Waymo continues to expand its reach. The robotaxi company announced it is now officially authorized to drive fully autonomously across more of California.
Waymo already operates in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Los Angeles, as well as outside the state in Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix. Maps from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles show the company can now test and deploy its autonomous vehicles across a much larger area in both the Bay Area and Southern California.
In the Bay Area, Waymo’s approved areas of operation now include most of the East Bay and North Bay, including Napa and Wine Country, as well as Sacramento. In Southern California, the approved territory stretches from Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, all the way to San Diego.
According to reports, the company will need additional regulatory approval before it can carry paying passengers in some of these new regions. While Waymo’s announcement did not offer many details on when rides will begin in all the new areas, the company did state its next stop is welcoming riders in San Diego in mid-2026.
Waymo had previously announced its intention to launch in San Diego next year, along with several other cities including Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, San Antonio, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
This news is part of a series of recent expansions for Waymo. The company also announced it will be entering Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Tampa. It is removing safety drivers ahead of its commercial launch in Miami and will start offering rides that use freeways in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix.
On a recent podcast, the growth of Waymo and other robotaxi companies was discussed. It was noted that as Waymo provides more unfettered access across the Bay Area, people could be spending much more time in their robotaxis. This could lead to passengers using the service in new, unusual, or even potentially dangerous ways.