Google Maps MCP Server

Overview

The Google Maps MCP Server is a reference implementation that connects Large Language Models with Google Maps API functionality. It's part of the official Model Context Protocol server collection, designed to demonstrate how AI systems can interact with location-based services. This server allows AI assistants to perform various geographical operations through a standardized protocol, enhancing their ability to work with real-world location data.

Features

• Address Conversion: Convert between addresses and coordinates through geocoding and reverse geocoding
• Place Discovery: Search for places using text queries with customizable parameters
• Detailed Place Information: Retrieve comprehensive details about specific locations
• Distance Calculations: Compute distances and travel times between multiple points
• Elevation Data: Access elevation information for geographical coordinates
• Direction Generation: Obtain step-by-step navigation instructions between points
• Multiple Transportation Modes: Support for driving, walking, bicycling, and transit options

Use cases

• Creating location-aware AI assistants that can provide geographical information
• Building travel planning applications that generate optimized itineraries
• Developing address validation and normalization systems
• Enabling distance-based recommendations and decision making
• Supporting logistics and route optimization workflows
• Enhancing virtual assistants with location context awareness
• Powering geographic data analysis and visualization tools

Tools

• maps_geocode: Converts text addresses to geographic coordinates
• maps_reverse_geocode: Transforms coordinates into formatted addresses
• maps_search_places: Finds places based on text queries with optional location filtering
• maps_place_details: Retrieves comprehensive information about specific places
• maps_distance_matrix: Calculates distances and durations between multiple origins and destinations
• maps_elevation: Provides elevation data for specified locations
• maps_directions: Generates navigation routes with detailed step instructions

Integration complexity

3/5 - Moderate complexity requiring Google Maps API key setup and basic configuration knowledge.

Setup Guide

Prerequisites

1. Obtain a Google Maps API key from Google Cloud Platform
2. Choose between Docker or NPX installation methods

Docker Configuration

Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-maps": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY",
        "mcp/google-maps"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY": ""
      }
    }
  }
}

NPX Configuration

Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-maps": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-google-maps"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY": ""
      }
    }
  }
}

Building From Source

To build a Docker image:

docker build -t mcp/google-maps -f src/google-maps/Dockerfile .

License

MIT License

Website link

Google MCP Server GIthub Repository