Apple Breaks Ground on New $1 Billion Campus in Austin, Texas, Expected to Open in 2022

Apple today announced that it has started construction of its new $1 billion, 133-acre campus in Austin, Texas as part of a commitment it made last year.

Apple says the campus will initially house 5,000 employees, with the capacity to grow to 15,000, and is expected to open in 2022.

In partnership with Austin-based Bartlett Tree Experts, Apple said it will plant thousands of trees spanning over 20 varieties native to Texas on the campus. Apple says landscaping will cover over 60 percent of the property, including a 50-acre nature and wildlife preserve that will be open to the public.

The new campus in Austin, Texas is part of Apple's commitment to increase its investment in manufacturing, engineering, and other jobs across the United States. Apple says it is on track to contribute $350 billion to the U.S. economy between 2018 and 2023 and hire an additional 20,000 employees over that time.

Apple says it has grown to approximately 7,000 employees in Austin, more than a 50 percent increase in the past five years.

Apple CEO Tim Cook:

With the construction of our new campus in Austin now underway, Apple is deepening our close bond with the city and the talented and diverse workforce that calls it home. Responsible for 2.4 million American jobs and counting, Apple is eager to write our next chapter here and to keep contributing to America's innovation story.

Cook is touring Apple's Austin operations with U.S. President Donald Trump today.

Apple is also continuing its expansion in Boulder, Culver City, New York, Pittsburgh, San Diego, and Seattle.