government of Telangana to accelerate cloud adoption
- Indonesia Central (Jakarta): cloud region will have 3 availability zones and will support companies such as Bukalapak, Pertamina, and the Ministry of Agriculture, which utilize Microsoft’s cloud services
- Malaysia West (Kuala Lumpur): cloud region will have 3 availability zones and forms part of Microsoft’s $1bn, five-year investment plan for Malaysia. The region, once available, will support companies including Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) and Celcom Axiata Berhad
- New Zealand North (Auckland): cloud region will have 3 availability zones and will support companies including Fonterra, a New Zealand dairy co-operative, and Spark NZ, a wireless carrier and fixed broadband provider in New Zealand
- Taiwan North (Taipei): cloud region will have 3 availability zones and will help generate more than $10bn in new revenue between Taiwan’s ecosystem and cloud customers, over the next 4 years
Middle East and Africa
In the Middle East and Africa, Microsoft Azure operates or is planning 6 regions and 12 availability zones. Particularly, Azure is available or will be opening in the following markets: Tel Aviv, Israel; Doha, Qatar; Johannesburg, South Africa; Cape Town, South Africa; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE); and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Regions
Within these markets, Microsoft Azure operates data centers in the following regions: South Africa North, South Africa West, UAE Central, and UAE North. While Azure is establishing its next two Middle East and Africa data center regions, known as Israel Central and Qatar Central, in Tel Aviv, Israel and Doha, Qatar, respectively.
Middle East and Africa – Regions and Availability Zones
| Regions | # of Zones | Location | Country | Opened |
| Israel Central | 3 | Tel Aviv | Israel | Future |
| Qatar Central | 3 | Doha | Qatar | Future |
| South Africa North | 3 | Johannesburg | South Africa | 2019 |
| South Africa West* | 1 | Cape Town | South Africa | 2019 |
| UAE Central* | 1 | Abu Dhabi | UAE | 2019 |
| UAE North | 1 | Dubai | UAE | 2019 |
| Total | 12 | — | — | — |
In Israel, Microsoft Azure is building a data center in the Modi’in Technology Park, a location between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Overall, Microsoft plans to spend up to $1bn to $1.5bn in Israel, which includes an allocation towards its data center investments.
In Doha, Qatar, Microsoft Azure is deploying its cloud region at MEEZA’s M-VAULT 4 data center, which will occupy a location in the Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP).
READ MORE: What is Data Gravity? AWS, Azure Pull Data to the Cloud
*Certain regions are access-restricted to support specific Microsoft Azure customer scenarios. For example, these regions may be reserved for customers requiring in-country disaster recovery.
