About Nominatim
Nominatim is an MCP server that wraps the OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoding API. It is for applications and users that need to find coordinates from place names, resolve coordinates to addresses, or inspect OpenStreetMap objects.
Key features
- 01Search addresses and place names
- 02Convert coordinates to readable addresses
- 03Look up OpenStreetMap objects by ID
- 04Return coordinates, names, and location details
Use cases
- 01Get coordinates for a named place
- 02Turn map coordinates into an address
- 03Inspect an OpenStreetMap node, way, or relation
MCP support
Exposes geocoding, reverse-geocoding, and object lookup tools to MCP clients through Pipeworx or as a standalone stdio server.
Configuration
Remote servers need no local install. Pick your client, then copy the config or install in one click.
https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nominatim/mcpclaude mcp add --transport http pipeworx-io-nominatim https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nominatim/mcp{"mcpServers":{"pipeworx-io-nominatim":{"type":"http","url":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nominatim/mcp"}}}Open in Cursor{"servers":{"pipeworx-io-nominatim":{"type":"http","url":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nominatim/mcp"}}}Open in VS Code{"mcpServers":{"pipeworx-io-nominatim":{"type":"http","url":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nominatim/mcp"}}}{"mcpServers":{"pipeworx-io-nominatim":{"serverUrl":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nominatim/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-nominatim
Nominatim MCP — wraps OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoding API (free, no auth)
Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1683+ live data sources.
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
search_address | Search for coordinates of an address or place name. Returns latitude, longitude, display name, and place type for matched locations. |
reverse_geocode | Convert latitude/longitude coordinates to a human-readable address. Returns nearest address, place name, and administrative boundaries. |
lookup | Get details for OpenStreetMap locations by ID (e.g., "N123456" for node, "W654321" for way, "R111" for relation). Returns coordinates, names, and metadata. |
Quick Start
Add to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):
{
"mcpServers": {
"nominatim": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nominatim/mcp"
}
}
}
What this endpoint actually serves
tools/list at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nominatim/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 1683+ 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/search_address \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"query":"Eiffel Tower, Paris"}'
No account needed for the first calls. Inspect any tool: GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/search_address. 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": {
"nominatim": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-nominatim"]
}
}
}
Or run it directly to confirm it starts:
npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-nominatim
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 Nominatim data" })
The gateway picks the right tool and fills the arguments automatically.
More
License
MIT
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.