Data centers in Loudoun County require Special Exception approval countywide since March 2025, ending by-right development. In industrial districts, structures must sit at least 200 feet from residential property lines and parking 100 feet, behind a Type C buffer on a six-foot earthen berm.
Section 4.06.02 of the 2023 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance governs data center siting. On March 18, 2025, the Board of Supervisors eliminated by-right data center development, a use previously allowed by-right in five of the county's zoning districts, and now requires Special Exception approval. Where a data center is adjacent to residential development, parking must be set back at least 100 feet and structures at least 200 feet from the common property line, buildings within 400 feet must provide a 15-foot step-back above the second story, and a Buffer Type C is required on a minimum six-foot earthen berm. Ground-mounted mechanical equipment is barred from front yards and must be fully screened.
Building a data center without Special Exception approval, or inside the 200-foot residential setback, blocks Site Plan approval and draws Loudoun County zoning enforcement, including stop-work orders and Circuit Court injunctions until the site conforms.
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