Hyperspace routes, also known as hyperspace lanes, hyperlanes, space routes, hyperroutes, trade routes, spacelanes, and runs, were established paths through hyperspace, which linked major worlds in the galaxy, just as roads linked major cities on populated planets. Those routes were regarded as safe, allowing starships to travel without colliding with a celestial body in realspace. Chains of important star systems formed runs, which were vital navigational routes for trade and transit, and such routes could cross multiple sectors.
Star systems could have several or a single hyperlane entrance/exit point, meaning that such points could be guarded and fortified, and ports of access monitored and controlled. Hyperspace beacons helped guide starships to star systems, refueling stations, and ports, and several beacons could act as guides through dangerous and less traveled parts of the galaxy. The destruction of such beacons could hinder travel to the system.
Major trade hyperspace routes included the Corellian Run, the Corellian Trade Spine, the Hydian Way, the Perlemian Trade Route, and the Rimma Trade Route.
There were dozens, if not hundreds of minor routes that were typically much smaller and had less traffic. These were favored by smugglers and outlaws due to their low amounts of patrols and speed that could be used on them. Minor hyperspace routes included the Ison Trade Corridor. Many of the "real" trade routes went between major routes or through areas that were previously isolated by them. The Biox Detour was one route in the Western Reaches and Mid Rim that wove between the Rimma Trade Route and the Corellian Trade Spine. Likewise, the Incisor Sidestep also connected those major lanes but in the Outer Rim Territories instead. Burke's Trailing was one of the few routes that straddled the edges of the Unknown Regions. Mumble's Turnaround connected Roon with several other outer rim ports like Tatooine and Ryloth. This route also crossed the Corellian Run twice and was also a major part of the Spice Triangle. Kessel, the infamous planet of Spice, was connected to the Oseon system through the Sanity Skip. The Corporate Sector had the Bubble Wink to connect to the Hydian Way.
A Chadra-Fan hyperlane scout
The Old Republic sent pioneering survey teams to explore and chart new hyperspace lanes with navigational beacons. The Tertiary Usaita system was one such system to undergo Old Republic exploration. As galactic citizens from the Core pushed outwards, star systems fought for hyperspace lanes to be charted through their systems, which brought with them trade, wealth, and prestige. As time passed, the laborious task of traveling through hyperspace beacons, which required numerous reversions to realspace, was replaced with new hyperlanes such as the Hydian Way. As more of the galaxy was mapped, more direct hyperspace routes were discovered. These new passages made the old, winding routes, such as those connecting with Jedha, obsolete.
During the High Republic Era, the Great Hyperspace Rush marked a time when the Republic's rapid expansion called for new hyperspace routes to be discovered. Such routes, which already existed but simply had yet to be discovered, were discovered by private groups looking to reap the rewards of claiming them or Republic Outer Rim Exploration Teams working for the government itself, with members of the Jedi Order often working alongside Republic Pathfinders. The San Tekka clan's secret to uncovering hyperlanes was the young Force-sensitive Mari San Tekka, whose natural talent for finding hyperspace routes was exploited by the Nihil after she was captured by the Ro family. The Ros and the Nihil called these routes Paths.
Quickly attacking after the First Battle of Geonosis, which commenced the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems took control of major hyperspace lanes, separating the territories of the Galactic Republic from most of its Grand Army. A treaty established with the Hutt Clan granted the Republic access to their supply routes in the Outer Rim Territories.
The mysterious Grysk used their advanced technology to move four of Mokivj's moons out of orbit and into the paths of several major hyperlanes. In the months following the Battle of Hoth, the Rebel Alliance used the Sanctuary Pipeline hyperspace route to move their fleet from Sullust to the forest moon of Endor. The route was built by the Galactic Empire using S-thread boosters.
Around 9 ABY, an Imperial warlord in commnd of their own Imperial remnant force decided to launch a series of hit-and-run attacks on hyperspace lanes, from which they hoped to generate a fortune in stolen loot. The attacks generated attention that risked the overall Imperial Remnant operation to restore the fallen Galactic Empire and thus were harshly criticized by Captain Gilad Pellaeon, who sat with the attacking remnant's commander on the secret Shadow Council: should the attacks generate too much attention, Pellaeon argued, the New Republic could discover that multiple Imperial Remnants were working as a common force and snuff out the Imperial movement.