Waymo Expansion Approved: Bay Area & Southern California

Waymo Expands Autonomous Driving Authorization in California

Waymo is actively broadening its operational footprint, as the robotaxi firm announced Friday that it has received official authorization for fully autonomous driving across a significantly expanded portion of California.

Currently, Waymo provides services in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Los Angeles, alongside operations in other states including Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix. Recent data released by the California Department of Motor Vehicles illustrates that the company is now permitted to test and deploy its self-driving vehicles across a considerably larger geographical area within both Northern and Southern California.

Expanded Operational Territories

Within the Bay Area, Waymo’s approved operating zones now encompass the majority of the East Bay and North Bay regions, including Napa and the surrounding Wine Country, as well as the city of Sacramento.

In Southern California, the company’s authorized service area extends from Santa Clarita, located north of Los Angeles, all the way to San Diego.

According to reports in the San Francisco Chronicle, further regulatory approvals will be necessary before Waymo can begin transporting paying customers in certain newly authorized areas.

While the company’s announcement lacks specific timelines for service initiation in these expanded regions, Waymo indicated, “The next destination: welcoming passengers in San Diego by mid-2026!”

Previously, the company had declared its plans to launch services in San Diego next year, alongside expansions into Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, San Antonio, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

Recent Developments and Future Plans

The past few weeks have seen considerable news regarding Waymo’s expansion. This includes plans to enter Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Tampa, the removal of safety drivers prior to its commercial launch in Miami, and the commencement of rides utilizing freeways in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix.

The growth of Waymo and other robotaxi companies was a central topic of discussion on the latest episode of the Equity podcast. Co-host Sean O’Kane suggested that increased, unrestricted access across the Bay Area could lead to novel and potentially unforeseen uses – and even risky behaviors – among passengers utilizing the robotaxi service.

Here's a summary of the expansion:

• Expanded service area in the Bay Area includes East Bay, North Bay, Napa/Wine Country, and Sacramento.
• Southern California coverage now spans from Santa Clarita to San Diego.
• San Diego launch anticipated in mid-2026.
• Further expansion planned for multiple cities across the US.