Creativity · MCP — server

MCP Google Maps Server

The MCP Google Maps Server wraps the Google Maps Platform APIs (Places, Geocoding, Directions, Distance Matrix) as Model Context Protocol tools. An MCP client like Claude Desktop can geocode an address, find nearby places, or compute a driving route without any custom backend — just a Google Maps API key.

MCP facts

Kind: server
Ecosystem: anthropic-mcp
Language: TypeScript / Node.js
Transports: stdio

Capabilities

Tools: maps_geocode, maps_reverse_geocode (address ↔ latitude/longitude)
Tools: maps_search_places, maps_place_details
Tools: maps_directions, maps_distance_matrix for routing and ETAs
Single API key covers all of the above if the APIs are enabled in GCP

Install

npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-google-maps

Configuration

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

Frequently asked questions

Which Google Cloud APIs does this MCP server need?

Enable Geocoding API, Places API (New), Directions API, and Distance Matrix API on the same project whose key you pass in. Optionally enable Time Zone API for timezone lookups.

Will the agent run up a surprise Maps bill?

Each call hits the paid Maps Platform APIs — you get a free monthly credit but after that it is per-call. Always set a daily quota on the API key in Google Cloud so an agent cannot loop into a billing spike.

Can it plan multi-stop routes?

Yes — maps_directions accepts waypoints, and maps_distance_matrix computes all-pairs travel times, so an agent can stitch together a day plan or delivery route in one call.

Sources

modelcontextprotocol/servers — google-maps — accessed 2026-04-20
Google Maps Platform documentation — accessed 2026-04-20