Waymo robotaxis now run to Harry Reid airport, for existing Las Vegas riders first

Waymo began carrying passengers to and from Harry Reid International Airport on October 21. Pickups and drop-offs happen in the autonomous vehicle zones on the Ground Zero Level at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, the same zones Zoox has used since early September. Airport trips are open only to people who already ride Waymo in Las Vegas; the company says it will add riders in stages before opening the airport to everyone.

The map has not grown. Rides stay inside the 24-square-mile zone Waymo opened to the public in September, which takes in the Strip resort corridor and Chinatown, so a Strip hotel is in and most of the valley is out. The Nevada Transportation Authority cleared Waymo to charge fares in August; the airport leg needed a separate sign-off from the Clark County Department of Aviation, which is why it arrived six weeks after the rest of the service.

Las Vegas now has two driverless choices at the airport. Zoox, the Amazon-owned shuttle with no steering wheel, got there first. Waymo arrives with a bigger footprint around town: it signed on this fall as the official ride-hailing partner of the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium and of The Venetian, so expect to see its cars clustered at both. Neither robotaxi waits in the regular rideshare line, which at both terminals means a walk into the parking structure with your bags; the autonomous zones sit on the arrivals level, closer to baggage claim.

Waymo has not published an airport fare for Las Vegas. The app prices each trip live, so check it against Uber and Lyft on the day, and remember that a Strip ride from the airport takes 15 to 25 minutes depending on which end of the Boulevard you are headed to. Our airport-to-Strip guide lays out every option with current costs, and the getting around guide covers what to do once you are there.

Our take: If you already ride Waymo in Las Vegas, use it for the airport: a ground-level pickup with no line is a real improvement on the garage trek. If you are new to the app, download it before the trip but do not build your arrival around it. Airport access may not be switched on for your account yet, so keep a rideshare or the RTC bus as the plan you actually count on.