Hosting

remote or local

Transport

Streamable HTTP (hosted); stdio (local)

Endpoint

Local process; no hosted endpoint documented

Authentication

Hosted endpoint authenticates using browser OAuth. Local server requires MAPBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN for Mapbox API requests.

Requirements

• Mapbox account/access token
• Node.js or Docker for local setup

Setup steps

1. For hosted connection use https://mcp.mapbox.com/mcp and provide the Mapbox authentication requested by the client.
2. For local npm installation, configure @mapbox/mcp-server with MAPBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN.
3. See repository integration guides for supported clients; never commit the access token.

The current official Mapbox reference lists 31 tool names. `resource_reader_tool` is a compatibility fallback for clients without native MCP resource support; `category_list_tool` is deprecated but retained for backward compatibility. Local tool availability can be narrowed with enable/disable flags. The stored inventory is the product reference, not a personalized runtime tools/list.

• distance_tool

  Calculate the distance between two geographic coordinates using the Haversine formula.

  01
• bearing_tool

  Determine compass direction between coordinates with cardinal directions.

  02
• midpoint_tool

  Find the geographic center along the circle path between two points.

  03
• centroid_tool

  Calculate geometric center of polygons for marker placement.

  04
• area_tool

  Compute polygon areas in multiple units (acres, hectares, square miles, etc.).

  05
• bounding_box_tool

  Generate minimum bounding rectangles containing geometries.

  06
• buffer_tool

  Create proximity zones around points, lines, or polygons.

  07
• simplify_tool

  Reduce polygon vertices using Douglas-Peucker algorithm while preserving shape.

  08
• destination_tool

  Calculate a destination point given a starting point, bearing, and distance. Useful for computing waypoints or search offsets.

  09
• length_tool

  Measure the total length of a line in kilometers, miles, meters, or feet. Useful for measuring routes or boundaries without a routing API call.

  10
• convex_tool

  Compute the convex hull of a set of points — the smallest convex polygon that contains all the points.

  11
• union_tool

  Merge two or more polygons into a single unified geometry. Useful for combining service areas, delivery zones, or isochrones.

  12
• intersect_tool

  Find the intersection geometry of two polygons — the area they share in common.

  13
• difference_tool

  Subtract one polygon from another, returning the area in the first polygon not covered by the second.

  14
• nearest_point_tool

  Find the nearest point in a collection to a given target point. Useful for finding the closest store, stop, or landmark.

  15
• nearest_point_on_line_tool

  Snap a point to the nearest position on a line or route. Returns the closest point on the line and the distance to it.

  16
• points_within_polygon_tool

  Test one or more geographic points against a polygon, returning only those inside. Handles single or batch points. Useful for delivery zone validation and geofencing.

  17
• search_and_geocode_tool

  Uses the Search Box API to search for and geocode POIs, addresses, and places.

  18
• category_search_tool

  Searches for geographic categories such as countries, regions, or postal codes with proximity filtering. Powered by the Search Box API.

  19
• reverse_geocode_tool

  Converts geographic coordinates into a readable address or place name with customizable detail levels. Powered by the Geocoding API – Reverse Geocoding.

  20
• ground_location_tool

  Answers questions about what is near a location: neighborhood context, nearby POIs by category, and travel-time reachability. Use this as the first tool when given coordinates and asked about nearby places or area summaries.

  21
• place_details_tool

  Retrieves detailed information about a specific place using its Mapbox ID, including photos, opening hours, phone numbers, and website URLs. Use after `search_and_geocode_tool`, `category_search_tool`, or `reverse_geocode_tool` to get additional details. Primarily covers points of interest; results for neighborhoods, cities, and other administrative boundaries are more limited. Public Preview, with a default quota of 1,000 requests/month.

  22
• resource_reader_tool

  Accesses static reference data and category lists through MCP Resources (e.g., `mapbox://categories`). Only available for clients that do not support native MCP resources; enable by setting `CLIENT_NEEDS_RESOURCE_FALLBACK=true`.

  23
• category_list_tool

  Retrieves the list of supported search categories. **Deprecated** — use `resource_reader_tool` with the `mapbox://categories` URI instead. Kept for backward compatibility with clients that need the resource fallback tools.

  24
• directions_tool

  Calculates optimal routes between waypoints for driving (with traffic), walking, or cycling. Supports 2-25 waypoints with alternative routes. Powered by the Directions API.

  25
• matrix_tool

  Computes travel times and distances between multiple points. Ideal for optimizing logistics. Supports traffic-aware departures. Powered by the Matrix API.

  26
• isochrone_tool

  Calculates areas reachable within a specified travel time from a location. Powered by the Isochrone API.

  27
• optimization_tool

  Solves traveling sales rep problems for 2-12 locations to find optimal routes. Powered by the Optimization API.

  28
• map_matching_tool

  Snaps GPS traces to road networks with speed and congestion data. Powered by the Map Matching API.

  29
• render_map_tool

  Displays a live, interactive Mapbox GL JS map in supported clients (Claude Desktop, VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Goose). Accepts `payload_refs` returned by other tools, or hand-composed GeoJSON layers, markers, and legends. Can also restyle the base map via `baseMapConfig`.

  30
• static_map_image_tool

  Generates customizable map images with markers, polylines, polygons, and style options. Powered by the Static Images API.

  31

• A Mapbox access token/account is needed for service-backed API calls; offline Turf.js calculations are local. The hosted service requires OAuth. `resource_reader_tool` is conditional on client resource fallback, and `category_list_tool` is deprecated.

• official complete tool reference

  Current Mapbox docs for v0.12.0 list 31 tools across offline geospatial operations, location search, routing, and map visualization; they identify fallback and deprecated compatibility tools.

• official server catalog

  Mapbox documents four separate servers: API tools, DevKit, documentation search, and Figma map rendering; this record covers only the API/geospatial MCP.

• official repository

  Maintainer repository corroborates the official Mapbox MCP implementation and package.

Documentation checked 2026-10-28T14:00:00.000Z. Connection has not been runtime tested.