Find a route and directions

Learn how to find a route and directions with the route service.

Routing is the process of finding the path from an origin to a destination in a street network. You can use the route service to find routes, get driving directions, calculate drive times, and solve complicated, multiple vehicle routing problems. To create a route, you typically define a set of stops (origin and one or more destinations) and use the service to find a route with directions. You can also use a number of additional parameters such as barriers and mode of travel to refine the results.

In this tutorial, you use ArcGIS REST JS to access the routing service to get route. You click on the map to get an origin and destination that are used to get a route and directions from the route service. The directions are also displayed on the map.

Prerequisites

You need an ArcGIS Location Platform or ArcGIS Online account.

Steps

Create a new pen

To get started, either complete the Display a map tutorial or .

Get an access token

You need an access token with the correct privileges to access the resources used in this tutorial.

Go to the Create an API key tutorial and create an API key with the following privilege(s):
- Privileges
  - Location services > Basemaps
  - Location services > Routing
Copy the API key access token to your clipboard when prompted.

In CodePen, update the accessToken variable to use your access token.

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const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";
const basemapEnum = "arcgis/streets";
const map = new maplibregl.Map({
  container: "map", // the id of the div element
  style: `https://basemapstyles-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/styles/v2/styles/${basemapEnum}?token=${accessToken}`,
  zoom: 12, // starting zoom
  center: [-118.805, 34.027] // starting location [longitude, latitude]
});

To learn about the other types of authentication available, go to Types of authentication.

Add references to ArcGIS REST JS

In the <head> element, add references to the ArcGIS REST JS library.

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  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1,maximum-scale=1,user-scalable=no" />
    <script src=https://unpkg.com/maplibre-gl@4/dist/maplibre-gl.js></script>
    <link href=https://unpkg.com/maplibre-gl@4/dist/maplibre-gl.css rel="stylesheet" />

    <script src="https://unpkg.com/@esri/arcgis-rest-request@4/dist/bundled/request.umd.js"></script>
    <script src="https://unpkg.com/@esri/arcgis-rest-routing@4/dist/bundled/routing.umd.js"></script>


    <style>
      html,
      body,
      #map {
        padding: 0;
        margin: 0;
        height: 100%;
        width: 100%;
        font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
        font-size: 14px;
        color: #323232;
      }

    </style>

  </head>
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Update the map

A navigation basemap layer is typically used in geocoding and routing applications. Update the basemap layer to use arcgis/navigation.

Update the basemap and the map initialization to center on location [-79.3832,43.6532], Toronto.

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      const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";

      const basemapEnum = "arcgis/navigation";

      const map = new maplibregl.Map({
        container: "map", // the id of the div element
        style: `https://basemapstyles-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/styles/v2/styles/${basemapEnum}?token=${accessToken}`,
        zoom: 12, // starting zoom

        center: [-79.3832, 43.6532] // Toronto

      });
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Add end point layers

To display circles for the start and end of the route, you will two circle layers. Each layer needs a GeoJSON source which holds the data.

Create a function called addCircleLayers.

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      const map = new maplibregl.Map({
        container: "map", // the id of the div element
        style: `https://basemapstyles-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/styles/v2/styles/${basemapEnum}?token=${accessToken}`,
        zoom: 12, // starting zoom

        center: [-79.3832, 43.6532] // Toronto

      });

      function addCircleLayers() {

      }
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Add a GeoJSON source for the start and end, with ids route-start and route-end. Set the data attribute of each source to be an empty FeatureCollection.

This source will later contain the geometry information of the start or end point that the user has selected. For now, you can simply provide it with an empty piece of GeoJSON: a feature collection that contains no features.

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      function addCircleLayers() {

        map.addSource("start", {
          type: "geojson",
          data: {
            type: "FeatureCollection",
            features: []
          }
        });
        map.addSource("end", {
          type: "geojson",
          data: {
            type: "FeatureCollection",
            features: []
          }
        });

      }
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Add a layer of type circle for the start and end, connected to those sources. Use the circle-color paint property to make the start circle white and the end circle black.

Each layer will display the data in its source. Since there is no data in those sources for now, nothing will display yet.

