A work vehicle automatic traveling system for a plurality of work vehicles that carry out work travel cooperatively in a work site while exchanging data, the system comprising: an area setting unit that sets the work site to an outer peripheral area, and an area to be worked on an inner side of the outer peripheral area; a work vehicle position calculating unit that calculates a position of each of the plurality of work vehicles; a route managing unit that manages a travel route element set and a circling route element set so as to be capable of readout, the travel route element set being an aggregate of multiple travel route elements constituting a travel route for the plurality of work vehicles that covers the area to be worked, and the circling route element set being an aggregate of circling route elements constituting a circling route for the plurality of work vehicles that goes around the outer peripheral area; the system being characterized in that it comprises a route element selecting unit that, on the basis of state information, sequentially selects a next travel route element, on which the work vehicle is to travel next, from the travel route element set, or a next circling route element, on which the work vehicle is to travel next, from the circling route element set; and an autonomous travel controlling unit that causes the work vehicle to execute autonomous travel on the basis of the next travel route element and the position of the work vehicle, wherein the route element selecting unit includes a cooperative route element selection rule employed when the plurality of work vehicles carry out work travel cooperatively in the area to be worked, and an independent route element selection rule employed when one of the plurality of work vehicles acts as an independent work vehicle and carries out independent work travel in the area to be worked and one of the plurality of work vehicles which is aside from the independent work vehicle is carrying out circling travel based on a circling route element included in the circling route element set or is stopped. an area setting unit that sets the work site to an outer peripheral area, and an area to be worked on an inner side of the outer peripheral area; a work vehicle position calculating unit that calculates a position of each of the plurality of work vehicles; a route managing unit that manages a travel route element set and a circling route element set so as to be capable of readout, the travel route element set being an aggregate of multiple travel route elements constituting a travel route for the plurality of work vehicles that covers the area to be worked, and the circling route element set being an aggregate of circling route elements constituting a circling route for the plurality of work vehicles that goes around the outer peripheral area; the system being characterized in that it comprises a route element selecting unit that, on the basis of state information, sequentially selects a next travel route element, on which the work vehicle is to travel next, from the travel route element set, or a next circling route element, on which the work vehicle is to travel next, from the circling route element set; and an autonomous travel controlling unit that causes the work vehicle to execute autonomous travel on the basis of the next travel route element and the position of the work vehicle, wherein the route element selecting unit includes a cooperative route element selection rule employed when the plurality of work vehicles carry out work travel cooperatively in the area to be worked, and an independent route element selection rule employed when one of the plurality of work vehicles acts as an independent work vehicle and carries out independent work travel in the area to be worked and one of the plurality of work vehicles which is aside from the independent work vehicle is carrying out circling travel based on a circling route element included in the circling route element set or is stopped.