The "rest" in "rest area".

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I've known people who think the "rest" in "rest area" comes from the word "restroom" because people often stop at rest areas when they need to use the restroom.

It also means you're resting from driving.

They almost always have restaurants in "rest areas."

And where does the "rest" in restroom come from?

Wikipedia says:

"The term restroom derived from the fact that in early 1900s through to the middle of the century up-scale restaurants, theatres and performing facilities would often have comfortable chairs or sofas located within or in a room directly adjacent to the actual toilet and sink facilities, something which can be seen in some movies of the time period"

Once you have visited the restaurant, used the restroom, and rested for a bit, you can finish the rest of your trip.

Rest areas in the States serve many functions.

For example they generally contain restrooms. But they also provide restrooms for your pets. They have nice park like areas to walk your dog so that it can use its own natural outdoor restroom.

Many are equipped with picnic tables so you can fix a meal like on a picnic.

They also have food vending machines so you can pick up a little food, snacks or drinks.

They have parking, so you can rest your eyes for a little while and recover from driving. Many long distance truckers park and get a little sleep for an hour or two.

The rest areas are normally manned so that if you encounter a problem, there is someone there that can provide some assistance.

They have walls of pamphlets that describe all the activities and special places near the rest area where you might find unique activities should you want to explore.

The rest in "rest area" means just that. A place that you can rest from driving.

The "rest" in "rest room" is just a euphemism for the bodily functions one does in a rest room.

And "rest areas" on the highway do happened to have "rest rooms" as well, but that's not why they are called that.