A multi-hop routing protocol, based on double cluster head alternation and compressed sensing (DCHACS), is proposed to improve network’s performance in wireless sensor networks. In DCHACS, a distributed algorithm is adopted to select temporary cluster heads, and the temporary cluster heads use a neighbor cluster optimization algorithm to dynamically adjust the size of the cluster through local information. After optimization, temporary cluster heads re-selects better cluster heads by residual energy and location information of member nodes. In the data transmission phase, the double cluster head alternation mechanism is adopted to reduce the burden of cluster head, and cluster heads use compressed sensing theory to aggregate data and route the packets to the next hop. The cluster head replacement mechanism is adopted to replace old cluster head with the new one under certain conditions. The simulation results show that the proposed protocol is able to enhance the clustering performance, make the distribution of cluster’s size more uniform, and significantly reduces the number of lost packets that are due to the death of cluster head to balance the energy consumption of the network and extend the network’s lifetime.