calculate_routeLABSCO SUMMARY
Route questions answered against today's traffic.
It puts Google's routing, traffic and cost data behind a plain question, so "which way to the airport right now" comes back with the alternatives compared and the fuel and tolls priced in.
What it is
A routing and traffic layer over the Google Maps APIs, run locally over stdio. Every answer is a live call to Google, so the route, the delay and the cost reflect conditions at the moment you ask.
What you get
- An optimal route between two points, with waypoints and current traffic folded into the estimate
- Several route alternatives compared in one answer, each with its own options applied
- Real-time traffic and the delay it is adding to a given trip
- A trip cost estimate covering fuel and tolls, not just distance and time
Requirements
Node.js 18 or newer and a Google Maps API key with Directions, Distance Matrix and Geocoding enabled. The key goes into config/config.json before the server will start, and Google bills those APIs on its own terms.
Setup effort
Build from source
USE CASES
01
Choosing between two ways to the airport
Ask for the alternatives and read them side by side — time, distance and the options each route assumes — instead of opening three map tabs.
02
Deciding when to leave
Current traffic and the delay it is adding to your route, so departure time is a decision rather than a guess.
03
Pricing a road trip before you commit
Fuel and tolls estimated for the actual route, so the trip has a number attached and not just an ETA.
04
Planning a multi-stop run
Give it the stops and get one route through all of them with traffic applied, rather than stitching legs together yourself.
4 tools
Listed in project docs. Your client may show a different list.
compare_routesget_live_trafficestimate_costsBEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
4 tools named in the project's documentation. Your Google key needs the Directions, Distance Matrix and Geocoding APIs enabled or the tools fail. estimate_costs is a local calculation using the fuel price, efficiency and toll rate in config/config.json.
Requires
Node.js
Where it runs
The documented client runs the server on your machine.
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
You clone this one yourself.
Server setup
TERMINAL
git clone [<YOUR_REPO_URL>]
cd google-maps-mcp-server
npm installCreate a Google Maps API key with Directions API, Distance Matrix API and Geocoding API enabled
Edit config/config.json and set googleMaps.apiKey to your key
Add the mcpServers block to claude_desktop_config.json with absolute paths, then restart Claude Desktop
The clone line above is a placeholder: [<YOUR_REPO_URL>] is not an address. This project lives at https://github.com/arunrajece/google-maps-mcp-server.
MCP Clients
Claude Desktop
CLAUDE DESKTOP · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-maps": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"<YOUR_PATH_TO_GOOGLE_MAPS_MCP_SERVER>/src/index.js"
],
"cwd": "<YOUR_PATH_TO_GOOGLE_MAPS_MCP_SERVER>"
}
}
}
