Traffic-Aware Routing API
Factor in historical congestion patterns when calculating ETAs and routes
Factor in historical congestion patterns for accurate ETAs.
How it works
Set departure time
Pass a timestamp to factor in congestion patterns.
Plaza adjusts the route
Historical congestion patterns adjust speed and route selection.
Get traffic-aware ETA
Duration, duration_in_traffic, and adjusted geometry.
See it in action
A real API request, visualized.
Who uses this
Teams building with Traffic-Aware Routing API.
Transit planning
Predict commute times for different departure windows.
Logistics
Plan deliveries around peak congestion hours.
Ride-hailing
Accurate fare estimates that account for current traffic.
Start building
curl -X POST "https://plaza.fyi/api/v1/route" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"origin": {"lat": 40.7128, "lng": -74.006},
"destination": {"lat": 40.758, "lng": -73.9855},
"depart_at": "now",
"traffic_model": "best_guess"
}'
View endpoints
| Method | Path | Description |
|---|---|---|
| POST | /api/v1/route | Directions with depart_at or traffic_model parameters |
How it compares
Common questions
Is traffic routing a paid add-on?
No. Google charges $10/1K for traffic-aware directions vs $5/1K without. Plaza includes traffic in every routing request at the standard premium rate — no surcharge.
What traffic models does Plaza support?
Three models: best_guess (default, uses historical patterns), optimistic (lighter-than-average traffic), and pessimistic (heavier-than-average). Set via the traffic_model parameter.
How current is the traffic data?
Plaza uses historical traffic patterns based on time-of-day and day-of-week variations for major road networks worldwide.
Does traffic affect isochrones and distance matrices too?
Yes. Pass the depart_at parameter on isochrone and matrix requests to get traffic-adjusted results.