Robotaxi Atlas

Areas are approximate, traced Oct 13, 2026 from operators' published maps. The app has the exact boundary. The white line is a sample trip on real streets.
Approximate areas. Check the app. © OpenStreetMap

Can I ride a robotaxi in Houston?

Tesla Robotaxi has run public driverless rides here since Apr 18, 2026. Waymo followed on Aug 20, 2026. Neither serves William P. Hobby Airport yet.

Status
Driverless
Operators
Tesla Robotaxi, Waymo
Book in
Each operator's own app
Last checked

Operators in Houston

  • Tesla Robotaxi
    Driverless

    Since Apr 18, 2026: Tesla's @robotaxi account announced the public rollout. Book in: Tesla Robotaxi app.

    Ages: 18 and older to book or ride alone. Riders aged 8 to 17 can take a Model Y Robotaxi with an adult, never alone. Cybercab rides are for ages 13 and up with an adult, and no one under 8 can ride.

  • Waymo
    Driverless

    Since Aug 20, 2026: invited riders first, from Feb 24, 2026, then everyone. Book in: Waymo app. Service area about 50 sq mi.

    Ages: riders must be 18 or older to ride alone, and Houston has no teen accounts.

  • Zoox
    Testing

    Since Sep 2026: testing announced. Book in: Zoox app.

  • Nuro and Lucid
    Announced

    Planned for mid-2027. Book in: Uber app.

Where the cars go

Waymo's Houston map covers nearly 50 sq mi of the inner city. It opened at about 25 sq mi across the Heights, Woodland Heights, Rice Military, the Fourth and First Wards, Downtown, Montrose, Midtown and Upper Kirby. A May 13, 2026 expansion, reported by KPRC Click2Houston, added EaDo, the Texas Medical Center, parts of northeast Houston and NRG Stadium. Neither William P. Hobby Airport nor George Bush Intercontinental Airport is served.

Tesla runs somewhere else entirely. Its zone is a triangle of roughly 25 sq mi in northwest Houston: US-290 forms the southwest side near Jersey Village and Harvest Bend, SH-249 the northeast side toward Willowbrook Mall, and about 5.5 mi of FM 1960 the top. A trip from Downtown to Willowbrook doesn't fit inside either zone, so check your pickup and drop-off before you book.

What to know in Houston

Waymo welcomed invited Houston riders on Feb 24, 2026 and opened the Waymo app to anyone on Aug 20, 2026. Tesla rolled out on Apr 18, 2026 with launch videos showing nobody in the front seats, though it is unclear whether the whole fleet runs that way.

Two more operators are on the way. Zoox announced Houston testing around Sep 1, 2026 with a retrofitted fleet, starting with manual mapping before autonomous testing, and has no riders. Uber, Nuro and Lucid expect to launch a premium robotaxi service here in mid-2027, booked through the Uber app. For the state rules behind all of this, see the Texas page.

What a ride costs

  • Tesla Robotaxi and WaymoNeither publishes a rate for Houston. The app shows the price before you book.

Airports

  • HOUWilliam P. Hobby Airport

    Waymo: Not served. Hobby isn't on Waymo's airport list.

  • IAHGeorge Bush Intercontinental Airport

    Waymo: Not served. Bush Intercontinental isn't on Waymo's airport list.

How to ride in Houston

Tesla Robotaxi

Book in the Tesla Robotaxi app.

Waymo

Book in the Waymo app.

In each app, set your pickup and drop-off inside the service area. You see the price before you confirm.

Step-by-step guide to riding a robotaxi

Rules that apply here

  • Texas rules: Under SB 2807 (2025), companies running commercial automated vehicles in Texas must hold an active TxDMV authorization. The rule applies from May 28, 2026, and TxDMV announced enforcement on Jun 2, 2026.

Timeline

  1. Zoox announces testing in Houston and San Diego. Source
  2. Waymo opens Houston to all riders. Source
  3. Uber, Nuro and Lucid said Houston service is expected in mid-2027. Source
  4. Houston service area grows to nearly 50 sq mi, adding EaDo, Texas Medical Center and NRG Stadium. Reported. Source
  5. Tesla rolls out Robotaxi in Dallas and Houston with unsupervised cars. Source
  6. Waymo starts welcoming riders in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando. Source

Houston robotaxi questions

Can a robotaxi take me to the Texas Medical Center?

Yes, Waymo's Houston area has included the Texas Medical Center since its May 13, 2026 expansion, as reported by KPRC Click2Houston. Tesla's northwest Houston zone does not reach it.

Can I take a Waymo to Hobby or Bush Intercontinental?

Waymo doesn't serve Houston's airports. Neither William P. Hobby Airport nor George Bush Intercontinental Airport appears on its help-center airport list.

Where does Tesla Robotaxi operate in Houston?

Tesla Robotaxi in Houston covers a triangle in the northwest, between US-290 near Jersey Village, SH-249 toward Willowbrook Mall and FM 1960. It does not cover Downtown.

When will the Lucid robotaxi launch in Houston?

Uber, Nuro and Lucid said on Jun 17, 2026 that they expect to launch their robotaxi service in Houston in mid-2027, on the Uber app.

Can teenagers ride Waymo in Houston?

Not alone. Waymo riders in Houston must be 18 or older to ride alone, and teen accounts are not offered in Houston.

Sources

  1. Not a Tesla App: Tesla Launches Unsupervised Robotaxi Service in Dallas and Houston, Apr 18, 2026
  2. Teslarati: Tesla expands Unsupervised Robotaxi service to two new cities, Apr 18, 2026
  3. Tesla: Robotaxi Rider Rules
  4. Waymo Help Center: Service areas - Waymo Help
  5. Waymo: Houston open to all riders, Aug 20, 2026
  6. Axios Houston: Waymo introduces autonomous rides in Houston, Feb 24, 2026
  7. KPRC Click2Houston: Waymo expands Houston robotaxi service area, May 13, 2026
  8. TechCrunch: Amazon's Zoox expands its robotaxi service to Las Vegas airport, Sep 3, 2026
  9. ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International: Houston and San Diego added to Zoox autonomous testing program, Sep 7, 2026
  10. Uber Investor Relations: Uber, Nuro, and Lucid to Bring Robotaxi Service to Houston in 2027, Jun 17, 2026

"Reported" means one news report that the operator or a regulator hasn't confirmed yet.

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