Virginia’s Historic Win: How the Commonwealth Secured Amazon's HQ2
Summary
- Northern Virginia was chosen as the location of Amazon’s second headquarters (HQ2) in 2018.
- Virginia’s thriving tech sector was essential to winning the bid.
- To strengthen the workforce, Virginia established the $1.1B Tech Talent Investment Program to dramatically increase the number of graduates in tech fields.
- Virginia’s colleges and universities also banded together to strengthen the Commonwealth’s tech workforce for future growth.
After a 14-month selection process during which Amazon received 238 proposals from across North America, the company announced plans in 2018 to invest approximately $2.5 billion to establish its second headquarters (HQ2) in Virginia.
Virginia secured the historic project through unprecedented state, regional, and local partnerships. The foundation of the cooperative pitch was centered on Virginia’s thriving tech sector and bold investments from both state and higher education in critical fields.
Virginia’s Tech Talent Investment Program Delivers
The Commonwealth boasts the highest concentration of tech workers in the nation, representing one of its greatest assets, leading Business Traveler magazine to call Virginia “the Silicon Valley of the East.” But in 2019, Virginia devised a plan to go even further: the Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP).
To prepare students for the in-demand careers and attract investments like Amazon’s HQ2, Virginia committed $1.1 billion to more than double the annual number of graduates with degrees in computer science and related fields, resulting in more than 32,000 additional graduates.
Fifteen Virginia universities will also share state funding over the next two decades to expand their degree programs and construct new facilities. This also includes support for community colleges and K-12 STEM programming.
Higher Ed Answers the Call
HQ2, which opened in 2023, is in the Arlington County portion of National Landing, an area split between the county and the City of Alexandria. Two miles south of HQ2 in Alexandria, Virginia Tech’s Institute for Advanced Computing (IAC) places the university and its partners near Washington, D.C, relevant industries, and leading companies like Amazon.
Construction on the IAC’s first academic building began in 2021, and the building opened in 2025. The campus has a two-story drone testing cage, maker space, and a cyber lab. As of 2025, the campus had welcomed more than 500 graduate students.
Nearby George Mason University has also expanded what was already Virginia’s largest public university. The university established the Institute for Digital InnovAtion and a School of Computing at its Mason Square campus in Arlington County with the goal of adding 7,500 additional computer science and engineering graduates during the next two decades. The new building is expected to open in August of 2026. Mason Square is also home to Fuse, a hub of interdisciplinary robotics, autonomy, and AI research that opened in 2024.
The University of Virginia, meanwhile, has established a School of Data Science, endowed by a large private donation. The new school, which broke ground in October 2021, will integrate the university’s Data Science Institute.
Together, these investments will help prepare the next generation of tech talent in Virginia, and represent a new model of economic development.
The primary driver of this entire project was talent. Not just Day One talent, but the opportunity to evaluate a talent pipeline.
Holly Sullivan, Vice President of Worldwide Economic Development, Amazon
Planning for the Future
The competitive effort that resulted in Amazon’s $2.5 billion investment is further proof of the Commonwealth’s dedication to strengthening its role as a high-tech hub, building a robust talent pipeline, and working collaboratively to attract new investment that brings fresh opportunities.
Amazon's historic HQ2 investment by the numbers
selection process for Amazon's HQ2
proposals received by Amazon for the facility
Amazon capital investment into HQ2
state investment into Virginia's Tech Talent Investment Program
Meet your
industry partners
Todd Keffer works with companies in the business and financial services industries, helping them evaluate Virginia as a place to grow and expand. His role within the Knowledge Work team focuses on building relationships with companies and showcasing the advantages Virginia offers, from talent to overall business environment.
Antje advises international companies on how best to expand operations into the U.S. in general and Virginia in particular, providing expert guidance on key topics, from site selection to tax incentives. She oversees VEDP’s offices in Europe, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.
