Google Routes

Google Workspace

Get directions, travel times, and distance calculations

What You Can Do

Google Routes (combining Directions and Distance Matrix APIs) gives you full routing capability — from simple A-to-B directions to complex multi-stop logistics planning.

  • Directions — Step-by-step route from origin to destination with turn-by-turn instructions
  • Travel modes — DRIVING, WALKING, BICYCLING, TRANSIT
  • Waypoints — Multi-stop routes with intermediate stops
  • Real-time traffic — Departure time-based ETAs with current traffic conditions
  • Distance matrix — Calculate distances and travel times between multiple origins and destinations in one request
  • Transit details — Bus/rail/subway lines, stops, departure times, and number of transfers
  • Alternative routes — Get multiple route options ranked by duration or distance
  • Route restrictions — Avoid tolls, highways, or ferries
  • Geocoding — Address to coordinates conversion built into the routing request

    • Try Asking

  • "How long does it take to drive from SFO Airport to the Embarcadero right now?"
  • "Get walking directions from Central Park to the Met Museum"
  • "What's the fastest route from my office to the venue with current traffic?"
  • "Calculate driving times from our warehouse to all 5 customer addresses"
  • "Plan a driving route from Seattle to LA stopping in Portland and San Francisco"
  • "What's the quickest public transit option from Times Square to JFK?"
  • "Get directions avoiding tolls from Boston to Hartford"
  • "How far is it by bike from the hotel to the conference center?"

    • Pro Tips

  • Departure time affects ETA accuracy — specify "leaving now" or a future time for traffic-aware routing
  • Distance matrix is ideal for logistics: find which of your 10 locations is closest to a customer
  • Transit mode returns detailed schedule data including specific bus or train lines
  • Waypoints support optimization — pass `optimize:true` to reorder stops for shortest total distance
  • Avoid parameters: `tolls`, `highways`, `ferries`, `indoor`
  • Units: metric (km) or imperial (miles) — specify in the request