Directions Service (Complex)

This example demonstrates the use of the DirectionsService object to fetch directions between landmarks in New York City. Markers are placed at each waypoint along the route. Click on a marker to display the directions associated with that waypoint.

Read the documentation.

function initMap() {
  var markerArray = [];

  // Instantiate a directions service.
  var directionsService = new google.maps.DirectionsService;

  // Create a map and center it on Manhattan.
  var map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map'), {
    zoom: 13,
    center: {lat: 40.771, lng: -73.974}
  });

  // Create a renderer for directions and bind it to the map.
  var directionsRenderer = new google.maps.DirectionsRenderer({map: map});

  // Instantiate an info window to hold step text.
  var stepDisplay = new google.maps.InfoWindow;

  // Display the route between the initial start and end selections.
  calculateAndDisplayRoute(
      directionsRenderer, directionsService, markerArray, stepDisplay, map);
  // Listen to change events from the start and end lists.
  var onChangeHandler = function() {
    calculateAndDisplayRoute(
        directionsRenderer, directionsService, markerArray, stepDisplay, map);
  };
  document.getElementById('start').addEventListener('change', onChangeHandler);
  document.getElementById('end').addEventListener('change', onChangeHandler);
}

function calculateAndDisplayRoute(directionsRenderer, directionsService,
    markerArray, stepDisplay, map) {
  // First, remove any existing markers from the map.
  for (var i = 0; i < markerArray.length; i++) {
    markerArray[i].setMap(null);
  }

  // Retrieve the start and end locations and create a DirectionsRequest using
  // WALKING directions.
  directionsService.route({
    origin: document.getElementById('start').value,
    destination: document.getElementById('end').value,
    travelMode: 'WALKING'
  }, function(response, status) {
    // Route the directions and pass the response to a function to create
    // markers for each step.
    if (status === 'OK') {
      document.getElementById('warnings-panel').innerHTML =
          '<b>' + response.routes[0].warnings + '</b>';
      directionsRenderer.setDirections(response);
      showSteps(response, markerArray, stepDisplay, map);
    } else {
      window.alert('Directions request failed due to ' + status);
    }
  });
}

function showSteps(directionResult, markerArray, stepDisplay, map) {
  // For each step, place a marker, and add the text to the marker's infowindow.
  // Also attach the marker to an array so we can keep track of it and remove it
  // when calculating new routes.
  var myRoute = directionResult.routes[0].legs[0];
  for (var i = 0; i < myRoute.steps.length; i++) {
    var marker = markerArray[i] = markerArray[i] || new google.maps.Marker;
    marker.setMap(map);
    marker.setPosition(myRoute.steps[i].start_location);
    attachInstructionText(
        stepDisplay, marker, myRoute.steps[i].instructions, map);
  }
}

function attachInstructionText(stepDisplay, marker, text, map) {
  google.maps.event.addListener(marker, 'click', function() {
    // Open an info window when the marker is clicked on, containing the text
    // of the step.
    stepDisplay.setContent(text);
    stepDisplay.open(map, marker);
  });
}

<div id="floating-panel">
<b>Start: </b>
<select id="start">
  <option value="penn station, new york, ny">Penn Station</option>
  <option value="grand central station, new york, ny">Grand Central Station</option>
  <option value="625 8th Avenue, New York, NY, 10018">Port Authority Bus Terminal</option>
  <option value="staten island ferry terminal, new york, ny">Staten Island Ferry Terminal</option>
  <option value="101 E 125th Street, New York, NY">Harlem - 125th St Station</option>
</select>
<b>End: </b>
<select id="end">
  <option value="260 Broadway New York NY 10007">City Hall</option>
  <option value="W 49th St & 5th Ave, New York, NY 10020">Rockefeller Center</option>
  <option value="moma, New York, NY">MOMA</option>
  <option value="350 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10118">Empire State Building</option>
  <option value="253 West 125th Street, New York, NY">Apollo Theater</option>
  <option value="1 Wall St, New York, NY">Wall St</option>
</select>
</div>
<div id="map"></div>
&nbsp;
<div id="warnings-panel"></div>

/* Always set the map height explicitly to define the size of the div
 * element that contains the map. */
#map {
  height: 100%;
}
/* Optional: Makes the sample page fill the window. */
html, body {
  height: 100%;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

#floating-panel {
  position: absolute;
  top: 10px;
  left: 25%;
  z-index: 5;
  background-color: #fff;
  padding: 5px;
  border: 1px solid #999;
  text-align: center;
  font-family: 'Roboto','sans-serif';
  line-height: 30px;
  padding-left: 10px;
}

#warnings-panel {
  width: 100%;
  height:10%;
  text-align: center;
}

<!-- Replace the value of the key parameter with your own API key. -->
<script async defer
src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=AIzaSyCkUOdZ5y7hMm0yrcCQoCvLwzdM6M8s5qk&callback=initMap">
</script>

