Microsoft Woodward

Microsoft has acquired 600 acres of land in Woodward, Iowa, for a potential data center campus. Located northwest of Des Moines, the site lies between Highway 141 and Seminole Avenue. The land was rezoned from agricultural use to Eco Business Park District in June 2026. While plans are still undecided, Microsoft's land development manager indicated that design is expected to take two to three years, with the first building taking approximately two years to complete. The data center is intended to support cloud computing and data storage, not AI training. This acquisition is part of Microsoft's ongoing expansion in the Des Moines area, which includes other data center projects like Project Ruthenium, Project Ginger West, Project Ginger East, Project Mountain, and Project Alluvion.