Community · VA
Used pallets in Ashburn, VA
Ashburn is the heart of Loudoun’s Data Center Alley. Data centers buy equipment in volume and unpack it on site, leaving pallets and crates behind after each build-out. The pallets are relatively clean, and they come in bursts.
Data center build-outs
As of March 1, 2026, Loudoun County had about 233 existing data center buildings totaling about 56.5 million square feet. In 2025 the county issued building permits for over 10 million square feet of data center space, its highest one-year total. Each building brings in servers, racks, cabling, switchgear and cooling equipment.
Equipment arrives on pallets, and the pallets stay when the equipment goes in. The result is a heavy but irregular stream. A large build-out can leave hundreds of pallets in a week, then nothing until the next phase.
A rule change that matters
Loudoun ended by-right data center development in 2025, so new data centers need special exception approval. That could slow the rate of new construction, and with it the flow of build-out pallets. We do not predict it; we mention it because anyone planning a standing pallet arrangement should know the ground may move.
At a glance
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| ZIP codes | 20147, 20166 |
| Data center buildings (March 2026) | About 233 |
| Floor area | About 56.5 million sq ft |
| Permits in 2025 | Over 10 million sq ft |
What we ask about an Ashburn load
When does the bay clear, and how many trucks of pallets is it? Are the pallets plain wood or marked as an equipment maker’s? A build-out contractor can usually tell us the count in advance. A pile read on the day equipment finishes unpacking is in better shape than one stacked outside for a month; see storing pallets.
The numbers behind the build-outs
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Existing data center buildings, March 1, 2026 | About 233 | Loudoun County |
| Total floor area | About 56.5 million sq ft | Loudoun County |
| Permits issued in 2025 | Over 10 million sq ft, the highest single year | Loudoun County |
| By-right development | Ended in 2025; special exception now required | Loudoun County |
| ZIP codes | 20147, 20166 | Census ZCTA data |
What comes off a build-out
Racks, switchgear, cooling units and cabling arrive on pallets and in crates. The pallets that reach the dock are mostly standard, though cooling and electrical gear can come on larger or heavier pallets. When the equipment is unpacked, the pallets go to a staging area, where they wait for a contractor to remove them.
The best time to collect is before the staging area fills. We ask for the date the delivery window closes, because after it the pallets tend to be moved around and damaged.
Plain or marked?
- Plain wood pallets are sorted and sold.
- Pallets marked as an equipment maker’s may belong to that maker.
- Heat-treated stamps are fine and say so; read them with the stamp guide.
- Plastic pallets are a different market; see plastic pallets.
Send a count from Ashburn
ZIP codes
20147 20166
Send the count
Questions
- How many data centers are in Loudoun County?
- About 233 buildings as of March 1, 2026, per the county.
- Do you take pallets from data center build-outs?
- If they are plain wood and sorted, send the count and the date the bay clears. We reply saying whether it is a sale, a buy-back or a clear-out.
- Why is Ashburn called Data Center Alley?
- It is the heart of Loudoun’s data center concentration, about 233 buildings countywide by March 2026.
- What changed in 2025?
- Loudoun ended by-right data center development; new ones need special exception approval.
- Do build-outs leave clean pallets?
- Often, because equipment is delivered wrapped and indoors. The challenge is catching them before they are moved around.
Related
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-11-11.