Bluffdale

5 photos · 2023

5 photographs tagged Bluffdale, 2023.

Related: Data Center NSA NSA Utah Data Center Utah NSA Data Center Salt Lake City
Perimeter fence with security cameras and lighting surrounds the NSA Utah Data Center in Bluffdale, with mountains beyond.
The NSA's Utah Data Center sits in Bluffdale, south of Salt Lake City, along the base of the Wasatch Range. Officially titled the Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center, the complex opened in 2013 and covers roughly 1.5 million square feet. Analysts have nicknamed it "Bumblehive," and estimates of its storage capacity have ranged from three to twelve exabytes. The perimeter is secured with fencing and camera systems, part of a broader security setup that also includes checkpoints and patrols not open to public access.

Perimeter Fence Along the NSA’s Bumblehive Data Center in Bluffdale

NSA Utah Data Center in Bluffdale with Wasatch Range mountains at sunset.
The NSA Utah Data Center in Bluffdale operates under the formal name Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center, though it's widely known by its nickname, "Bumblehive." Built for roughly $1.5 billion and completed in 2014, the complex covers about 1.5 million square feet, with estimates of its data storage capacity ranging from 3 to 12 exabytes. It sits south of Salt Lake City at the base of the Wasatch Range, near Camp Williams, on land the National Security Agency acquired from the Utah National Guard. Residential subdivisions have since spread closer to the site, filling in land that was largely open when construction began.

“Bumblehive” Data Center Below the Wasatch Range at Sunset

NSA Utah Data Center facility in Bluffdale with Wasatch Range mountains at sunset.
The NSA's Utah Data Center occupies a site in Bluffdale, at the base of the Wasatch Range, under the formal name Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center. Built between 2011 and 2013 at a reported cost near $1.5 billion, the complex totals roughly 1.5 million square feet, though server halls make up only a portion of that space. Independent estimates of its data storage capacity have ranged from 3 to 12 exabytes, figures the agency has never officially confirmed. Cooling the servers requires a large water system drawing millions of gallons annually from regional supplies. The site sits west of Point of the Mountain, close enough for a commute from Salt Lake City yet set apart from the valley's denser development.

NSA Utah Data Center Below the Wasatch Range at Sunset

NSA's Utah Data Center in Bluffdale features server halls, cooling systems, and fuel storage tanks on hillside overlooking
The Utah Data Center in Bluffdale, nicknamed "Bumblehive," is the National Security Agency's primary facility for storing and processing intercepted communications and signals intelligence. Formally titled the Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center, it opened in 2014 after roughly $1.5 billion in construction costs. The complex covers about 1.5 million square feet, though only a fraction of that space houses actual server halls, with the rest given over to power substations, cooling infrastructure, and security operations. Independent estimates of its storage capacity have ranged from several exabytes to over a yottabyte, though the NSA has never confirmed exact figures. The site sits near Camp Williams, a Utah National Guard training facility, on land the state provided in part to help meet the project's water and power needs.

Server Halls and Fuel Tanks at the NSA’s Bumblehive Facility in Bluffdale

NSA Data Center facility in Bluffdale, Utah, with wind turbine and mine tailings visible on surrounding hillsides.
The NSA's Utah Data Center in Bluffdale carries the formal name Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center, along with the nickname "Bumblehive." Built between 2011 and 2013 at a cost of roughly $1.5 billion, the complex totals about 1.5 million square feet, though only a portion of that is actual server space. Outside analysts have estimated its potential data storage capacity at anywhere from 3 to 12 exabytes. The facility sits near Camp Williams, a Utah National Guard training post that supplied land and infrastructure support for its construction, in the valley south of Salt Lake City near the Jordan Narrows.

Wind Turbine and Mine Tailings Above the NSA’s Bluffdale Data Center

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