google-maps-mcp

A TypeScript Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes Google Maps Platform APIs as tools for LLMs. Gives AI assistants real, structured map data — directions, transit routes, place search, address validation, photos, elevation, and more — instead of guessing from training data.

Works with Claude Desktop and any other MCP-compatible client.

Features

15 tools across three categories:

| Category | Tools | |----------|-------| | Maps | Static map image URL, embed URL (iframe), elevation data, Street View image URL | | Routes | Turn-by-turn directions (drive/walk/cycle/transit), distance matrix, multi-stop route optimization | | Places | Geocoding / reverse geocoding, place details, text search, nearby search, autocomplete, photos, address validation, timezone |

Transport: HTTP Streamable (stateful sessions, SSE keep-alive) — the modern MCP transport, compatible with mcp-remote and all HTTP-capable clients.

Minimal footprint: only two runtime dependencies (@modelcontextprotocol/sdk, zod). All Google Maps calls use Node.js built-in fetch against REST APIs — no Google SDK required.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 22+ (or Docker)
• A Google Maps Platform API key with the relevant APIs enabled (see below)
• A Google Cloud project with billing enabled

APIs to enable in Google Cloud Console

Go to APIs & Services → Library and enable:

| API | Used by | |-----|---------| | Maps Static API | maps_static_map | | Street View Static API | maps_street_view | | Maps Embed API | maps_embed_url | | Elevation API | maps_elevation | | Geocoding API | places_geocode | | Time Zone API | places_timezone | | Places API (New) | places_details, places_text_search, places_nearby_search, places_autocomplete, places_photos | | Address Validation API | places_address_validation | | Routes API | routes_compute, routes_matrix | | Route Optimization API | routes_optimize (optional) |

You can restrict the key to these APIs and to your server's IP for production use.

Quick Start

Option A — Run with Docker (recommended)

docker run -d \
  --name google-maps-mcp \
  -p 127.0.0.1:3003:3003 \
  -e GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=your_key_here \
  -e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=your_secret_token \
  ghcr.io/apurvaumredkar/google-maps-mcp:latest

Verify:

curl http://localhost:3003/health
# {"status":"ok","service":"google-maps-mcp"}

Option B — npm / npx

No install required — run directly with npx:

GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=your_key_here \
MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=your_secret_token \
npx mcp-server-google-maps
# google-maps-mcp listening on port 3003

Or install globally:

npm install -g mcp-server-google-maps
GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=your_key_here MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=your_secret_token mcp-server-google-maps

Set PORT= to change the default port (3003).

Option C — Build from source

git clone https://github.com/apurvaumredkar/google-maps-mcp.git
cd google-maps-mcp
npm install
npm run build

Create a .env file (or export the vars):

GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=your_key_here
MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=your_secret_token
# Optional — only needed for routes_optimize:
GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT_ID=your_project_id

Start the server:

GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=... MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=... npm start
# google-maps-mcp listening on port 3003

Option D — Docker Compose (self-hosted stack)

Add to your docker-compose.yml:

services:
  google-maps-mcp:
    build: .
    container_name: google-maps-mcp
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:3003:3003"
    environment:
      - GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=${GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY}
      - MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=${MCP_AUTH_TOKEN}
      - GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT_ID=${GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT_ID:-}

Environment Variables

| Variable | Required | Description | |----------|----------|-------------| | GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY | Yes | Your Google Maps Platform API key | | MCP_AUTH_TOKEN | No | Secret token clients must send in the X-Api-Key header. Omit for local-only use; set when exposing the server over a network or proxy. Generate with openssl rand -hex 32 | | PORT | No | HTTP port (default: 3003) | | GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT_ID | No | Required only for routes_optimize (Route Optimization API) |

Connecting a Client

The server exposes a single endpoint: POST/GET http://localhost:3003/mcp

If MCP_AUTH_TOKEN is set, all requests must include the header:

X-Api-Key: <MCP_AUTH_TOKEN>

If MCP_AUTH_TOKEN is not set, no header is required (suitable for local-only use).

