DE-CIX Chicago Traffic Nearly Quadruples as Internet Exchange Becomes Second Largest in Windy City

The young exchange, now in the Top 30 on the continent, connects more than 85 networks with more than 8 Terabits of connected capacity

Data traffic at DE-CIX Chicago has increased by almost 300% in the past 12 months, as the six-year-old Internet Exchange (IX) has rocketed into second position in the Chicago market. The IX has also risen through the North American rankings, moving from position 58 in 2023 to position 29 in 2026, according to data from industry resource PeeringDB – more than halving its rank in just three years. One of the youngest IXs in the Windy City, the exchange passed one terabit per second of peak traffic for the first time in August 2026 and now has more than 85 networks connected and connecting, with over 8 Terabits of connected capacity.

With its distributed platform accessible from 18 data centers – including the company’s extensive partner network – across metropolitan Chicago, DE-CIX Chicago also serves the largest number of data centers in the market. This breadth of coverage gives networks a neutral alternative for exchanging traffic while enhancing connectivity and boosting redundancy across the metropolitan region.

Owned and operated by DE-CIX, the world’s leading Internet Exchange operator, DE-CIX Chicago provides access to content networks, cloud platforms, AI-specialist neoclouds, carriers, Internet service providers, and enterprise networks. The high-performance interconnection platform offers peering, cloud and AI connectivity, and other interconnection services, with port sizes ranging up to 400 GE. DE-CIX Chicago’s broad coverage means that it provides access to unique content and in-bound networks that are not available at other major IXs in the market.

For networks based outside of the metropolitan area, DE-CIX Chicago has partnerships with a range of transit, transport, and reseller partners, including PacketFabric, Capcon Networks, Shift Hosting, and South Front Networks.

“Becoming the Number Two IX in the Chicago market and making it into the Top 30 in North America in just six years demonstrates how quickly DE-CIX Chicago has become an important part of the region’s digital infrastructure,” says Ed d’Agostino, Vice President of DE-CIX North America. “The US market has demonstrated in multiple markets that every tier-1 metro benefits from a second large, neutral IX that can create greater path diversity, attract more networks, and support a competitive interconnection ecosystem.”

Alongside DE-CIX Chicago, all other DE-CIX IXs in North America have also achieved rankings of first or second largest IX in their respective markets. In the continental rankings, DE-CIX Dallas now ranks #15 and DE-CIX New York #3 in North America, according to PeeringDB.

“By working with under-served data centers in the metropolitan region and connectivity partners across multiple states, we’re extending the benefits of connectivity on the IX more broadly within Chicago, as well as beyond the city limits to networks throughout the Midwest,” d’Agostino continues.