Configure route tables

A route table serves as the traffic controller for your virtual private cloud (VPC). Each route table contains a set of rules, called routes, that determine where network traffic from your subnet or gateway is directed. When you create a VPC, we also create the main route table for the VPC. You can create additional route tables for your VPC, so that you have more granular control over the network paths for your VPC.

You can use route tables to specify which networks your VPC can communicate with, such as other VPCs or on-premises networks. Each route specifies a destination (CIDR block or prefix list) and a target (such as an internet gateway, NAT gateway, VPC peering connection, or VPN connection). Traffic is routed to targets based on its destination IP address. Route tables enable you to create complex networking architectures that include public subnets, private subnets, VPN-only subnets, and isolated subnets.