Try it yourself

You can experiment with this code in JSFiddle by clicking the <> icon in the top-right corner of the code window.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=no">
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <title>Directions Service (Complex)</title>
    <style>
      /* Always set the map height explicitly to define the size of the div
       * element that contains the map. */
      #map {
        height: 100%;
      }
      /* Optional: Makes the sample page fill the window. */
      html, body {
        height: 100%;
        margin: 0;
        padding: 0;
      }
      #floating-panel {
        position: absolute;
        top: 10px;
        left: 25%;
        z-index: 5;
        background-color: #fff;
        padding: 5px;
        border: 1px solid #999;
        text-align: center;
        font-family: 'Roboto','sans-serif';
        line-height: 30px;
        padding-left: 10px;
      }
      #warnings-panel {
        width: 100%;
        height:10%;
        text-align: center;
      }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <div id="floating-panel">
    <b>Start: </b>
    <select id="start">
      <option value="penn station, new york, ny">Penn Station</option>
      <option value="grand central station, new york, ny">Grand Central Station</option>
      <option value="625 8th Avenue, New York, NY, 10018">Port Authority Bus Terminal</option>
      <option value="staten island ferry terminal, new york, ny">Staten Island Ferry Terminal</option>
      <option value="101 E 125th Street, New York, NY">Harlem - 125th St Station</option>
    </select>
    <b>End: </b>
    <select id="end">
      <option value="260 Broadway New York NY 10007">City Hall</option>
      <option value="W 49th St & 5th Ave, New York, NY 10020">Rockefeller Center</option>
      <option value="moma, New York, NY">MOMA</option>
      <option value="350 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10118">Empire State Building</option>
      <option value="253 West 125th Street, New York, NY">Apollo Theater</option>
      <option value="1 Wall St, New York, NY">Wall St</option>
    </select>
    </div>
    <div id="map"></div>
    &nbsp;
    <div id="warnings-panel"></div>
    <script>
      function initMap() {
        var markerArray = [];

        // Instantiate a directions service.
        var directionsService = new google.maps.DirectionsService;

        // Create a map and center it on Manhattan.
        var map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map'), {
          zoom: 13,
          center: {lat: 40.771, lng: -73.974}
        });

        // Create a renderer for directions and bind it to the map.
        var directionsRenderer = new google.maps.DirectionsRenderer({map: map});

        // Instantiate an info window to hold step text.
        var stepDisplay = new google.maps.InfoWindow;

        // Display the route between the initial start and end selections.
        calculateAndDisplayRoute(
            directionsRenderer, directionsService, markerArray, stepDisplay, map);
        // Listen to change events from the start and end lists.
        var onChangeHandler = function() {
          calculateAndDisplayRoute(
              directionsRenderer, directionsService, markerArray, stepDisplay, map);
        };
        document.getElementById('start').addEventListener('change', onChangeHandler);
        document.getElementById('end').addEventListener('change', onChangeHandler);
      }

      function calculateAndDisplayRoute(directionsRenderer, directionsService,
          markerArray, stepDisplay, map) {
        // First, remove any existing markers from the map.
        for (var i = 0; i < markerArray.length; i++) {
          markerArray[i].setMap(null);
        }

        // Retrieve the start and end locations and create a DirectionsRequest using
        // WALKING directions.
        directionsService.route({
          origin: document.getElementById('start').value,
          destination: document.getElementById('end').value,
          travelMode: 'WALKING'
        }, function(response, status) {
          // Route the directions and pass the response to a function to create
          // markers for each step.
          if (status === 'OK') {
            document.getElementById('warnings-panel').innerHTML =
                '<b>' + response.routes[0].warnings + '</b>';
            directionsRenderer.setDirections(response);
            showSteps(response, markerArray, stepDisplay, map);
          } else {
            window.alert('Directions request failed due to ' + status);
          }
        });
      }

      function showSteps(directionResult, markerArray, stepDisplay, map) {
        // For each step, place a marker, and add the text to the marker's infowindow.
        // Also attach the marker to an array so we can keep track of it and remove it
        // when calculating new routes.
        var myRoute = directionResult.routes[0].legs[0];
        for (var i = 0; i < myRoute.steps.length; i++) {
          var marker = markerArray[i] = markerArray[i] || new google.maps.Marker;
          marker.setMap(map);
          marker.setPosition(myRoute.steps[i].start_location);
          attachInstructionText(
              stepDisplay, marker, myRoute.steps[i].instructions, map);
        }
      }

      function attachInstructionText(stepDisplay, marker, text, map) {
        google.maps.event.addListener(marker, 'click', function() {
          // Open an info window when the marker is clicked on, containing the text
          // of the step.
          stepDisplay.setContent(text);
          stepDisplay.open(map, marker);
        });
      }
    </script>
    <script async defer
    src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=YOUR_API_KEY&callback=initMap">
    </script>
  </body>
</html>