Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has expanded its self-driving car testing operations to Northern Virginia, beginning with mapping activities in Alexandria.

The company is currently conducting mapping operations in Alexandria and plans to extend its work to nearby Arlington in the coming period. Both cities are located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., placing Waymo's testing activities in close proximity to the nation's capital.

The Northern Virginia expansion represents Waymo's continued efforts to test and refine its autonomous vehicle technology in new geographic markets. The company has been operating self-driving car programs in various locations across the United States as it works to develop commercially viable autonomous transportation services.

Alexandria and Arlington are densely populated urban areas with complex traffic patterns, which could provide valuable testing environments for Waymo's autonomous vehicle systems. The proximity to Washington, D.C. also positions the company near federal regulators and policymakers who oversee autonomous vehicle regulations.

Waymo has not announced specific timelines for when it might begin passenger testing or commercial operations in the Northern Virginia region. The current focus appears to be on the initial mapping phase, which is typically the first step in establishing autonomous vehicle operations in a new market.