How To Find The Flattest Route For RVs on Google Maps (Guide)
Many RV owners want to save. They feel that if they can save even 1 mpg, they are ahead of the game. Because they have that attitude, they look for the flattest routes possible. They will use Google maps or a flat route app to find that lower road course to make sure they have some fuel savings.
Using Google maps does require you to have a Google Account and you need to log into your account to access the maps. Then use the features included with this service to find the best route possible. There is a lot of research involved no matter which route option you use.
To learn more about this topic, and how to get to the flattest route, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can save a little gas getting to your destination. A little can go a long way.
Finding The Flattest Route
How do I Find The Flattest Route on Google Maps?
It is questionable if Google Maps is capable of finding the flattest route possible. Most reviewers on this topic say it is the most commonly used option because it is familiar not because it is great.
But to try using this route option, you do need to open Google maps and then go to the menu bar on the upper left-hand side. The menu should be able to provide more options for you to use to get the flattest route.
Once you enter your trip’s details, like starting and destination points, the map service should present you with a route. Whether it is the flattest or not remains to be seen.
The results should provide you with directions and a route that may be flat. You can always tweak the route if you think it is not as flat as you would like. Then once you are done, you can use your Smartphone to follow the map when you are on the road.
The features in the menu should give you all the details you will need to find the flattest route using this system. Just be aware that the routes provided may not be accurate and the app can get it wrong.
Flattest Route App
This is a simple-to-use app that just has you enter your current location and then your destination. Just make sure that the upper right-hand option is placed on driving and not cycling or running. You can reach this website at this link.
Once you click on go, the app produces a map with the route it thinks is the flattest on your screen. You will have to magnify the map to see the highway numbers you are to take.
What makes it an ideal app is when you scroll down beneath the map, you will see the distances you have to go on each road to get the flattest route. Then you need to make sure you are following those mileage recommendations to remain on the flattest route.
Some people do not like this as they prefer to view the scenery as they drive and when they rest. Other RV owners appreciate it because they can save a little money as well as save on their fuel supply.
It may take some getting used to when you use this app.
Using Flattestroute.com
As we said, it is not hard to use. We put it to a couple of tests, one from Vancouver, BC Canada to Calgary AB Canada, and it provided a route that was fairly flat. Of course, there are only a couple of roads you can take between those two cities so the flattest route will not be that flat.
A third road goes north to Edmonton as the Rocky Mountains in that area are formidable and there are few roads you can travel on. The second test was traveling between Seattle, WA, and Denver, CO.
The result was better than the first test as it gave precise directions on how to keep to the flattest route. There are matrixes that appear on the web page to show you the changes in elevation as you drive.
The app did make a suggestion that there may be one flatter route through Montana for the Seattle to Denver route but did not go into details about it. The same suggestion for our first test was to go through Florida.
It is best to double-check the routes to make sure the results are actually giving you a flatter road to drive.
What is The Flattest Route Across America?
With the mountains in the west, you will experience some steep inclines due to the nature of the topography. You are not going to escape climbing mountain passes no matter which route you take.
Then while the Interstate highways are built to be as flat as possible, there will also be some inclines that will be a bit difficult if you are towing or driving a larger RV. With all of this said, your flattest route will be a combination of the I-8 and I-10 highways.
Some people will say that the I-10 is your best bet but the two highways are fairly close in flat terrain. Any other highway will take you up some fairly high mountain passes, ones that make you wish you did not drive on.
There will always be hills to cross even in the eastern parts of the states but they are not as bad as crossing the Rocky Mountains. The hard part of the journey will be crossing the plains as you won’t see a hill for hundreds of miles.
It is easy to get bored once you cross those mountains. Find ways to keep you awake and alert.
Flattest Route From Ohio To Florida
Depending on your destination, you need to start on highway 71 in Ohio and go 39 miles to state highway 33. Travel that road for 114 miles, then turn onto interstate 77 for 409 miles.
At that point, you transfer to interstate 26 for 53 miles and then travel interstate 95 for 319 miles. Highway 4 is next and you stay on that highway for 92 miles before ending your journey on Highway 17 for 43 miles.
