Methodology
This interactive map showcases data centers across Northern Virginia which is home to one of the world's largest concentrations of digital infrastructure. The dataset was created by manually collecting publicly available address data from datacentermap.com, a widely used directory of data centers.
To convert raw address data into geographic coordinates, I wrote a Python script that uses the Nominatim Geocoding API, which sources its data from OpenStreetMap. The resulting coordinates were formatted into a GeoJSON file and visualized using Leaflet.js in a custom web map application built with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
Each marker on the map represents a data center facility. These include locations operated by major cloud providers, colocation companies, and enterprise-level data centers, with a particular focus on Loudoun County, VA.
Tools & Technologies Used
- Frontend: JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Leaflet.js
- Scripting: Python (for geocoding)
- Geocoding Service: Nominatim Geocoding API
- Data Sources: datacentermap.com, OpenStreetMap
Future Improvements
- Perform QA/QC to verify the accuracy of each facility's location
- Cross-reference locations with satellite imagery or parcel data
- Correct inaccuracies directly in OpenStreetMap
- Apply geographic filtering to restrict data to Loudoun County
- Enhance metadata for each data center (e.g., provider, capacity)