# Get Shortest Route _Implement Using:_ [Directions Flexible API](https://docs.nextbillion.ai/routing/directions-api#directions-flexible-api) When the business requirements are such that a shortest route between 2 places is most desirable, users can make use of the `route_type` parameter of Directions Flexible API to generate a route with least traveling distance. To configure the request for this example we add: - `origin` & `destination` to to denote the starting and end locations of the trip - `mode` set to “car” to get a route which a car can take - `route_type` parameter set to “shortest” - `option` set to “flexible” ### Request ```bash curl --location 'https://api.nextbillion.io/directions/json?origin=34.03113938,-118.20745576&destination=34.02842053,-118.26701916&mode=car&key=&route_type=shortest&option=flexible' \ --header 'Content-Type: application/json' ``` ### Response ```json { "status": "Ok", "routes": [ { "geometry": "avunEhknpUSn@iEzLZPx@b@e@vAELe@rAk@|A]fAOb@Qf@Sh@Qf@M`@Ob@O`@[x@Qf@]dAUt@O\\c@rAKZGPELKZQ^Od@b@RJDJFJDRLbAd@NJxCbBw@zBs@|BrAt@y@lCWp@CH[~@CHYt@ELELGPWv@M`@KXCLAHCLCHCPCLAHGZId@CLETKd@Kl@Mt@Ot@GZAJANAJ?LAL?\\?~A?j@?z@?hAAN?f@?dAAhB?v@?x@?l@?H?dA?BAP?n@?hAAd@AzB?N?T?~@ClC?D@t@?LAh@?x@?Z?Z?fAAdB?d@?lAAd@?f@Ah@Cl@Ar@EzAGdBC\\CdBOlFMhFAd@AV?NAZ?NAPAVAV?FGf@AHIPELGJKRMRUZMP[j@m@~@w@nAq@fAU^ORU^Y`@ZRJFz@h@TN~@n@nAv@d@Zh@Z^Tn@ZPJJDXPLFRJ~@b@t@^j@Th@Xh@TTLr@\\b@R^Rh@Vh@Rb@P\\PVLd@Tl@Z|BfA^VNHTPJHXXbA|@XXXVrAnAhAbAh@h@j@h@jAhAf@b@XXHHf@d@r@p@p@j@NN_@bAEv@CNKf@Sz@GTMb@Y~@Wx@?@GRO`@O`@Ul@I^]p@Yn@Sb@GVADk@nAq@nBc@tBgBzD_AtBSb@Q`@OZO^KRaAdCUl@e@pAUp@GROd@s@zAIRKZiAhDIVGXSp@ELCNSz@Sr@CLWt@Sx@Mf@GTGXCNXRLNb@ZLJNLLJLJ\\V|@p@rAbARPFBZT`@VvAz@hAl@|EnCw@~An@d@HH@H?DIXe@jA`@TVNGLe@pA", "distance": 7011.831, "duration": 1593.718, "start_location": { "latitude": 34.03121, "longitude": -118.20741 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.02854, "longitude": -118.26694 }, "legs": [ { "distance": { "value": 7011 }, "duration": { "value": 1593 }, "start_location": { "latitude": 34.03121, "longitude": -118.20741 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.02854, "longitude": -118.26694 }, "steps": [ { "geometry": "avunEhknpUSn@iEzL", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.03121, "longitude": -118.20741 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.03232, "longitude": -118.20987 }, "distance": { "value": 258 }, "duration": { "value": 46 } }, { "geometry": "_}unEtznpUZPx@b@", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.03232, "longitude": -118.20987 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.03188, "longitude": -118.21014 }, "distance": { "value": 54 }, "duration": { "value": 17 } }, { "geometry": "izunEj|npUe@vAELe@rAk@|A]fAOb@Qf@Sh@Qf@M`@Ob@O`@[x@Qf@]dAUt@O\\c@rAKZGPELKZQ^Od@", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.03188, "longitude": -118.21014 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.03436, "longitude": -118.21568 }, "distance": { "value": 581 }, "duration": { "value": 94 } }, { "geometry": "yivnE~~opUb@RJDJFJDRLbAd@NJxCbB", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.03437, "longitude": -118.21568 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.03272, "longitude": -118.2167 }, "distance": { "value": 205 }, "duration": { "value": 34 } }, { "geometry": "o_vnEjeppUw@zBs@|B", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.03271, "longitude": -118.2167 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.03325, "longitude": -118.21795 }, "distance": { "value": 130 }, "duration": { "value": 53 } }, { "geometry": "{bvnEdmppUrAt@", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.03326, "longitude": -118.21795 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.03284, "longitude": -118.21822 }, "distance": { "value": 53 }, "duration": { "value": 26 } }, { "geometry": "g`vnEznppUy@lCWp@CH[~@CHYt@ELELGPWv@M`@KXCLAHCLCHCPCLAHGZId@CLETKd@Kl@Mt@Ot@GZAJANAJ?LAL?\\?