Google Maps MCP Server for Cloud Run

A Google Maps Model Context Protocol (MCP) server designed for deployment on Google Cloud Run with public access. This server provides Google Maps functionality to Claude Desktop clients through a secure, rate-limited API.

Features

• Route Calculation: Optimal driving routes with real-time traffic data

• Route Comparison: Compare multiple routing alternatives with different options

• Live Traffic: Current traffic conditions and travel time analysis

• Cost Estimation: Trip cost calculations including fuel and toll estimates

• Public Access: No authentication required for easy sharing

• Rate Limiting: 50 requests per hour per IP address

• Cloud Run Optimized: Designed for serverless deployment on GCP

Prerequisites

• Google Cloud Platform account with billing enabled

• Google Cloud CLI (gcloud) installed and configured

• Node.js 18+ for local development

• Google Maps API key with required APIs enabled

Required Google Maps APIs

Before deployment, enable these APIs in your GCP project:

1. Directions API - For route calculations

2. Geocoding API - For address resolution

3. Maps JavaScript API - For polyline encoding (optional)

Enable APIs via Google Cloud Console or CLI:

Quick Start

1. Get Google Maps API Key

1. Go to Google Cloud Console > Credentials

2. Create a new API key or use an existing one

3. Restrict the key to the required APIs listed above

4. Note your API key for deployment

2. Deploy to Cloud Run

3. Extract Service URL

After deployment, extract your service URL:

Manual Deployment

If you prefer manual deployment:

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add this configuration to your Claude Desktop settings:

Replace YOUR-SERVICE-URL.run.app with your actual Cloud Run service URL.

Finding Your Claude Desktop Config

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Available Tools

The MCP server provides these tools to Claude:

1. calculate_route - Calculate optimal driving routes with traffic

2. compare_routes - Compare multiple route alternatives

3. get_live_traffic - Get current traffic conditions

4. estimate_costs - Calculate trip costs (fuel + tolls)

Service Endpoints

• MCP Endpoint: https://your-service.run.app/sse

• Health Check: https://your-service.run.app/health

• Usage Stats: https://your-service.run.app/stats

Local Development

Troubleshooting

Common Deployment Issues

1. Permission Denied

2. API Not Enabled

3. Billing Not Enabled

• Visit GCP Billing Console

• Enable billing for your project

4. Invalid API Key

5. Service Won't Start

Common Runtime Issues

Rate Limiting

• Each IP is limited to 50 requests per hour

• Check /stats endpoint for current usage

• Consider implementing user authentication for higher limits

API Quota Exceeded

• Monitor your Google Maps API usage in GCP Console

• Increase quotas if needed

• Consider implementing caching for repeated requests

Testing Your Deployment

Security Considerations

• API key is stored as environment variable (secure)

• Service allows public access (no authentication required)

• Rate limiting prevents abuse (50 requests/hour per IP)

• No sensitive data is logged or stored

Cost Management

• Cloud Run: Pay-per-request pricing

• Google Maps API: Pay-per-API-call pricing

• Monitoring: Use GCP billing alerts to track costs

Set up billing alerts:

Documentation Links

• Model Context Protocol (MCP)

• Google Cloud Run Documentation

• Google Maps Platform Documentation

• Claude Desktop MCP Configuration

Support and Troubleshooting Resources

• Cloud Run Troubleshooting

• Google Maps API Troubleshooting

• GCP Support

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository

2. Create a feature branch

3. Make your changes

4. Test thoroughly

5. Submit a pull request

Note: This server is designed for development and testing purposes. For production use with high traffic, consider implementing additional security measures and monitoring.