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      function addCircleLayers() {

        map.addSource("start", {
          type: "geojson",
          data: {
            type: "FeatureCollection",
            features: []
          }
        });
        map.addSource("end", {
          type: "geojson",
          data: {
            type: "FeatureCollection",
            features: []
          }
        });

        map.addLayer({
          id: "start-circle",
          type: "circle",
          source: "start",
          paint: {
            "circle-radius": 6,
            "circle-color": "white",
            "circle-stroke-color": "black",
            "circle-stroke-width": 2
          }
        });

        map.addLayer({
          id: "end-circle",
          type: "circle",
          source: "end",
          paint: {
            "circle-radius": 7,
            "circle-color": "black"
          }
        });

      }
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Add a load event handler

At this stage, the layers have not been added to the map. It is important to wait for the map to finish loading before adding the layers.

Add an event handler to the map load event. Call the addCircleLayers function.

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        map.addLayer({
          id: "end-circle",
          type: "circle",
          source: "end",
          paint: {
            "circle-radius": 7,
            "circle-color": "black"
          }
        });

      }

      map.on("load", () => {
        addCircleLayers();

        addRouteLayer();

      });
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Add a click handler

You will click twice to set a start and end for the route. The first click will update the start source. The second click will update the end source. To set the GeoJSON data you use map.getSource to get the Source, then call setData.

You use a click event handler to respond to these clicks.

The object passed to the click event contains several useful properties, including:

lngLat: the map location where the click took place.
point: the screen location in pixels where the click took place.
originalEvent: the DOM event, which contains information about modifier keys.

For more information, see the MapLibre GL JS documentation.

Add a variable to store whether the next click will be for the start or end of the route. Set it initially to start. Add a variable to store the coordinates for each end.

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      map.on("load", () => {
        addCircleLayers();

        addRouteLayer();

      });

      let currentStep = "start";
      let startCoords, endCoords;
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Add a click event handler to the map. Use the lngLat property of the event parameter to create a GeoJSON Point object.

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      let currentStep = "start";
      let startCoords, endCoords;

      map.on("click", (e) => {

        const coordinates = e.lngLat.toArray();
        const point = {
          type: "Point",
          coordinates
        };

      });
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Use map.getSource and the setData method to update the correct source with the GeoJSON object.

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      map.on("click", (e) => {

        const coordinates = e.lngLat.toArray();
        const point = {
          type: "Point",
          coordinates
        };

        if (currentStep === "start") {
          map.getSource("start").setData(point);
          startCoords = coordinates;
          const empty = {
            type: "FeatureCollection",
            features: []
          };
          map.getSource("end").setData(empty);
          map.getSource("route").setData(empty);
          endCoords = null;
          currentStep = "end";
        } else {
          map.getSource("end").setData(point);
          endCoords = coordinates;
          currentStep = "start";
        }

      });
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At the top right, click Run. You should be able to click in two places to set a white circle for the start, and a black circle for the end.

Add route layer

The route object that will be retrieved is a GeoJSON LineString object. To display it, you define a GeoJSON source and a line layer.

Create a addRouteLayer function. Inside, add a source of type geojson with id route. Set its data attribute to be an empty FeatureCollection.

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        map.addLayer({
          id: "end-circle",
          type: "circle",
          source: "end",
          paint: {
            "circle-radius": 7,
            "circle-color": "black"
          }
        });

      }

      function addRouteLayer() {

        map.addSource("route", {
          type: "geojson",
          data: {
            type: "FeatureCollection",
            features: []
          }
        });

      }
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Add a layer of type line with id route-line. Set its source to be route, and give it width, color and opacity attributes.

This source will later contain the geometry information of the route between points that the user has selected. For now, you can simply provide it with an empty piece of GeoJSON: a feature collection that contains no features.

The layer will display the source. Since there is no data in the source for now, nothing will display yet.

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      function addRouteLayer() {

        map.addSource("route", {
          type: "geojson",
          data: {
            type: "FeatureCollection",
            features: []
          }
        });

        map.addLayer({
          id: "route-line",
          type: "line",
          source: "route",

          paint: {
            "line-color": "hsl(205, 100%, 50%)",
            "line-width": 4,
            "line-opacity": 0.6
          }
        });

      }
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Get the route

To find the route, you use ArcGIS REST JS to call the solveRoute function to access the route service. Make sure to warn the user if there is a problem accessing the service.

