Waymo robotaxis provide fully autonomous driving. That is, rides without a human driver or safety operator behind the wheel. Passengers can request rides through an available booking platform, subject to the service area’s boundaries and rider-access arrangements.
When Waymo enters a city, they start with testing; access might initially be restricted to selected customers, invited riders, employees, or people admitted through a phased rollout. Vehicles might be manually driven to collect mapping data, operated with trained safety specialists, or tested autonomously with no commercial rides. Then, once testing is done, fully autonomous rollout begins for the general public.
Cities Where Waymo Operates Fully Autonomous Robotaxis
As of October 21, 2026, Waymo’s footprint includes established robotaxi markets, newly launched cities, and cities where rides are available through a partner platform.
| No. | City or metropolitan market | State | Status as of October 21, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix metropolitan area | Arizona | Established driverless commercial operations |
| 2 | San Francisco Bay Area | California | Established driverless commercial operations |
| 3 | Los Angeles | California | Driverless commercial operations |
| 4 | Austin | Texas | Driverless rides through Uber |
| 5 | Atlanta | Georgia | Driverless rides through Uber |
| 6 | Dallas | Texas | Commercial service; open to everyone |
| 7 | Houston | Texas | Commercial service; open to everyone |
| 8 | Miami | Florida | Commercial service; open to everyone |
| 9 | Orlando | Florida | Commercial service; open to everyone |
| 10 | Nashville | Tennessee | Commercial service; open to everyone |
| 11 | Las Vegas | Nevada | Public driverless rides; rollout underway |
| 12 | Denver | Colorado | Public driverless rides; phased access |
| 13 | San Diego | California | Public driverless rides; phased access |
| 14 | Tampa | Florida | Public driverless rides; phased access |
| 15 | San Antonio | Texas | Commercial service; open to everyone |
The Phoenix and San Francisco operations cover wider metropolitan areas, while several newer markets have more limited service boundaries. Atlanta and Austin also use Uber as the booking channel rather than relying exclusively on the Waymo app.
Waymo’s official announcements confirm the opening of its newer markets, including Las Vegas in September and San Antonio, San Diego, and Tampa in October, 2026.
Cities Where Waymo Is Testing Vehicles or Preparing Future Deployment
Waymo’s official expansion page identifies some markets under the heading “Up Next.” However, that doesn’t mean that every listed city already has autonomous vehicles testing on public roads.
Some markets have confirmed on-road mapping or manually driven vehicles. Others are announced expansion destinations whose testing stage and timing must be established separately.
Confirmed testing and deployment preparation
Sacramento, California
Waymo announced its expansion into Sacramento in February 2026, initially using manually driven vehicles to familiarize the system with the city’s roads and local driving conditions.
In October 2026, commercially driverless operations had not been fully confirmed.
Portland, Oregon
Waymo announced that it would begin manually driving vehicles in Portland in April 2026 while working with local and state officials on a path toward deployment.
In October 2026, commercially driverless operations had not been fully confirmed.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
On October 16, 2026, Waymo announced that it was preparing to enter Canada, with Toronto as its first Canadian market. The company said it would begin manually driving vehicles in the city, initially focusing on high-definition mapping and testing with trained autonomous specialists behind the wheel.
Waymo’s stated goal is to welcome its first riders in 2028.
Waymo’s wider expansion pipeline
Waymo’s official expansion page also identifies the following markets as upcoming destinations.
| No. | City or market | State or country | How to classify it in the article |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | Maryland | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 2 | Boston | Massachusetts | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 3 | Charlotte | North Carolina | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 4 | Chicago | Illinois | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 5 | Detroit | Michigan | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 6 | London | United Kingdom | International expansion pipeline |
| 7 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 8 | New Orleans | Louisiana | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 9 | New York City | New York | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 10 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 11 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 12 | Seattle | Washington | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 13 | St. Louis | Missouri | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
| 14 | Washington, DC | District of Columbia | Upcoming market; verify local testing stage |
Sacramento and Portland are also listed as upcoming markets, even though Waymo has separately announced initial on-road activities in those cities.
Why not label every one of these cities a testing city?
Because the available evidence does not establish the same level of on-road activity in every market. Waymo‘s expansion page is evidence of future deployment interest, not proof that autonomous vehicles are currently being tested on public roads in all those locations.
The Latest Developments Worth Highlighting
San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa: Broader public access
On October 14, Waymo announced that anyone in these three cities could download its app and hail a fully autonomous ride. San Antonio’s announcement also highlighted airport service.
Toronto: Waymo’s planned Canadian entry
On October 16, Waymo announced its Toronto expansion plans, with manual driving and mapping preparation preceding the anticipated first rides in 2028.
Las Vegas: A new market for the next-generation system
Waymo began welcoming public riders in Las Vegas in September, and the city is among the initial destinations for its Ojai vehicle and sixth-generation Driver.
Waymo’s European Expansion
London, United Kingdom: Waymo’s first major European commercial target
Waymo has publicly targeted a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in London during 2026.
In April 2026, the company confirmed that it was working toward offering rides without a human behind the wheel. Its preparations include road driving by trained local professionals, development of a simulated London environment and work with its fleet operations partner, Moove.
However, the service requires the necessary permissions from national and local authorities, which involves the UK’s Automated Passenger Services permitting scheme, including approval from the Department for Transport and consent from Transport for London.
As of October 22, 2026, London is a market undergoing deployment preparation and testing, with fully autonomous commercial launch targeted for 2026-2027.
Munich, Germany
Waymo has identified Munich as a planned expansion market, targeting 2027 for the development of its international operations.
Germany is home to major automotive manufacturers, engineering companies and mobility technology developers. Establishing a presence there would put Waymo in a market with substantial expertise in vehicle engineering and automotive manufacturing.
Madrid, Spain
Madrid is the newest European expansion development to highlight as of October 22, 2026.
Recent reporting published on October 21 indicates that Waymo is preparing to enter Spain, with Madrid as its initial market.
The reported plan is to begin with manually driven vehicles collecting road and traffic data, then move through technical validation before targeting fully autonomous driving commercial service in 2027.
Paris and Amsterdam
Paris, France, and Amsterdam, the Netherlands, are also relevant to Waymo’s potential European footprint. Recent reporting indicates that Waymo has registered autonomous ride-hailing businesses in both cities, although firm commercial launch dates have not been established.
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I’m Dr. Brandial Bright, also known as the AVangelist. As a dedicated and passionate researcher in autonomous and electric vehicles (AVs and EVs), my mission is to educate and raise awareness within the automotive industry. As the Founder and Managing Partner of Fifth Level Consulting, I promote the adoption and innovation of advanced vehicle technologies through speaking engagements, consulting, and research as we progress to level 5 fully autonomous vehicles.
