Surprise! Waymo is now ridable in Dallas.
The robotaxi rideshare service launched to certain riders in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando on Tuesday. The launch comes after the company said in November that autonomous operations would begin “in the coming weeks.”
The company says certain riders who have already downloaded the app will be invited to start taking rides today. New riders will be invited on a rolling basis going forward as Waymo scales its operations.
In Dallas, Waymo’s fleet will be managed by Avis and available through the Waymo app, differing from Austin, where the robotaxis are available through and managed by Uber.
Waymo’s service area in Dallas is 50 square miles, encompassing downtown, reaching south into Bishop Arts and parts of South Dallas, east through Deep Ellum, west through Love Field, and north all the way to University Park. Rides to the airports are not yet available.
Business Briefing
Waymo’s service area in Dallas is 50 square miles and encompasses downtown, Uptown, Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts, University Park and more. The autonomous rideshare service launched to certain riders in Dallas on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
Courtesy of Waymo
“Dallas is excited for Waymo to launch operations in our city, providing Dallas residents and visitors with new, innovative transportation options,” said Mayor Eric Johnson in a statement. “The availability of Waymo’s fully autonomous ride service further cements Dallas’s reputation as one of America’s most innovative and dynamic cities. Together, we are putting public safety first while building a more connected city.”
The empty driver seat of a Waymo robotaxi is shown during a preview ride for members of the media in downtown Dallas.The autonomous rideshare service launched to certain riders in Dallas on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
Sasha Richie / Staff writer
Waymo is not the first autonomous rideshare to launch in Dallas. Uber, through a partnership with Avride, has been offering them since December.
However, Waymos are launching completely driverless, unlike the Avrides, which still have a safety driver as a backup in the front seat.
Waymo previewed the service for members of the media last week, on a route from City Hall to Carpenter Park and back. While the car got a little confused on the way back, rerouting a few times and delaying arrival by a couple of minutes, the ride was smooth and felt safe. If anything, the reroutes were evidence of overcaution, as the Waymo Driver navigated obstacles like pedestrians and difficult downtown turns.
Waymo says its vehicles have over 200 million fully autonomous miles traveled. A study commissioned by the company and published in the independent, peer-reviewed journal Traffic Injury Prevention, found Waymo caused significantly fewer accidents compared with human benchmarks.
The top sensor unit on a Waymo robotaxi is shown in downtown Dallas during a preview ride for members of the media.The autonomous rideshare service launched to certain riders on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
Sasha Richie / Staff writer
“Waymo is serving more riders than ever, as we are on track to serve over one million rides per week by the end of this year,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo in a release. “Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando are critical to our plans, as we lay groundwork for service in 20+ cities. Each community has its own unique charm and transportation needs, and we’re eager to provide a safe, reliable, and magical way for locals and visitors to travel.”
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