To update the route source with the result, get the Source with map.getSource to get the Source, then call setData.

Create a function called updateRoute. Inside, create a new ApiKeyManager to access the route service. Call solveRoute with the two sets of coordinates as a stops array.

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          paint: {
            "line-color": "hsl(205, 100%, 50%)",
            "line-width": 4,
            "line-opacity": 0.6
          }
        });

      }

      function updateRoute() {

        const authentication = arcgisRest.ApiKeyManager.fromKey(accessToken);

        arcgisRest
          .solveRoute({
            stops: [startCoords, endCoords],
            endpoint: "https://route-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/World/Route/NAServer/Route_World/solve",
            authentication
          })

      }
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Create a response handler. Inside, use the setData method to update the route source's geometry from the response's routes.geojson property.

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        arcgisRest
          .solveRoute({
            stops: [startCoords, endCoords],
            endpoint: "https://route-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/World/Route/NAServer/Route_World/solve",
            authentication
          })

          .then((response) => {
            map.getSource("route").setData(response.routes.geoJson);

          })

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Add an error handler. Show a message and log a message if there is a problem.

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          .then((response) => {
            map.getSource("route").setData(response.routes.geoJson);

          })

          .catch((error) => {
            console.error(error);
            alert("There was a problem using the route service. See the console for details.");
          });
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Update the click handler

If the start and end coordinates have been set by the user, you can now call your updateRoute function.

Check that the start and end coordinates have been set. Then call updateRoute.

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      map.on("click", (e) => {

        const coordinates = e.lngLat.toArray();
        const point = {
          type: "Point",
          coordinates
        };

        if (currentStep === "start") {
          map.getSource("start").setData(point);
          startCoords = coordinates;
          const empty = {
            type: "FeatureCollection",
            features: []
          };
          map.getSource("end").setData(empty);
          map.getSource("route").setData(empty);
          endCoords = null;
          currentStep = "end";
        } else {
          map.getSource("end").setData(point);
          endCoords = coordinates;
          currentStep = "start";
        }

        if (startCoords && endCoords) {
          updateRoute(startCoords, endCoords);
        }

      });
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Show directions

The data returned from the route service contains directions information. To display it, you can create a styled <div> element. You will populate this with data drawn from the directions attribute of the response.

In the <body>, add a <div> element with an id of directions.

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  <body>
    <div id="map"></div>

    <div id="directions">Click on the map to create a start and end for the route.</div>

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In the <style> section, style the #directions element with absolute position so it sits in front of the map, and a fixed width and height.

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    <style>
      html,
      body,
      #map {
        padding: 0;
        margin: 0;
        height: 100%;
        width: 100%;
        font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
        font-size: 14px;
        color: #323232;
      }

      #directions {
        position: absolute;
        width: 30%;
        max-height: 50%;
        right: 20px;
        top: 20px;
        overflow-y: auto; /* Show a scrollbar if needed */
        background: white;
        font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana;
        line-height: 1.5;
        font-size: 14px;
        padding: 10px;
      }

    </style>
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In the query response handler, set the contents of the <div> element using the directions attribute. Join the text attributes of each element of the features array to make the HTML contents of the <div> element. Use <br> tags between each line to create a line break.

The directions element is an array where each element corresponds to one route. Its features attribute is an array with information about each step on the route, including the length of the maneuver, the kind of maneuver, and the text that should be shown to the user.

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          .then((response) => {
            map.getSource("route").setData(response.routes.geoJson);

            const directionsHTML = response.directions[0].features.map((f) => f.attributes.text).join("<br/>");
            document.getElementById("directions").innerHTML = directionsHTML;

          })

          .catch((error) => {
            console.error(error);
            alert("There was a problem using the route service. See the console for details.");
          });
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Run the app

In CodePen, run your code to display the map.

When the map displays, you should be able to click on it once to create an origin point and again to create a destination point. The routing service should then display the resulting route and turn-by-turn directions.

What's next?

Learn how to use additional ArcGIS location services in these tutorials:

Reverse geocode

Find an address near a location with the Geocoding service.

Find nearby places and details

Find points of interest near a location and get detailed information about them

Find service areas

Calculate the area that can be reached in a given driving time from a location.