~A?j@?z@?hAAN?f@?dAAhB?v@?x@?l@?H?dA?BAP?n@?hAAd@AzB?N?T?~@ClC?D@t@?LAh@?x@?Z?Z?fAAdB?d@?lAAd@?f@Ah@Cl@Ar@EzAGdBC\\CdBOlFMhFAd@AV?NAZ?NAPAVAV?FGf@AHIPELGJKRMRUZMP[j@m@~@w@nAq@fAU^ORU^Y`@", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.03284, "longitude": -118.21822 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.03678, "longitude": -118.24116 }, "distance": { "value": 2230 }, "duration": { "value": 464 } }, { "geometry": "{xvnEf~tpUZRJFz@h@TN~@n@nAv@d@Zh@Z^Tn@ZPJJDXPLFRJ~@b@t@^j@Th@Xh@TTLr@\\b@R^Rh@Vh@Rb@P\\PVLd@Tl@Z|BfA^VNHTPJHXXbA|@XXXVrAnAhAbAh@h@j@h@jAhAf@b@XXHHf@d@r@p@p@j@NN", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.03678, "longitude": -118.24116 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.02642, "longitude": -118.24874 }, "distance": { "value": 1350 }, "duration": { "value": 347 } }, { "geometry": "extnErmvpU_@bA", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.02643, "longitude": -118.24874 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.02659, "longitude": -118.24908 }, "distance": { "value": 36 }, "duration": { "value": 7 } }, { "geometry": "eytnEvovpUEv@CNKf@Sz@GTMb@Y~@Wx@?@GRO`@O`@Ul@I^]p@Yn@Sb@", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.02659, "longitude": -118.24908 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.02789, "longitude": -118.25235 }, "distance": { "value": 338 }, "duration": { "value": 41 } }, { "geometry": "kaunEddwpUGVADk@nAq@nBc@tBgBzD_AtBSb@Q`@OZO^KRaAdCUl@e@pAUp@GROd@", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.0279, "longitude": -118.25235 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.03071, "longitude": -118.25818 }, "distance": { "value": 624 }, "duration": { "value": 184 } }, { "geometry": "}runErhxpUs@zAIRKZiAhDIVGXSp@ELCNSz@Sr@CLWt@Sx@Mf@GTGXCN", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.03071, "longitude": -118.25818 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.0323, "longitude": -118.26208 }, "distance": { "value": 403 }, "duration": { "value": 51 } }, { "geometry": "{|unE`aypUXRLNb@ZLJNLLJLJ\\V|@p@rAbARPFBZT`@VvAz@hAl@|EnC", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.0323, "longitude": -118.26209 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.02838, "longitude": -118.26496 }, "distance": { "value": 509 }, "duration": { "value": 152 } }, { "geometry": "kdunE~rypUw@~A", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.02838, "longitude": -118.26496 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.02865, "longitude": -118.26544 }, "distance": { "value": 54 }, "duration": { "value": 14 } }, { "geometry": "cfunE~uypUn@d@HH@H?DIXe@jA", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.02866, "longitude": -118.26544 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.0286, "longitude": -118.26627 }, "distance": { "value": 100 }, "duration": { "value": 25 } }, { "geometry": "weunEd{ypU`@TVN", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.02859, "longitude": -118.26627 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.0283, "longitude": -118.26646 }, "distance": { "value": 36 }, "duration": { "value": 9 } }, { "geometry": "}cunEj|ypUGLe@pA", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.0283, "longitude": -118.26646 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.02854, "longitude": -118.26694 }, "distance": { "value": 50 }, "duration": { "value": 21 } }, { "geometry": "keunEj_zpU??", "start_location": { "latitude": 34.02854, "longitude": -118.26694 }, "end_location": { "latitude": 34.02854, "longitude": -118.26694 }, "distance": { "value": 0 }, "duration": { "value": 0 } } ] } ] } ] } ``` Following is a visual representation of the above route on a map. We can observe that the highway route which could have been faster but lengthier, is avoided because of the “route_type” setting. ![documentation image](https://static.nextbillion.io/docs-next/docs/navigation/api/get-shortest-route.webp)