Route Planner - Multi-Stop Route Optimization

Optimize routes for multiple destinations. Township Canada's Route Planner calculates the most efficient order to visit multiple locations, saving time and fuel for field workers, surveyors, and anyone managing multiple site visits.

Why use Route Planner?

When you have multiple locations to visit in a day, the order matters. Route Planner uses advanced optimization algorithms to:

• Minimize travel time by finding the most efficient route
• Reduce fuel costs by eliminating unnecessary backtracking
• Plan round trips that return you to your starting point
• Handle legal land descriptions that standard GPS apps don't understand

Plan availability

Route Planner is available on Pro and Business plans:

• Starter plan: Not available
• Pro plan: 10 optimized routes per month
• Business plan: Unlimited optimized routes

Access Route Planner from the Route Planner link in the main navigation.

Who uses Route Planner?

Oil & Gas Field Workers

Plan daily inspection routes visiting multiple well sites, compressor stations, and pipeline checkpoints. Optimize the order to minimize driving time between LSDs.

Land Surveyors

Visit multiple survey points, corner posts, and boundary markers in a single trip. Route Planner ensures you cover all locations efficiently.

Real Estate Professionals

Tour multiple rural properties in one day. Optimize your route to maximize showings while minimizing travel between listings.

Agricultural Operations

Plan routes for field inspections, equipment checks, or grain bin visits across multiple quarter sections.

Utility Workers

Optimize service calls and maintenance routes across rural areas where addresses don't exist.

Creating a route

Creating routes from Projects

Import locations from your saved Projects:

1. Open Route Planner
2. Click From Project
3. Select a project
4. Choose which locations to include
5. Click Add to Route

This is useful for creating routes from a set of locations you've already saved and organized.

Route options

Round trip

Enable Round Trip to return to your starting location at the end of the route. The optimizer accounts for the return leg when calculating the most efficient order.

Starting point

By default, the first location in your list is the starting point. You can set any location as the start by clicking its options menu and selecting Set as Start.

Destination

For one-way trips, the last location is your destination. Set any location as the final destination by selecting Set as Destination from its options menu.

Understanding the optimized route

After optimization, Route Planner displays:

Route summary

• Total distance: Combined driving distance for all legs
• Total time: Estimated driving time including all stops
• Number of stops: Locations in your route

Stop details

Each stop shows:

• Legal land description or address
• Distance and time from the previous stop
• Notes (if added)
• Stop number in the optimized order

Map visualization

The map displays:

• Route line showing the driving path
• Numbered markers for each stop
• Connection lines between stops

Saving routes

Save optimized routes for future reference:

1. Click Save Route
2. Enter a name for the route
3. The route saves with all locations and optimization settings

Access saved routes from the Route Planner page. Saved routes remember the optimized order and can be re-optimized if you add or remove locations.

Exporting routes

Export your optimized route:

• GPX: Download the route for GPS devices and navigation apps
• PDF: Printable route sheet with turn-by-turn directions (Pro and Business)
• Open in Google Maps: Hand off your route for voice-guided navigation

Tips for efficient routes

Limit stops per route

Route optimization works best with 10-25 stops. For larger numbers of locations, consider splitting into multiple routes by geographic area.

Group by area

If you have locations spread across a large region, create separate routes for each area rather than one massive route.

Use round trip wisely

Enable round trip when you need to return to your starting point (like an office). Disable it for one-way trips.

Save frequently used routes

If you visit the same locations regularly (like weekly inspections), save the route for quick access.

Related guides

• Get Directions - Point-to-point navigation
• Projects - Organize locations for route planning
• Search & Convert - Find legal land descriptions to add to routes
• Mobile App - Turn-by-turn navigation in the field