Waymo’s robotaxis are reaching a lot more neighborhoods. The company announced it’s adding nearly 250 square miles of driverless service across five cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nashville and Orlando.
The new areas are rolling out over about a week, and the updated maps are already in the Waymo app.
Where the Robotaxis Are Going
Here’s what’s new in each city:
- Los Angeles: Service now runs down the coast into the South Bay, through Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, all the way to Torrance.
- San Diego: Rides now reach north to La Jolla, including University City and Clairemont. That’s a big jump for a city where Waymo only opened to the public on September 1.
- Bay Area: Service stretches farther into the South Bay, including a connection to the Berryessa BART station in San Jose. Riders can now travel from San Francisco down the Peninsula to San Jose and Campbell.
- Nashville: The service area extends farther south, and riders can now get to the Nashville Zoo.
- Orlando: Coverage on the east side nearly doubles, and downtown service gets bigger.
How Big Is Waymo Now?
Waymo says it now operates in 15 U.S. metro areas and gives more than 500,000 paid rides a week. In the second quarter of 2026, its cars drove about 3.9 million miles a week with no one behind the wheel.
The Robotaxi Race Heats Up
Waymo isn’t alone. Tesla has been growing its own robotaxi service. According to Electrek, Tesla expanded its Houston service area to about 254 square miles the same week, though it’s running a much smaller fleet there.
What It Means for Drivers
Even if you never ride in one, you’re likely to share the road with more driverless cars if you live in these cities. A few things to know:
- Robotaxis follow traffic laws closely, including speed limits and full stops. Expect them to be more cautious than many human drivers.
- They can pause or pull over unexpectedly when they’re unsure what to do. Leave a little extra space.
- Like any car, they’re required to yield to emergency vehicles, and they’re programmed to do so.
For riders, it means more places you can get to without a driver, from the beach cities of L.A. to San Jose’s BART station.
Sources