How to Make your Own Route on Google Maps

Google Maps gives you several ways to make your own route depending on what you need. A basic point-to-point route takes seconds. A multi-stop route multi-stop route with a custom stop order takes a few minutes. A saved, reusable custom route requires Google My Maps. And for anything beyond 10 stops or automatic sequencing, a dedicated route planner is the right tool.

This guide covers every method, step by step, on desktop, iPhone, and Android.

How to Make a Route on Google Maps on your Phone

This is the method most people are looking for. It works the same on iPhone and Android.

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Tap the Directions button at the bottom of the screen.
3. Enter your starting point in the first field and your destination in the second.
4. Tap the three dots in the top right corner and select Add stop to include additional addresses.
5. To reorder stops, press and hold the three horizontal lines next to any address and drag it to a new position in the list.
6. Tap Done and then Start to begin navigation.

You can add up to 10 stops in total. Once you reach 10, the Add stop option is no longer available.

To make a route on Google Maps for running on iPhone, select the walking mode and enter your destination. Google Maps will calculate a walking route, but it will not draw a custom path. If you want to draw your own specific running path rather than follow Google Maps’ suggested one, you need to use Google My Maps on desktop (covered below) and then view it on your phone.

For Android users who want to create a route and share it: once your route is planned, tap the three dots on the route screen and select Share directions to generate a shareable link.

How to Make a Custom Route on Google Maps on Desktop

1. Open Google Maps in your browser.
2. Click the Directions button in the top left.
3. Enter your starting point and destination.
4. Click Add destination below the destination field to add more stops.
5. Click and drag the three horizontal lines next to any stop to reorder it.
6. To manually adjust the route path, click and drag any point on the blue route line to force it through a specific road or location.

Dragging the route line is one of Google Maps’ most useful but least-known features. It lets you avoid a specific road, force a route through a preferred street, or adjust the path without changing your stops.

How to Create a Route on Google Maps and Save It

Google Maps does not save multi-stop routes between sessions. If you close the app or browser, the route is gone. To create a custom route that you can save, reopen, and edit later, you need to use Google My Maps.

1. Open Google My Maps in your browser and sign in to your Google account.
2. Click Create a new map.
3. Use the search bar to find and add locations, or click the line tool to draw a custom path on the map.
4. Name your map and save it. It is stored in your Google account and accessible at any time.
5. To navigate from your saved map on your phone, open Google Maps, search for the name of your My Maps map, and tap the route to start navigation.

Google My Maps is useful for visualizing a route and saving it to your account. It is more limited than Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation and does not automatically optimize the sequence of stops.

How to Create a Custom Route in Google My Maps

Here is the full process.

1. Open Google My Maps and click Create a new map.
2. Click the Add directions button (the arrow icon in the left toolbar).
3. A directions layer will appear. Enter your starting point in the first field.
4. Click Add destination to add stops to the route.
5. Choose your travel mode (driving, cycling, or walking) from the transport options.
6. Name the route layer and click Save.
7. The map is saved to your Google account. Click Share to generate a link anyone can open.

Google My Maps routes can be shared as a link or embedded in a website. The recipient can view the route and use it for reference, but they cannot import it directly into Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation in the same way as a Google Maps directions link.

How to Create a Route on Google Maps and Send it to Someone

Once your route is planned in Google Maps, you can share it in two ways:
On desktop: click the menu icon in the top left and select Share or embed map. Copy the link and send it by email or message.
On mobile: tap the three dots on the route screen and select Share directions. The link opens the route in Google Maps for whoever receives it.

Note that the shared link opens the route as you planned it but does not allow the recipient to edit it, and it does not save to their Google Maps account.

How to Make a Route with Pins on Google Maps

1. Open Google My Maps and create a new map.
2. Use the pin icon in the toolbar to drop pins at each location you want to visit.
3. Once your pins are placed, add a directions layer and enter each pinned location as a stop in the route.
4. Save the map to preserve your pins and route together.

In standard Google Maps, you can save individual places as pins on your map using the Save button on any location. However, saved pins are not automatically connected into a navigable route. You would need to manually add each saved location as a stop in a Google Maps directions session.

