Free route optimization for multiple stops
Sort My Stops uses route optimization to work out an efficient order for up to 100 US stops. Review the result on a map, adjust it if needed and open the finished route in Google Maps. It is free and does not require an account.
What is route optimization?
Route optimization measures the drive time between every pair of stops and searches for a visiting order with a low total. Instead of sorting addresses by hand, you get a finished route you can still review and adjust.
When do you need it?
A simple example
Take a stop list spread across a metro area. In administrative order it may cross the same interchange repeatedly; in a geographic sweep it may avoid those loops. The actual difference depends on the addresses and traffic.
How does route optimization work?
From address list to navigation in three simple steps
Add your start and stops
Pick where you set out from, then type, paste or import your US addresses and ZIP codes.
Optimize the stop order
Sort My Stops compares drive times between every pair of stops and builds an efficient sequence for the whole route.
Review and start navigating
Check the map, total miles and estimated drive time, then open the route in the navigation app you already use.
What changes after optimization
Reduce backtracking
A geographic stop order can remove repeated loops and unnecessary miles.
Keep the day in one route
Review every stop, the estimated total and the complete order before departure.
Built for long address lists
Paste or import up to 100 stops instead of typing and sorting them one at a time.
Who is route optimization useful for?
Why route order gets difficult
Ordering a list of stops is the traveling salesman problem. Ten stops can be arranged 3,628,800 ways, while twenty stops have about 2.43 × 1018 possible orders. No practical planner checks every order. This one searches for an efficient order, not a mathematically proven optimum.
Route quality depends on the address pattern, start and end constraints, road data and the original order. Review the map and compare the estimated total with your input order rather than relying on a universal savings percentage.
Drive time beats distance
The input that matters most is how the tool measures the gap between two stops. Two addresses can sit half a mile apart and be twenty minutes apart if there is a river, a rail yard, an interstate or a one-way grid in between. Sort My Stops orders stops on road drive time, not straight-line distance, which is why the result sometimes looks slightly wrong on a map and drives noticeably better.
Round trips change the stop order
If you finish back at the depot, the optimizer can sweep out and loop home. If you finish at your last customer, or at your own house, the best order changes completely. Set the start and end before you optimize, because both can change the answer.
When optimization will not help much
Optimization has little to offer when your stops are already in a tight cluster, when hard appointment times fix most of the order, or when the route is short enough to judge at a glance. It also cannot know about a loading dock that is blocked at noon, a customer who is only available after 3pm or a school zone you avoid every afternoon. That is why the finished order stays editable.
Frequently asked questions
What is route optimization?
Route optimization measures the drive time between every pair of stops on your list and searches for a visiting order with a low total. That cuts backtracking, miles and the time you spend planning.
Who is optimization useful for?
Couriers and gig drivers, service techs, sales and territory reps, home health aides and real estate agents. It is useful for anyone whose day is a list of addresses.
How many addresses can I optimize?
Up to 100 addresses per route, with no cap on how many routes you build in a day.
Is optimization free?
Yes. Sort My Stops is free and does not require an account.
Is this a better solution than just Google Maps?
Google Maps is excellent at navigation and traffic, but it drives your stops in the order you typed them and caps a route at 10. Sort My Stops works out the order first, for up to 100 stops, then hands the result to Google Maps.
Related pages
Ready to optimize your route?
Add your stops, review the map and open the result in your navigation app. You do not need an account or payment card.