Scott Lurndal wrote, on Wed, 01 Apr 2015 14:13:15 +0000:

chipseal

It may be rough immediately after application, but within a few days,
it's as smooth as any other asphalt. I've generally not had problems
with tar on the car, either; at least in San Jose

Yeah, I'm in the Santa Cruz mountains. Chip-and-seal is what they call
it, you're right. The airport & roads crew comes out every few years to
chip-and-seal it.

It is a bit rougher I'd say, than the asphalt on the main roads.