elevation_get
Get elevation data for locations or along a path
LABSCO SUMMARY
This is the Maps platform split along Google's API boundaries rather than along yours, which suits building a lookup pipeline and frustrates asking a single vague question.
language and region ride along on the geocoding, places and routing calls, so the same query can be localised without changing the call shape — worth knowing when the answer will be read by someone in another country. The overlap to understand before you pick is in discovery: places_search_text, places_nearby and nearby_find all hand back things near a point, but they differ in what they will accept — a free-text query, a location with a radius, or an origin that may be an address. geolocation_estimate and ip_geolocate are the outliers, answering where is this client rather than where is this place, and ip_geolocate can chain the reverse geocode onto its own result.
What it is
A Google Maps platform client that keeps geocoding, Places, Routes, elevation, time zones, roads and geolocation as separate tools behind a single API key.
What you get
- Address to coordinates and back: geocode_search turns an address, place name or landmark into latitude and longitude with region biasing and a language, and geocode_reverse turns a lat and lng into a readable address with its components broken out.
- Place discovery shaped by what you already know: places_search_text takes a natural-language query with included_types and excluded_types, min_rating, price_levels, open_now, location_bias and rank_preference; places_nearby works outward from a location and radius_meters; nearby_find takes an origin given as coordinates or an address and returns cities, towns or points of interest sorted by distance.
- Detail on a specific place: places_details returns the fields you name for a place_id, places_photos returns signed photo URLs sized by max_width and max_height, and places_autocomplete returns suggestions for a partial input under a session_token.
- Routing and distance: routes_compute returns routes with real-time traffic, toll information and alternatives across driving, walking, cycling and transit, honouring waypoints and the avoid_tolls, avoid_highways and avoid_ferries switches; routes_matrix computes the matrix between lists of origins and destinations.
- Terrain and local time: elevation_get returns elevation for named locations or sampled along a path, and timezone_get returns the time zone for a lat and lng at a given timestamp.
- Locating something that has no address: geolocation_estimate estimates a position from wifi_access_points and cell_towers, ip_geolocate estimates one from an IP with an accuracy radius and an optional reverse geocode, and roads_nearest snaps points to the nearest roads.
Requirements
A Google Maps API key, supplied as GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY; geolocation_estimate and ip_geolocate reach Google's Geolocation API specifically.
Setup effort
One command plus a key — npx google-maps-mcp-server, then supply credentials
USE CASES
01
Turning a list of addresses into something you can map
Resolve each address, place name or landmark to coordinates with the right region bias, and resolve a bare coordinate back into an address where that is all you have.
02
Finding the nearest option that is open right now
Search by what the place is and how well it is rated, or sweep a radius around a point, then pull the fields you actually need for the winner.
03
Working out travel time between lists of origins and destinations
Compute the matrix when you need every pairing scored, and fall back to a single route when you need the actual path, the tolls and the alternatives.
04
Building an address field that completes as someone types
Return suggestions for the partial input under a session token, then resolve the chosen suggestion into the record and the imagery you want to display.
05
Placing a device that never gave you an address
Estimate the position from the radio environment or from the IP, then snap the result onto the road network before you treat it as a location.
06
Checking terrain and local time for a site you are planning
Sample elevation along the route or at the candidate points, and confirm which time zone the site sits in at the date that matters.
15 tools
Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.
geocode_reverse
Convert geographic coordinates (latitude/longitude) into human-readable addresses with detailed address components. Useful for location-based services and mapping applications.
geocode_search
Convert addresses, place names, or landmarks into geographic coordinates (latitude/longitude). Supports region biasing and multiple languages for accurate global geocoding.
geolocation_estimate
Estimate location from WiFi/cell data using Google Geolocation API
ip_geolocate
Estimate geographic location using IP address through Google's Geolocation API. Provides approximate location with accuracy radius and optional reverse geocoding for address details.
nearby_find
Discover nearby cities, towns, or points of interest from any location or address. Automatically calculates distances and sorts results by proximity. Supports both coordinate and address-based searches.
places_autocomplete
Get place suggestions for autocomplete
places_details
Get detailed information about a place
places_nearby
Discover places within a specified radius of a geographic location. Perfect for finding restaurants, shops, services, and attractions near a specific point of interest.
places_photos
Get signed photo URLs for a place
places_search_text
Search for places using natural language queries with advanced filtering options. Supports place type filtering, rating thresholds, price levels, location biasing, and real-time availability status.
roads_nearest
Find nearest roads to given points
routes_compute
Calculate optimal routes between locations with real-time traffic data, toll information, and alternative route options. Supports multiple travel modes including driving, walking, cycling, and transit.
routes_matrix
Compute distance matrix between multiple origins and destinations
timezone_get
Get timezone information for a location
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
15 tools when we connected. Each tool needs its Google Cloud API enabled (Geocoding, Places API (New), Routes, Elevation, Time Zone, Geolocation, Roads); with one enabled, most tools fail. Use a key for the new APIs, not legacy ones. All tools read.
Requires
- npx on PATH
- GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY in your environment
CONTEXT COST
Moderate Standing cost
Rated by the size of the 15 tool definitions that ride along on every turn, not by how many there are
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
npx google-maps-mcp-serverMCP Clients
Cursor
CURSOR · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-maps": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"google-maps-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY": "<YOUR_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Claude Desktop
CLAUDE DESKTOP · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-maps": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"google-maps-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY": "<YOUR_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Run with npx
RUN WITH NPX · TERMINAL
export GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY="<YOUR_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY>"
npx google-maps-mcp-server
