A method includes receiving, at route recommendation server device, travel data associated with a plurality of mobile devices. The method includes indexing segments of a plurality of routes based on a corresponding number of users of each of the plurality of segments, and receiving a recommendation request from a particular mobile device. The recommendation request includes a starting point and a destination for a trip. The method also includes identifying a plurality of routes between the starting point and the destination based on the travel data, and providing at least one recommendation for a recommended route based on a relative popularity of the recommended route among a number of users that use each of the plurality of routes.