A route search system for a work vehicle includes a receiver, a processor, and a controller. The receiver is to obtain a reference position of the work vehicle. The processor is to define, as a search area, an area around a vehicle reference point in a plan view. The vehicle reference point indicates the reference position of the work vehicle. The controller is to determine a guidance travel route along which the work vehicle is to travel and which is closest to the vehicle reference point in the search area among travel route candidates stored in a memory.