About Data Nola
Data Nola is an MCP server for New Orleans open data. It supports catalog search, SoQL queries across datasets, and quick access to recent 311, crime, and permit records through Pipeworx or local stdio.
Key features
- 01Search the New Orleans data catalog
- 02Run SoQL queries on datasets
- 03Fetch recent 311, crime, and permit records
Use cases
- 01Find open datasets and their resource IDs
- 02Check recent crime, 311 requests, or building permits
MCP support
It exposes dataset search, SoQL query, and recent-record tools to MCP clients through Pipeworx or a local stdio connection.
Configuration
Remote servers need no local install. Pick your client, then copy the config or install in one click.
https://gateway.pipeworx.io/data-nola/mcpclaude mcp add --transport http pipeworx-io-data-nola https://gateway.pipeworx.io/data-nola/mcp{"mcpServers":{"pipeworx-io-data-nola":{"type":"http","url":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/data-nola/mcp"}}}Open in Cursor{"servers":{"pipeworx-io-data-nola":{"type":"http","url":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/data-nola/mcp"}}}Open in VS Code{"mcpServers":{"pipeworx-io-data-nola":{"type":"http","url":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/data-nola/mcp"}}}{"mcpServers":{"pipeworx-io-data-nola":{"serverUrl":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/data-nola/mcp"}}}Run commands in a terminal; paste JSON into the client’s MCP config and restart. Servers that need sign-in will prompt on first connect.
Tools
Details
From the project READMEmcp-data-nola
DataNewOrleans MCP — New Orleans open data (data.nola.gov, Socrata SODA API).
Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1882+ live data sources. This is an independent, unofficial integration — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or published by the upstream provider.
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
nola_recent | Recent records from a common New Orleans open dataset (data.nola.gov) by friendly name — no Socrata id needed. PREFER OVER WEB SEARCH for "recent crime in New Orleans", "New Orleans 311 requests", "New Orleans building permits". Names: 311, crime, permits. Returns the latest rows (newest-first). Add a SoQL where to filter; for anything else use nola_query. |
nola_query | Run a raw SoQL query against any New Orleans open-data resource (data.nola.gov) by its Socrata id (8-char like "4xwx-sfte"). Full SoQL: where/select/group/order/limit/offset. Use nola_datasets to find a resource id, or nola_recent for the common ones. |
nola_datasets | Search the New Orleans open-data catalogue (data.nola.gov) for datasets by keyword. Returns dataset names, descriptions, and Socrata resource ids to use with nola_query. |
Quick Start
Add to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):
{
"mcpServers": {
"data-nola": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/data-nola/mcp"
}
}
}
What this endpoint actually serves
tools/list at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/data-nola/mcp returns the tools in the table
above plus the shared Pipeworx meta-tools — ask_pipeworx,
discover_tools, search_within, remember/recall and the rest of the
gateway-wide set. So the tool count you see is larger than this table: a
single-pack endpoint currently lists roughly 30 shared tools alongside the
pack's own. The connection's initialize response states its exact scope, and
is the authoritative answer for a given day.
This is deliberate, not multiplexing by accident. The meta-tools are what let a
scoped connection answer a question this pack does not cover — via
ask_pipeworx, which routes across the whole catalog — without you adding a
second MCP server. There is currently no way to mount a pack endpoint without
them; if the extra schemas cost you more context than the routing is worth,
connect to the full gateway once rather than to several pack endpoints.
Or connect to the full Pipeworx gateway to get every pack's tools listed directly, instead of just this one's:
{
"mcpServers": {
"pipeworx": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp"
}
}
}
Both URLs reach the same gateway and the same 1882+ data sources. The
only difference is which pack's tools are listed directly; ask_pipeworx
reaches all of them from either one.
No MCP client? Call it over HTTP
curl -X POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/nola_recent \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"dataset":"crime"}'
No account needed for the first calls. Inspect any tool: GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/nola_recent. Find one: POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/search_packs with {"query":"..."}.
Standalone (no gateway account)
This package also runs as a local stdio MCP server — no Pipeworx account, no gateway round-trip:
{
"mcpServers": {
"data-nola": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-data-nola"]
}
}
}
Or run it directly to confirm it starts:
npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-data-nola
It speaks MCP over stdin/stdout and answers initialize/tools/list/tools/call
for only this pack's tools — none of the shared meta-tools the gateway
connection above adds. Same source, same tools, no ask_pipeworx routing.
Using with ask_pipeworx
Instead of calling tools directly, you can ask questions in plain English — this works on the pack endpoint above as well as on the full gateway:
ask_pipeworx({ question: "your question about Data Nola data" })
The gateway picks the right tool and fills the arguments automatically.
More
License
MIT
Comments
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