How to Create a Route from Saved Places on Google Maps

1. Open Google Maps and tap your profile icon, then select Saved to see your saved places.
2. Open Directions and manually enter each saved place name as a stop in your route.
3. Google Maps will autocomplete the name from your saved places as you type.

There is no direct one-tap option to convert a saved places list into a navigable route in Google Maps. Each stop must be entered individually.

When you Need More than Google Maps Can Do

Making your own route in Google Maps works well for personal use with a small number of stops. It becomes impractical when you need any of the following.

1. More than 10 stops. Google Maps caps every route at 10 stops regardless of device or platform.
2. Automatic stop sequencing. Google Maps does not find the most efficient order for your stops. You reorder manually, which is guesswork for anything beyond a handful of addresses.
3. Importing a list of addresses. Google Maps has no bulk import. Every stop must be typed individually. If your stops are in a spreadsheet, you enter them all by hand.
4. Multiple driver routes. Google Maps has no concept of splitting a list of addresses across multiple drivers simultaneously.
5. Saving a route for repeated use. Google Maps does not save multi-stop routes between sessions. Google My Maps saves the map but not a navigable route you can reload and drive again.

MyRouteOnline handles all of these. Import your full address list from Excel or CSV, set the number of drivers, and click Plan My Route. The optimizer sequences all stops in the most efficient order, generates individual routes for each driver, and sends them directly to drivers’ phones. Each route exports to Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation.

Plans start at $19 per month. A Pay As You Go option is available from $24 for occasional use. Free trial available with no credit card required.

FAQ about Making your Own Route on Google Maps

How do I make my own route on Google Maps?

Open Google Maps and tap Directions. Enter your starting point and destination, then tap the three dots and select Add stop to include more addresses. Drag stops to reorder them. On desktop, click Add destination below the destination field and drag stops to reorder. The maximum is 10 stops per route on all devices.

Can I make a custom route on Google Maps on my phone?

Yes. Open Google Maps, tap Directions, enter your start and destination, then tap the three dots in the top right and select Add stop. You can add up to 10 stops total. Drag the three horizontal lines next to any stop to reorder it. This works the same on iPhone and Android.

How do I create a route on Google Maps and save it?

Google Maps does not save multi-stop routes between sessions. To save a custom route, use Google My Maps at mymaps.google.com. Sign in to your Google account, create a new map, add a directions layer, enter your stops, and save the map to your account. It will be accessible any time you sign in.

How do I create a custom route in Google My Maps?

Go to mymaps.google.com and create a new map. Click the Add directions button in the left toolbar. Enter your starting point and add destinations one by one. Choose your travel mode and save the map. The route is stored in your Google account and can be shared as a link.

How do I create a route on Google Maps and send it to someone?

On desktop, click the menu icon in the top left and select Share or embed map, then copy the link. On mobile, tap the three dots on the route screen and select Share directions. The recipient opens the link and sees the route in Google Maps.

Is there a way to make a route on Google Maps with more than 10 stops?

No. Google Maps limits every route to 10 stops on all devices. To plan routes with more than 10 stops, use a dedicated route planner like MyRouteOnline, which supports up to 350 stops on standard plans and up to 1,000 stops on the Business plan.

How do I make a route on Google Maps on iPhone for running?

Open Google Maps and tap Directions. Select the walking figure icon for walking mode. Enter your start and end point and Google Maps will calculate a walking route. To draw your own specific running path, use Google My Maps on desktop, draw the path using the line tool, save it, and then view it on your phone.

How do I create a route on Google Maps from saved places?

Open Directions in Google Maps and manually type each saved place name into a stop field. Google Maps will autocomplete from your saved places as you type. There is no direct button to convert a saved places list into a navigable route automatically.

Can I make a custom route on Google Maps and share it?

Yes. Plan your route in Google Maps, then use the Share directions option on mobile or Share or embed map on desktop to generate a shareable link. The link opens the route for whoever receives it. For a route that the recipient can save and edit themselves, share a Google My Maps link instead.

Is there an app where I can plan my own route with more than 10 stops?

Yes. MyRouteOnline is purpose-built for planning multi-stop routes beyond Google Maps’ 10-stop limit. It supports up to 350 stops on standard plans and up to 1,000 on the Business plan. You import addresses from Excel or CSV, the system sequences them automatically, and you export the optimized route to Google Maps for navigation.