Photo: Waymo
Waymo is expanding its autonomous ride-hailing footprint in California, adding a combined 80 square miles of new coverage across Los Angeles and San Francisco, and setting its sights on New York City next.
In Los Angeles, the updated service area now includes several new neighborhoods: Playa del Rey, Ladera Heights, Echo Park, and Silver Lake. Notably, Waymo’s vehicles can now travel the full length of Sunset Boulevard, one of L.A.’s most iconic roads. The expansion spreads in all directions, but it particularly avoids Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which remains outside the current geofenced area.
San Francisco is also seeing its fair share of growth. While Waymo hasn’t detailed specific new neighborhoods, the company confirmed that its San Francisco service area now includes the full stretch of Sunset Boulevard. The expansion pushes further into the Bay Area but deliberately avoids San Francisco International Airport (SFO), staying west of the 101.
The timing comes as competition in the autonomous ride-hailing space heats up. Tesla, Waymo’s most high-profile rival, is set to launch its long-awaited Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on June 22. CEO Elon Musk cautioned that the launch date is tentative, subject to regulatory approval and safety checks. Tesla’s approach leans entirely on vision-based tech and its Full Self-Driving software, in stark contrast to Waymo’s lidar-heavy platform.
Together, the updates bring Waymo’s total service area across California to 250 square miles. The expansion follows months of rigorous testing and aligns with the company’s long-term strategy to grow its fleet and reach more riders. Waymo has logged 10 million paid autonomous rides as of May 2025, with 250,000 rides completed every week across its four U.S. markets.
Looking ahead, Waymo has its eyes on New York City. The company announced plans to return to the Big Apple next month, having applied for a permit with the New York State Department of Transportation to operate autonomous vehicles — albeit with human specialists behind the wheel for now.
Waymo is also advocating for state-level policy changes that would allow it to one day offer fully driverless service in New York. The company’s message is clear: it wants to serve more people in more places — and New Yorkers may be next in line.
