Getting Started

The Google Maps Directions API is a service that calculates directions between locations. You can search for directions for several modes of transportation, including transit, driving, walking, or cycling.

Sample request and response

You access the Google Maps Directions API through an HTTP interface, with requests constructed as a URL string, using text strings or latitude/longitude coordinates to identify the locations, along with your API key.

The following example requests the driving directions from Disneyland to Universal Studios Hollywood, in JSON format:

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?origin=Disneyland&destination=Universal+Studios+Hollywood4&key=YOUR_API_KEY

Try it! You can test this request by entering the URL into your web browser (be sure to replace ‘YOUR_API_KEY’ with your actual API key). The response returns the driving directions.

View the developer's guide for more information about building request URLs and available parameters and understanding the response.

Below is a sample response, in JSON:

{
   "geocoded_waypoints" : [
      {
         "geocoder_status" : "OK",
         "place_id" : "ChIJRVY_etDX3IARGYLVpoq7f68",
         "types" : [
            "bus_station",
            "transit_station",
            "point_of_interest",
            "establishment"
         ]
      },
      {
         "geocoder_status" : "OK",
         "partial_match" : true,
         "place_id" : "ChIJp2Mn4E2-woARQS2FILlxUzk",
         "types" : [ "route" ]
      }
   ],
   "routes" : [
      {
         "bounds" : {
            "northeast" : {
               "lat" : 34.1330949,
               "lng" : -117.9143879
            },
            "southwest" : {
               "lat" : 33.8068768,
               "lng" : -118.3527671
            }
         },
         "copyrights" : "Map data ©2016 Google",
         "legs" : [
            {
               "distance" : {
                  "text" : "35.9 mi",
                  "value" : 57824
               },
               "duration" : {
                  "text" : "51 mins",
                  "value" : 3062
               },
               "end_address" : "Universal Studios Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90068, USA",
               "end_location" : {
                  "lat" : 34.1330949,
                  "lng" : -118.3524442
               },
               "start_address" : "Disneyland (Harbor Blvd.), S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92802, USA",
               "start_location" : {
                  "lat" : 33.8098177,
                  "lng" : -117.9154353
               },

  ... Additional results truncated in this example[] ...


         "overview_polyline" : {
            "points" : "knjmEnjunUbKCfEA?_@]@kMBeE@qIIoF@wH@eFFk@WOUI_@?u@j@k@`@EXLTZHh@Y`AgApAaCrCUd@cDpDuAtAoApA{YlZiBdBaIhGkFrDeCtBuFxFmIdJmOjPaChDeBlDiAdD}ApGcDxU}@hEmAxD}[tt@yNb\\yBdEqFnJqB~DeFxMgK~VsMr[uKzVoCxEsEtG}BzCkHhKWh@]t@{AxEcClLkCjLi@`CwBfHaEzJuBdEyEhIaBnCiF|K_Oz\\
            {MdZwAbDaKbUiB|CgCnDkDbEiE|FqBlDsLdXqQra@kX|m@aF|KcHtLm@pAaE~JcTxh@w\\`v@gQv`@}F`MqK`PeGzIyGfJiG~GeLhLgIpIcE~FsDrHcFfLqDzH{CxEwAbBgC|B}F|DiQzKsbBdeA{k@~\\oc@bWoKjGaEzCoEzEwDxFsUh^wJfOySx[uBnCgCbCoFlDmDvAiCr@eRzDuNxC_EvAiFpCaC|AqGpEwHzFoQnQoTrTqBlCyDnGmCfEmDpDyGzGsIzHuZzYwBpBsC`CqBlAsBbAqCxAoBrAqDdDcNfMgHbHiPtReBtCkD|GqAhBwBzBsG~FoAhAaCbDeBvD_BlEyM``@uBvKiA~DmAlCkA|B}@lBcChHoJnXcB`GoAnIS~CIjFDd]A|QMlD{@jH[vAk@`CoGxRgPzf@aBbHoB~HeMx^eDtJ}BnG{DhJU`@mBzCoCjDaAx@mAnAgCnBmAp@uAj@{Cr@wBPkB@kBSsEW{GV}BEeCWyAWwHs@qH?
            cIHkDXuDn@mCt@mE`BsH|CyAp@}AdAaAtAy@lBg@pCa@jE]fEcBhRq@pJKlCk@hLFrB@lD_@xCeA`DoBxDaHvM_FzImDzFeCpDeC|CkExDiJrHcBtAkDpDwObVuCpFeCdHoIl\\uBjIuClJsEvMyDbMqAhEoDlJ{C|J}FlZuBfLyDlXwB~QkArG_AnDiAxC{G|OgEdLaE`LkBbEwG~KgHnLoEjGgDxCaC`BuJdFkFtCgCnBuClD_HdMqEzHcBpB_C|BuEzCmPlIuE|B_EtDeBhCgAdCw@rCi@|DSfECrCAdCS~Di@jDYhA_AlC{AxCcL`U{GvM_DjFkBzBsB`BqDhBaEfAsTvEmEr@iCr@qDrAiFnCcEzCaE~D_@JmFdGQDwBvCeErEoD|BcFjC}DbEuD~D`@Zr@h@?d@Wr@}@vAgCbEaHfMqA`Cy@dAg@bAO`@gCi@w@W"
         },
         "summary" : "I-5 N and US-101 N",
         "warnings" : [],
         "waypoint_order" : []
      }
   ],
   "status" : "OK"
}

Start coding with our client libraries

Client libraries make developing with the Google Maps web service APIs easier by providing simple, native implementations of common tasks, such as authentication, request throttling and automatic retry. The Google Maps Directions API is available as part of the Java Client for Google Maps Services, Python Client for Google Maps Services, and Go Client for Google Maps Services.

These community-supported client libraries are open-sourced under the Apache 2.0 License and are available for download, or contributions, on GitHub. The libraries are not covered by the standard Google deprecation policy, or support agreement.

Authentication, quotas, and policies

Activate the API and get an API key

To use the Google Maps Directions API, you must first activate the API in the Google Developers Console and obtain the proper authentication credentials. You need to provide a server API key in each request (or a client ID if you have a Premium Plan).

Click the button below to follow a process where you will:

1. Go to the Google Developers Console
2. Create or select a project
3. Enable the API
4. Get an API key

Get a Key

Learn more about authentication credentials.

Quotas

Review the usage limits page for details on the quotas set for the Google Maps Directions API.

Policies

Use of the Google Maps Directions API must be in accordance with the API policies.

Learn more

There’s more you can do with the Directions API, like requesting directions via different travel modes, using waypoints to calculate routes through additional locations, and estimating travel time. See the Directions API developer’s guide for more examples and other details.