What is sent to Mapbox
To find your route, the start and destination you type are sent from your browser to our route server, which passes them to Mapbox: Mapbox Geocoding turns the text into map coordinates and Mapbox Directions returns the driving distance, time and route line. While you type 3 or more characters, the text is also sent for place suggestions.
Our route server does not store the geocoding results. It does not cache driving directions results either: each route is requested from Mapbox when you ask for it.
When the live map is shown, your browser loads the map from Mapbox directly, so Mapbox receives your IP address and browser details, as with any web request. Mapbox handles this data under the Mapbox Privacy Policy.
If you do not type a start and destination, nothing is sent: you can enter the miles yourself.
What stays on your device
Distances, prices, your car, the number of people and the results are calculated in your browser and are not saved. RoadCost itself does not use cookies, localStorage or other browser storage, so reloading the page resets the calculator.
When the live map is shown, the Mapbox map library may save a random ID and telemetry data in your browser's localStorage (keys starting with mapbox.eventData) and send technical usage events and performance metrics to Mapbox (events.mapbox.com, which Mapbox describes as its endpoint for anonymized user telemetry). See the Mapbox GL JS storage note and the Mapbox GL JS security notes.
Mapbox's location telemetry page explains the location telemetry of its mobile SDKs for iOS and Android and the opt-out those apps must offer. This website does not use those SDKs and does not ask for your device location.
The car list (EPA data) is a file on this site. It is downloaded only when you open the car picker, and choosing a car sends nothing to anyone.
Analytics and advertising
RoadCost has no analytics, no advertising and no tracking scripts. There are no accounts and no forms. If this changes, this page will be updated first.
Server logs
This site is hosted on Cloudflare Pages. As with any web host, Cloudflare processes standard request data when you open a page, such as your IP address, the page requested and your browser details, and records it in request logs. Cloudflare handles this data under the Cloudflare Privacy Policy.
Links to other sites
Links to EIA, EPA fueleconomy.gov, AAA and Mapbox open their sites, where their own privacy policies apply.
Questions
Write to us through the contact page.
Last updated: October 17, 2026.