Federal snapshot shows 266,164 public EV charging ports

The U.S. public electric-vehicle charging network had 266,164 listed charging ports as of the latest federal snapshot updated Wednesday, August 5, 2026. The count shows continued infrastructure growth, but it does not mean drivers have equal or dependable access everywhere.

The figures come from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center. The table counts charging ports, not unique electric-station locations, and excludes residential charging infrastructure. It also includes privately operated chargers that are available for public use.

Level 2 chargers dominate the total

The national total includes 179,650 Level 2 ports, 74,254 DC fast ports and 688 Level 1 ports.

Level 2 chargers are commonly found at workplaces, businesses, apartments and public parking areas. They generally take longer to add substantial range than DC fast chargers, which are more relevant to long-distance travel. Actual charging speed still depends on the vehicle, the charger and operating conditions.

DC fast ports make up less than one-third of the listed public total. That means the headline number should not be treated as a count of equally useful road-trip charging locations.

State totals vary sharply

California had 66,519 listed public charging ports in the federal table. New York had 21,195, Florida had 15,213 and Texas had 12,474.

Other states had substantially smaller totals. Those differences cannot be interpreted by population or geography alone. Road mileage, electric-vehicle ownership, corridor placement, land use and state deployment decisions also affect how useful a given number of ports may be.

A raw state total therefore does not establish that charging access is adequate or inadequate. A state with fewer ports may have different travel patterns, while a state with many ports can still have gaps along important corridors or in particular communities.

Federal projects are only part of the network

The DOE snapshot is not a tally of chargers built with federal funds. Separately, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation reports activity from federally funded charging infrastructure through September 2025.

Its Electric Vehicle Charging Analytics and Reporting Tool shows 322,000 charging sessions, 12.4 million kilowatt-hours of energy served and 37.2 million electric-vehicle miles enabled during the reported period.

The figures cover infrastructure associated with the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program and the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator. They do not describe the entire public charging network or activity through August 5, 2026.

What the port count cannot tell drivers

A listed port does not show whether a charger is operating at a particular moment, whether another vehicle is using it, or whether payment and network systems are functioning. The count also does not measure queue length, pricing, connector compatibility, accessibility or how conveniently chargers are placed along a driver’s route.

Federal and state programs continue to focus on deployment, standards, accessibility, reliability and uptime. The Transportation Department also announced a Buy America proposal on February 10, 2026, concerning federally funded charger procurement. It remains a proposal and should not be treated as a final requirement or as the cause of the August 5 data update.

For drivers planning a long trip, the practical step is to check live station status, connector compatibility and pricing before leaving and to identify a backup location. For businesses and policymakers, the next test is whether additional ports translate into dependable, geographically practical charging when drivers need it.

Sources

• DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center charging-port table
• Joint Office EV-ChART federal charging activity data
• DOE National EV Charging Network overview
• Transportation Department Buy America proposal