Google_maps

mcp-google_maps

Google Maps MCP Pack — geocoding, places, directions, distance matrix, elevation. Uses Google Maps Platform APIs (API key based, not OAuth). Expects GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY injected via gateway env or BYO via _context.

Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1879+ live data sources. This is an independent, unofficial integration — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or published by the upstream provider.

Tools

Tool	Description
maps_geocode	"Geocode [address] via Google Maps" / "Google Maps coordinates of [place]" / "lat lng for [address] using Google" — convert an address to lat/lng + formatted address via Google Maps Platform. Premium-quality geocoding (highest accuracy for US addresses); requires Google Maps API key. Use when Mapbox/MapTiler/OpenStreetMap miss the address.
maps_reverse_geocode	"Reverse geocode [lat,lng] via Google Maps" / "what address is at [coords] in Google" — coordinates → address via Google Maps Platform. Requires Google Maps API key. Use when you need Google's street-address parsing (most accurate for US).
maps_place_search	"Find restaurants / hotels / coffee shops / [businesses] near [location]" / "nearby [type] within [radius]" / "places to eat in [area]" — find nearby businesses and points of interest via Google Maps Places. Returns names, addresses, Google ratings, distances. Premium-quality POI data; requires Google Maps API key. Use over Yelp/OSM when you want Google's POI coverage and ratings.
maps_place_details	"Hours / phone / reviews of [business]" / "Google business info for [place]" / "is [restaurant] open" — full details for a Google Place: address, phone, hours, website, ratings, user reviews. Requires a place ID from maps_place_search. Use after search to drill into one specific business.
maps_directions	"Google Maps directions from A to B" / "transit / public-transport directions" / "bus / subway / train route" / "best way to get from [X] to [Y]" — turn-by-turn directions via Google Maps. Modes: driving, walking, transit (bus/subway/train), bicycling. Requires Google Maps API key. PREFER over Mapbox/OpenRouteService specifically for public-transit routing — Google has the best transit data.
maps_distance_matrix	"Travel time matrix between [N] origins and [M] destinations" / "drive-time grid via Google Maps" / "transit times between addresses" — N×M distance and duration matrix between many points via Google Maps. Modes: driving, walking, bicycling, transit. Use for delivery routing, multi-stop optimization, transit-heavy planning.
maps_elevation	"Elevation at [coords] via Google" / "altitude / height above sea level" — elevation in meters for one or more lat/lng pairs via Google Maps Elevation API. Pipe-separated locations for batch queries.

Quick Start

Add to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google_maps": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/google_maps/mcp"
    }
  }
}

What this endpoint actually serves

tools/list at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/google_maps/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 1879+ 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

This pack takes your own API key (_apiKey) — we don't front one for it, so there's no curl here that would run without it. Inspect any tool: GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/maps_geocode. 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": {
    "google_maps": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-google_maps"]
    }
  }
}

Or run it directly to confirm it starts:

npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-google_maps

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 Google_maps data" })

The gateway picks the right tool and fills the arguments automatically.

More

• Docs and guides
• pipeworx.io

License

MIT