A proactive cluster-based distance vector routing protocol based on DSDV protocol is proposed for mobile ad hoc networks. A network is divided into a number of clusters, each cluster having a clusterhead that directly connects the other nodes in the same cluster. Each clusterhead broadcasts update request (UREQ) messages at reqular intervals or in an event driven manner to its neighbor clusterheads. In this way, clusterheads update their own global routing tables that give a path among all clusterheads. In this process, multiple local paths from source clusterhead to its neighbor clusterheads are established as well. A node having a packet to send forwards the packet to its own clusterhead. The clusterhead determines next clusterhead with respect to the destination clusterhead by looking up its own global routing table. Then, the packet is delivered to the next clusterhead along a local path. The advantages of this protocol are threefold. The size of a global routing table is small since it has entries only for clusterheads. A UREQ message travels up from the initiating clusterhead to neighbor clusterheads. Hence, the convergence range of a update request is at least nine times as wide as that of DSDV or CGSR, increasing the correctness of routing. Lastly, a technique to bypass clusterheads, whenever possible, on the fly during packet transmission is presented, to reduce route length as well as to prevent clusterheads from becoming congested. Simulation results show that PCDV outperforms some key protocols of the same category greatly.