Best carpool apps in California and Nevada for long-distance trips
Short answer: for a booked-ahead seat between California and Nevada cities, Seat Sherpa is the only marketplace that verifies drivers, holds payment until pickup and caps prices at the IRS mileage rate. The other options that still exist in 2026 are unverified boards: Craigslist rideshare and Facebook groups. BlaBlaCar has never launched in the US, Waze Carpool shut down in 2022, Zimride is campus-only, and Hitch serves Texas and neighbouring states.
What actually works here in 2026
| Option | Covers CA / NV intercity? | Driver verification | Payment | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Sherpa | Yes: SF Bay Area, LA, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Palm Springs, Napa, Reno/Tahoe, Las Vegas | Phone, license, vehicle, Stripe identity, ratings | In app or browser, held until the pickup code | Capped at the IRS rate split across seats, max $55 + 5% fee |
| Craigslist rideshare | Yes, nationwide board | None | Cash or Venmo between strangers | Whatever is posted |
| Facebook carpool groups | Patchy, group by group | Profile only | None built in | Whatever is posted |
| Bay Area casual carpool | Commute only, East Bay to SF | None | Small cash contribution by custom | A few dollars |
| Scoop / commute apps | Daily commute matching, not intercity | Varies | In app | Commute rates |
| BlaBlaCar | No, never launched in the US | See BlaBlaCar in the USA | ||
| Waze Carpool | No, shut down in 2022 | See Waze Carpool alternatives | ||
| Zimride | Campus and employer networks only | See Zimride alternatives | ||
| Hitch | No, Texas and nearby states | See Hitch in California | ||
How to pick
If you want a seat you can book, pay for safely and get refunded on if the ride falls through, use a marketplace with verification and payment protection. If you are comfortable arranging cash with a stranger and vetting them yourself, the boards are free to use and cover routes no app does yet. On Seat Sherpa you can also post a request on the ride request board when nothing is listed; drivers check it before deciding what to post.
See live seat prices on your route
Drivers post trips they are already taking. Book in the browser or the app; no account needed to look.
Browse rides →Driving somewhere yourself? Post the ride and split the cost.
FAQ
What is the best carpool app for San Francisco to Los Angeles?
Seat Sherpa is the booked-ahead carpool marketplace for California and Nevada, with verified drivers, payment held until pickup and seats capped at $55. Craigslist rideshare and Facebook groups also list the route but have no verification or payment protection.
Is there a BlaBlaCar in California?
No. BlaBlaCar has never operated in the United States. Seat Sherpa fills the same role in California and Nevada: drivers post intercity trips they are already taking and passengers share the cost.
Is Waze Carpool still available?
No. Google shut down Waze Carpool in 2022. For daily commutes, employer or agency commute programs remain; for city-to-city trips in California and Nevada, Seat Sherpa is the booked-ahead option.
Does Hitch work in California?
No. Hitch operates in Texas and neighbouring states. Seat Sherpa covers the California and Nevada corridors.
How much does a Seat Sherpa seat cost?
It depends on the route and the driver, but every seat has a hard cap: the IRS standard mileage rate (about $0.76 per mile in 2026) multiplied by the drivable miles, divided across the seats, and never more than $55 a seat. Riders pay the seat price plus a 5% service fee, shown before you pay. Live prices for each corridor are on the route pages and in the ride browser.
Is Seat Sherpa safe?
Every driver verifies a phone number by SMS, uploads a driver’s license that is checked for expiry, registers the vehicle, and connects a Stripe account that verifies identity and bank details. Riders see the driver’s photo, trip count and reviews before booking, can filter for women drivers, and can block anyone. A 4-digit pickup code confirms the rider got in the car and is what releases payment.
What is the cancellation policy?
One standard policy on every ride: cancel 24 or more hours before departure for a full seat refund, 2 to 24 hours before for 50%, and inside 2 hours there is no refund. The 5% service fee is non-refundable when the rider cancels. If the driver cancels, the rider gets 100% back including the fee.