That route, with thanks to flattest route.com, takes you from just north of Columbus to central Florida just past Orlando. Your route may vary depending on where you want to go in Florida from your location in Ohio.
Flattest Route From Michigan To Florida
The example route is from just west of Midland and again it will stop in central Florida, just Southeast of Tamp Bay. There are 7 roads to travel to get the flattest route and they are as follows:
You start on US 10 and drive 35 miles to Interstate 75. From there you go 48 miles to state highway 23 and travel 98 miles before getting back on Interstate 75. For this portion of 75, you need to drive 1050 miles till you get to Villa City Roads.
Villa City Road is your road for 28 miles where you turn onto Florida 33 for an additional 28 miles. Your last road will be US 17 for 45 miles. There will be slight deviations on the Florida end if your destination is Orlando, Miami, or some other Florida city.
Flattest Route From Chicago To Los Angeles
Believe it or not, the flattest route app is not going to take you down route 66. It prefers a more direct route through the heart of the nation and your roads will all be Interstates.
That is a comfortable route to take as you will have plenty of restaurants and gas stations to stop at. To start it all off, you take 88 for 153 miles and then turn onto 80 which you drive for 660 miles.
After that, you merge onto interstate 76 and go an additional 186 miles before transferring over to Interstate 70. You are on this highway for 502 miles before moving over to Interstate 15.
Drive it for 451 miles before ending your trip on the San Bernardino Hwy which you drive for 42 miles. After that, you have reached LA. Your specific destination will add a few more miles to your trip.
Flattest Route From Albuquerque To Phoenix
The good news is that Albuquerque is higher up than Phoenix so you will be traveling south and west the whole way. Hopefully the highways we mention here will be downhill.
Since this is a shorter distance than the others mentioned so far, you do not have many highways to travel to get the flattest route. It all begins on Interstate 40 where you drive 230 miles.
Once you have gone that distance you switch to AZ state highway 377 and drive about 37 miles. After that, you turn onto AZ state highway 260 which you travel 60 miles before your next highway change.
That highway will be Arizona 87 and you need to go 74 miles before your last highway change. That last highway is AZ 202 and you only need to drive about 12 miles before you reach the outskirts of Phoenix.
Of course, Phoenix is used as a destination even though there are several other cities that make up the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Flattest Route From Washington To Texas
The instructions and highways listed here will be from Washington State and not Washington DC although the latter will be a lot flatter than the former route. While you may not think it is a long distance, you will need to travel 15 different highways to get the flattest route.
The route will end up west of Dallas in what seems to be the middle of nowhere. To start you take US 97 for 53 miles till you cross paths with Interstate 82. Turn on that interstate and go 83 miles to WA 221 and drive 49 miles to Interstate 84.
You take that interstate 515 miles till you get to Interstate 15 where you drive 122 miles. At that point, you get off #15 and take US 6 for 151 miles and turn again at US 191 and go 49 miles.
At that point, you should be at US 491 and you need to drive 101 miles before your next highway change. This will bring you to US 64 and you go 47 miles to the US 550 for 159 miles.
This brings you to Interstate 40 and you drive on this nice road for 117 miles before getting off at US 84 which needs you to drive 199 miles. Once you have passed that distance you will get to the Texas 289 Loop and yo follow that highway for 49 miles.
Get back on US 84 for 91 miles and your last highway will be TX 153 which requires another 41 miles before you reach your destination.
The Flattest Route Through The Rockies
The best route to take will be the I-40 over to the I-5 if you are traveling west. In the reverse, it would be the I-5 to the I-40. The I-40 is supposed to be the easiest road to take when traveling through the Rockies.
If you are living a little south of the I-40 an alternative would be the I-10. If you want to avoid Los Angeles traffic, get off the I-40 when it intersects with CA58 and take that over to the US99 which will intersect with the I5 at several points.
Some Final Words
Finding the flattest road to your destination is not hard if you use the right apps. Google is not the best app to use in this situation and there are other apps that will work better and provide more accurate information.
One tip that will help, is the old-fashion way is a good way to find the flattest route. Buy a good Mountain directory and there is one for going west and one for going east. These books will be better than apps.