Claude Desktop

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-maps": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://localhost:3003/mcp",
        "--header",
        "X-Api-Key: your_secret_token"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Windows + WSL: if the server runs inside WSL, use the full node path:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-maps": {
      "command": "wsl",
      "args": [
        "--",
        "/home/user/.nvm/versions/node/v25.2.1/bin/node",
        "/home/user/.nvm/versions/node/v25.2.1/bin/mcp-remote",
        "http://localhost:3003/mcp",
        "--header",
        "X-Api-Key: your_secret_token"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tool Reference

Maps

maps_static_map — Static Map Image

Returns a direct image URL for a static map.

| Parameter | Type | Default | Description | |-----------|------|---------|-------------| | center | string | required | Address or lat,lng | | zoom | integer | 13 | Zoom level 0–21 | | size | string | 640x480 | Image dimensions WxH in pixels | | maptype | enum | roadmap | roadmap | satellite | terrain | hybrid | | markers | string | — | Marker spec e.g. color:red\|48.8566,2.3522 | | path | string | — | Path spec for drawing routes | | format | enum | png | png | jpg | gif | | scale | enum | 1 | 1 = standard, 2 = HiDPI/retina | | language | string | — | BCP 47 language code for labels | | region | string | — | ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 region code |

maps_embed_url — Maps Embed URL

Returns an iframe-ready embed URL.

| Parameter | Type | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | mode | enum | place | directions | search | view | streetview | | q | string | Place/search query (place, search modes) | | center | string | lat,lng for view/streetview mode | | zoom | integer | Zoom level | | origin / destination | string | For directions mode | | waypoints | string | Pipe-separated waypoints | | maptype | enum | roadmap | satellite |

maps_elevation — Elevation Data

Returns elevation in metres above sea level.

| Parameter | Type | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | locations | string | Pipe-separated lat,lng pairs | | path | string | Pipe-separated lat,lng path | | samples | integer | Number of samples along path (2–512) |

maps_street_view — Street View Image

Returns a direct Street View panorama image URL.

| Parameter | Type | Default | Description | |-----------|------|---------|-------------| | location | string | — | Address or lat,lng | | pano | string | — | Specific panorama ID (overrides location) | | size | string | 640x480 | Image size WxH | | heading | number | — | Camera heading 0–360° | | pitch | number | — | Camera pitch -90° to 90° | | fov | number | 90 | Field of view 10–120° | | source | enum | — | outdoor to exclude indoor panoramas |

Routes

routes_compute — Compute Route

Turn-by-turn directions with real-time traffic.

| Parameter | Type | Default | Description | |-----------|------|---------|-------------| | origin | string | required | Address or lat,lng | | destination | string | required | Address or lat,lng | | travel_mode | enum | DRIVE | DRIVE | WALK | BICYCLE | TRANSIT | TWO_WHEELER | | intermediates | string[] | — | Waypoints between origin and destination | | departure_time | string | — | ISO 8601 datetime for traffic-aware routing | | avoid_tolls | boolean | false | Avoid toll roads | | avoid_highways | boolean | false | Avoid highways | | avoid_ferries | boolean | false | Avoid ferries | | units | enum | METRIC | METRIC | IMPERIAL | | compute_alternative_routes | boolean | false | Return up to 3 alternatives |

routes_matrix — Route Distance Matrix

Compute travel time/distance between multiple origins and destinations simultaneously.

| Parameter | Type | Default | Description | |-----------|------|---------|-------------| | origins | string[] | required | Up to 25 addresses or lat,lng strings | | destinations | string[] | required | Up to 25 addresses or lat,lng strings | | travel_mode | enum | DRIVE | DRIVE | WALK | BICYCLE | TRANSIT | | departure_time | string | — | ISO 8601 datetime | | units | enum | METRIC | METRIC | IMPERIAL |

routes_optimize — Optimize Multi-Stop Route

Optimizes stop order to minimize total travel. Requires GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT_ID.

| Parameter | Type | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | vehicle_start | string | Start location — must be lat,lng (geocode first if needed) | | vehicle_end | string | End location (defaults to start) | | visits | object[] | Array of { address, label?, duration_minutes? } — addresses must be lat,lng | | travel_mode | enum | DRIVING | WALKING |

Places

places_geocode — Geocode / Reverse Geocode

Convert addresses ↔ coordinates.

| Parameter | Type | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | address | string | Address to geocode | | latlng | string | lat,lng for reverse geocoding | | region | string | ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 region bias | | components | string | Component filter e.g. country:FR\|postal_code:75001 |

places_details — Place Details

Full details for a place by its Google Place ID.

| Parameter | Type | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | place_id | string | Google Place ID | | fields | string | Comma-separated field mask (has sensible default) | | language_code | string | Response language |

places_text_search — Search Places by Text

Find places matching a natural language query.

