Mapquest Houston Directions (2024)

FAQs

What is the best site for driving directions? ›

The ups and downs of MQ from its beginning in 1966 to its conclusion in 2007 are evidence of strong competition in business and the run of technology.

The app is easy to use, incorporates traffic conditions, and offers generally accurate driving directions. But at times it doesn't find the most direct route, and its walking directions fall short. Add to that a lack of public transit directions, and it just can't compete with Google Maps, our Editors' Choice.

MapQuest's top competitors include Moovit, Trafi, and Roadtrippers.

Most users report that MapQuest also has weaker pathfinding capabilities than Google Maps when it comes to directions, but it does offer interesting features that some users may appreciate, like one-click navigation to nearby points of interest, gas price estimate for your route, and local temperature readouts.

More recently, MapQuest briefly debated changing its name, starting over with a new identity. But it decided not to, with good reason: Even now, some 40 million people — almost all of them in North America — use MapQuest at least once a month.

In conclusion, MapQuest failed to keep up with its competitors' pace of innovation and greater product offerings. It did not adjust its business model to shifting market trends, ultimately contributing to its demise. According to Heather Dougherty of Hitwise, Google Maps had more hits than MapQuest.

How many stops does MapQuest allow? ›

MapQuest lets users add up to 26 stops on a single route plan in contrast to Google Maps' ten and Apple Maps' fourteen. A higher waypoint capacity is especially useful for those in the food delivery, eCommerce logistics, and service technician industries.

Probably the best part of the MapQuest app is that it is completely free. Where other apps make features such as traffic or voice prompts paid options, there is no charge at all for MapQuest. However, it does show small ad banners at the top of maps, which can be annoying.

Around 2008, the general public made a significant shift away from MapQuest to the much younger Google Maps service.

MapQuest gets their data from their own cartography data developed for its print publications, information from digital mapping companies like NavTech and TeleAtlas, and government databases like the one compiled by the U.S. Postal Service.

Verizon has sold off MapQuest to the Venice, California-based ad-tech firm System1 for an undisclosed amount. Verizon acquired MapQuest through its $4.4 billion acquisition of AOL in 2015, and AOL acquired the company for $1.1 billion in 1999.

MapQuest: Best for Detailed Route Planning and Optimization. Brief description: MapQuest distinguishes itself by offering detailed route planning and optimization features, making it an ideal choice for users who prioritize precision in mapping and navigation.

All that said, Google Maps has one significant advantage over Waze. While Waze only offers driving navigation, Google Maps provides navigation if you're walking, biking, ride-sharing, or using public transit. In those situations, Google Maps is the much better choice.

For general navigation, Google Maps is the most reliable and easy to use. However, there are apps that specialize in specific categories. For example, for field sales routes or field services, Badger Maps is the best all-in-one navigation app.

Both Google Maps and Waze have good parts, as well as their share of issues. Google Maps seems to be more reliable, accurate and has better real-time traffic, whereas Waze has a larger army of fans who think the app is amazing who love its voice prompts feature.