The current count of public EV charging stations in the US

As of late 2024, there are roughly 60,000 to 70,000 public EV charging ports across the United States, depending on which networks you count and when the count was taken. The number grows every month. The U.S. Department of Energy maintains the most widely used tracker, called Alternative Fuels Data Center, which updates daily and breaks down stations by location, network, and charger type.

This number includes all public-facing chargers — the ones you can access at shopping centers, parking garages, workplaces, and along highways. It does not include the millions of private home chargers that EV owners install in their own garages. The count also varies depending on whether you count individual charging ports (the actual plug-in points) or the physical stations (which may have multiple ports).

The growth rate matters more than the snapshot number. The Biden administration's infrastructure investment included federal funding for new stations, and private networks like Tesla's Supercharger network, Electrify America, EVgo, and ChargePoint are all expanding. Some states are adding stations faster than others — California, Texas, Florida, and New York lead in total count, but smaller states are catching up in density relative to their population.

Key Takeaways

  • The U.S. has between 60,000 and 70,000 public EV charging ports as of late 2024, with the count rising monthly.
  • The Alternative Fuels Data Center, run by the U.S. Department of Energy, is the official tracker and updates daily with location and network details.
  • The number counts public ports only and does not include private home chargers or workplace chargers that are not open to the public.
  • Growth varies by state and region, with California, Texas, Florida, and New York having the most stations, but rural areas and smaller states are expanding their networks.
  • Different charging networks (Tesla Supercharger, Electrify America, EVgo, ChargePoint) operate independently, so a single location may have multiple networks available.

Where the official count comes from

The U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center is the source most government agencies, news outlets, and EV manufacturers cite when they report charging station numbers. You can search it yourself at afdc.energy.gov. The database includes stations from all major networks and many smaller regional ones, and station owners report their own data or the networks report on their behalf.

The count is not perfect. Some stations go offline temporarily for maintenance and are not always removed from the count when ready. Some new stations are installed but take weeks to appear in the database. Private networks like Tesla's Supercharger network report their own numbers separately, and those numbers sometimes differ slightly from what appears in the Department of Energy tracker, depending on timing and which stations are included.

If you need the most current number for a specific purpose — like a research project or a business decision — check the Alternative Fuels Data Center directly rather than relying on news articles, which may be weeks or months old by the time you read them.

How the count breaks down by charger type

Not all charging ports are the same speed. The count includes three main types: Level 2 chargers (the slowest, adding 25 to 30 miles of range per hour), DC fast chargers (adding 200 to 300 miles in 20 to 30 minutes), and Tesla Superchargers (which operate on their own standard but are similarly fast). The vast majority of public ports are Level 2 — roughly 80 percent of all public charging ports in the US.

DC fast chargers make up about 15 to 20 percent of the total. These are the chargers you see along highways and at major travel corridors, because they are expensive to install and operate. Level 2 chargers are cheaper and more common in cities, parking garages, and shopping centers, where people park for hours and do not need a full charge in minutes.

When you see headlines about "charging station growth," they often count all three types together. That can make the growth look faster than it feels on the ground, because adding 100 Level 2 ports in a city counts the same as adding 10 DC fast chargers on a highway, even though the highway chargers serve a different purpose and cost far more to build.

Regional variation and what it means for access

Charging station density is not evenly distributed. California has more than 20,000 public ports — roughly one-third of all US ports — while Wyoming has fewer than 200. Texas, Florida, and New York each have between 5,000 and 8,000 ports. This reflects both the number of EVs on the road in each state and the age of the charging network in that state.

Rural areas lag significantly behind cities. A driver in Los Angeles or San Francisco can find a charger within a few miles in almost any direction. A driver in rural Montana or Nebraska may need to plan a trip around charger locations 50 or more miles apart. Federal funding is now directed toward filling these gaps, particularly along interstate corridors, but the build-out will take years.

Some states have their own charging networks or incentives that are not reflected in the national count. California's state-funded network, for example, operates alongside private networks. Texas has seen rapid private investment from companies like Electrify America and Tesla. Understanding your own state's network is more useful than the national number if you are planning to buy an EV or take a long trip.

How the count has grown over time

In 2015, the US had roughly 25,000 public charging ports. By 2020, that number had grown to about 40,000. The jump from 40,000 to 60,000-plus happened between 2020 and 2024, driven by federal infrastructure funding, state incentives, and private investment from automakers and charging networks. The growth rate is accelerating rather than slowing.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed in 2021, allocated $7.5 billion specifically for EV charging infrastructure. That money is flowing to states and private companies now, and much of it is earmarked for DC fast chargers in underserved areas. This means the next few years will likely see faster growth in rural areas and smaller states than the previous decade saw.

Projections from the Department of Energy and private analysts suggest the US will need between 500,000 and 2 million public charging ports by 2030 to support the expected number of EVs on the road. The current count of 60,000 to 70,000 is still a small fraction of that target, which is why expansion remains a major focus for both government and industry.

How to find chargers near you

The Alternative Fuels Data Center map is the most complete source, but it is not the only one. Most EV manufacturers include charging maps in their navigation systems — Tesla, Ford, Chevrolet, and others all show nearby chargers on the vehicle's screen. Third-party apps like PlugShare, ChargePoint, Electrify America, and EVgo let you search by location, filter by charger type, and see real-time availability at many stations.

If you are planning a long trip, use the vehicle's navigation system or a dedicated app to map your route and identify chargers along the way. Most apps let you filter by charger speed and network, so you can plan around DC fast chargers if you need to minimize stop time. If you are looking for a charger near your home or workplace, the Department of Energy map is reliable, but also check the individual network apps, because they sometimes show stations that are not yet in the government database.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the US count of 60,000 to 70,000 stations or individual charger ports?

It is ports — the actual plug-in points where you connect your vehicle. A single physical station may have two, four, or more ports. The Department of Energy tracker lets you search by either metric, so you can see both numbers if you need them for a specific purpose.

Why does Tesla report a different number of Superchargers than the Department of Energy count?

Tesla's Supercharger network operates independently and reports its own numbers. Timing differences, whether international locations are included, and how Tesla counts multi-port stations can all cause the numbers to differ. For the total US public charging count, the Department of Energy number is the standard reference.

Are private home chargers included in the 60,000 to 70,000 count?

No. The count includes only public-facing chargers that anyone can use. Millions of EV owners have Level 2 chargers installed at home, but those are not part of the public infrastructure count.

Which states have the fewest charging stations?

Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, and rural areas of the Great Plains have the lowest density of public chargers. However, federal funding is now directed toward filling these gaps, particularly along interstate highways, so the situation is changing.

How often does the Department of Energy update its charging station count?

The Alternative Fuels Data Center updates daily as station owners and networks report changes. However, there is always a lag between when a new station opens and when it appears in the database, so the real-time count on the ground may be slightly higher than what the tracker shows.