| Parameter | Type | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | query | string | e.g. "best ramen in Tokyo" | | location_bias_lat/lng | number | Bias results toward this location | | location_bias_radius_m | number | Bias circle radius | | max_results | integer | 1–20, default 10 | | min_rating | number | Minimum average star rating (0–5) | | open_now | boolean | Only currently open places | | included_type | string | Filter by place type e.g. restaurant | | price_levels | enum[] | PRICE_LEVEL_FREE … PRICE_LEVEL_VERY_EXPENSIVE |

places_nearby_search — Search Nearby Places

Find places near a coordinate within a radius.

| Parameter | Type | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | latitude / longitude | number | Center of search | | radius_m | number | Search radius in metres (max 50,000) | | included_types | string[] | Place type filters | | excluded_types | string[] | Place types to exclude | | max_results | integer | 1–20, default 10 | | rank_preference | enum | DISTANCE | POPULARITY |

places_autocomplete — Place Autocomplete

Predict place names from partial input.

| Parameter | Type | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | input | string | Partial text to complete | | location_bias_lat/lng | number | Bias toward this location | | included_primary_types | string[] | Type filter | | country_codes | string[] | ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country filter | | include_query_predictions | boolean | Also return query predictions |

places_photos — Place Photos

Get photo URLs for a place.

| Parameter | Type | Default | Description | |-----------|------|---------|-------------| | place_id | string | required | Google Place ID | | max_photos | integer | 3 | Max photos to return (1–10) | | max_width_px | integer | 1200 | Max photo width in pixels | | max_height_px | integer | 900 | Max photo height in pixels |

places_address_validation — Validate Address

Validate and standardize a postal address.

| Parameter | Type | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | address_lines | string[] | Address lines | | region_code | string | ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code | | locality | string | City/town | | administrative_area | string | State/province | | postal_code | string | Postal code | | enable_usps_cass | boolean | USPS CASS validation (US only) |

places_timezone — Get Timezone

Get IANA timezone and UTC/DST offset for any coordinates.

| Parameter | Type | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | latitude / longitude | number | Location | | timestamp | integer | Unix timestamp for DST calculation (defaults to now) | | language | string | Response language |

Architecture

src/
├── index.ts         # Raw Node.js HTTP server, auth, stateful session management
├── server.ts        # McpServer instantiation + tool registration
├── maps-client.ts   # Typed fetch wrappers for all Google Maps REST APIs
└── tools/
    ├── maps.ts      # 4 tools: static map, embed, elevation, street view
    ├── routes.ts    # 3 tools: compute route, matrix, optimize
    └── places.ts    # 8 tools: geocode, details, text search, nearby, autocomplete,
                     #          photos, address validation, timezone

Key design decisions:

• Raw node:http instead of Express — required for correct interop with the MCP SDK's internal Hono-based request handling. Express pre-consumes the request body stream in a way that breaks StreamableHTTPServerTransport.
• Stateful session map — mcp-remote and SSE keep-alive require sessions to persist across requests. Sessions are keyed by Mcp-Session-Id header and cleaned up on transport close.
• Auth before body read — the X-Api-Key check happens on the header before any body stream is touched, so rejected requests drain cleanly.
• Auth split for Google APIs — legacy REST APIs (Static Maps, Geocoding, Elevation, Timezone, Street View) use ?key= query param; new APIs (Places v1, Routes v2, Address Validation) use X-Goog-Api-Key header.

Development

npm run dev    # TypeScript watch mode (tsc --watch)
npm run build  # Compile to dist/
npm start      # Run compiled server

Rebuild Docker image after changes

docker compose build google-maps-mcp
docker compose up -d google-maps-mcp

Testing the MCP endpoint

# Health check (no auth required)
curl http://localhost:3003/health

# MCP initialize (auth required)
TOKEN=your_secret_token
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:3003/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: $TOKEN" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"initialize","params":{"protocolVersion":"2024-11-05","capabilities":{},"clientInfo":{"name":"test","version":"1"}},"id":1}'

# List tools (use session ID from Mcp-Session-Id response header)
SESSION=<Mcp-Session-Id from above>
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:3003/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: $TOKEN" \
  -H "Mcp-Session-Id: $SESSION" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"tools/list","id":2}'

Windows/WSL gotcha: if your .env file has Windows CRLF line endings, extract values with tr -d '\r':

TOKEN=$(grep MCP_AUTH_TOKEN .env | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d '\r')