diff --git a/aws/internal/service/ec2/finder/finder.go b/aws/internal/service/ec2/finder/finder.go
index 5d00fb05322..8754c22f2e0 100644
--- a/aws/internal/service/ec2/finder/finder.go
+++ b/aws/internal/service/ec2/finder/finder.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/aws-sdk-go-base/tfawserr"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform-plugin-sdk/v2/helper/resource"
 	tfnet "github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/aws/internal/net"
 	tfec2 "github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/aws/internal/service/ec2"
 )
@@ -97,31 +99,46 @@ func InstanceByID(conn *ec2.EC2, id string) (*ec2.Instance, error) {
 }
 
 // RouteTableByID returns the route table corresponding to the specified identifier.
-// Returns nil if no route table is found.
+// Returns NotFoundError if no route table is found.
 func RouteTableByID(conn *ec2.EC2, routeTableID string) (*ec2.RouteTable, error) {
 	input := &ec2.DescribeRouteTablesInput{
 		RouteTableIds: aws.StringSlice([]string{routeTableID}),
 	}
 
+	return RouteTable(conn, input)
+}
+
+func RouteTable(conn *ec2.EC2, input *ec2.DescribeRouteTablesInput) (*ec2.RouteTable, error) {
 	output, err := conn.DescribeRouteTables(input)
 
+	if tfawserr.ErrCodeEquals(err, tfec2.ErrCodeInvalidRouteTableIDNotFound) {
+		return nil, &resource.NotFoundError{
+			LastError:   err,
+			LastRequest: input,
+		}
+	}
+
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if output == nil || len(output.RouteTables) == 0 {
-		return nil, nil
+	if output == nil || len(output.RouteTables) == 0 || output.RouteTables[0] == nil {
+		return nil, &resource.NotFoundError{
+			Message:      "Empty result",
+			LastRequest:  input,
+			LastResponse: output,
+		}
 	}
 
 	return output.RouteTables[0], nil
 }
 
 // RouteFinder returns the route corresponding to the specified destination.
-// Returns nil if no route is found.
+// Returns NotFoundError if no route is found.
 type RouteFinder func(*ec2.EC2, string, string) (*ec2.Route, error)
 
 // RouteByIPv4Destination returns the route corresponding to the specified IPv4 destination.
-// Returns nil if no route is found.
+// Returns NotFoundError if no route is found.
 func RouteByIPv4Destination(conn *ec2.EC2, routeTableID, destinationCidr string) (*ec2.Route, error) {
 	routeTable, err := RouteTableByID(conn, routeTableID)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -134,11 +151,11 @@ func RouteByIPv4Destination(conn *ec2.EC2, routeTableID, destinationCidr string)
 		}
 	}
 
-	return nil, nil
+	return nil, &resource.NotFoundError{}
 }
 
 // RouteByIPv6Destination returns the route corresponding to the specified IPv6 destination.
-// Returns nil if no route is found.
+// Returns NotFoundError if no route is found.
 func RouteByIPv6Destination(conn *ec2.EC2, routeTableID, destinationIpv6Cidr string) (*ec2.Route, error) {
 	routeTable, err := RouteTableByID(conn, routeTableID)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -151,7 +168,7 @@ func RouteByIPv6Destination(conn *ec2.EC2, routeTableID, destinationIpv6Cidr str
 		}
 	}
 
-	return nil, nil
+	return nil, &resource.NotFoundError{}
 }
 
 // SecurityGroupByID looks up a security group by ID. When not found, returns nil and potentially an API error.
diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_route.go b/aws/resource_aws_route.go
index 325f2314b9e..f319ce3a125 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_route.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_route.go
@@ -252,16 +252,14 @@ func resourceAwsRouteCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error creating Route for Route Table (%s) with destination (%s): %w", routeTableID, destination, err)
 	}
 
-	var route *ec2.Route
-
 	err = resource.Retry(d.Timeout(schema.TimeoutCreate), func() *resource.RetryError {
-		route, err = routeFinder(conn, routeTableID, destination)
+		_, err = routeFinder(conn, routeTableID, destination)
 
 		if err != nil {
 			return resource.RetryableError(err)
 		}
 
-		if route == nil {
+		if tfresource.NotFound(err) {
 			return resource.RetryableError(fmt.Errorf("route not found"))
 		}
 
@@ -269,14 +267,14 @@ func resourceAwsRouteCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 	})
 
 	if tfresource.TimedOut(err) {
-		route, err = routeFinder(conn, routeTableID, destination)
+		_, err = routeFinder(conn, routeTableID, destination)
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error reading Route for Route Table (%s) with destination (%s): %w", routeTableID, destination, err)
 	}
 
-	if route == nil {
+	if tfresource.NotFound(err) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Route in Route Table (%s) with destination (%s) not found", routeTableID, destination)
 	}
 
@@ -309,8 +307,8 @@ func resourceAwsRouteRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 
 	route, err := routeFinder(conn, routeTableID, destination)
 
-	if tfawserr.ErrCodeEquals(err, tfec2.ErrCodeInvalidRouteTableIDNotFound) {
-		log.Printf("[WARN] Route Table (%s) not found, removing from state", routeTableID)
+	if !d.IsNewResource() && tfresource.NotFound(err) {
+		log.Printf("[WARN] Route in Route Table (%s) with destination (%s) not found, removing from state", routeTableID, destination)
 		d.SetId("")
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -319,12 +317,6 @@ func resourceAwsRouteRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error reading Route for Route Table (%s) with destination (%s): %w", routeTableID, destination, err)
 	}
 
-	if route == nil {
-		log.Printf("[WARN] Route in Route Table (%s) with destination (%s) not found, removing from state", routeTableID, destination)
-		d.SetId("")
-		return nil
-	}
-
 	d.Set("destination_cidr_block", route.DestinationCidrBlock)
 	d.Set("destination_ipv6_cidr_block", route.DestinationIpv6CidrBlock)
 	d.Set("destination_prefix_list_id", route.DestinationPrefixListId)