Due to the limited energy of wireless sensor network nodes, it is necessary to reduce and balance the energy consumption of the nodes in order to extend the network lifetime. Clustering routing algorithm is a very effective solution to the problem. However, in existing clustering algorithms based on uniform and non-uniform clustering routing protocols, the heavy burden of cluster heads may lead to the rapid death of the nodes, and the location of functional nodes within clusters is not carefully considered during clustering. The unbalanced energy consumption of sensor nodes shortens the network lifetime. In this paper, we propose an energy-efficient multi-hop routing algorithm based on grid clustering to tackle the problems. In order to minimize the energy consumption, the algorithm optimizes the electoral process of functional nodes by combining various factors such as nodes’ energy, nodes’ location, and levels of the network area. Communication nodes are introduced to select cluster head nodes and transfer data between clusters via multi-hop routing, easing the burden of cluster heads. Simulation results show that the network lifetime of the proposed EEMRP protocol is extended by 17.5–25.2%, as compared to other algorithms. Specially, EEMRP has better performance of energy balance and efficiency in the larger network area.