# OpenRouteService is your spatial intelligence MCP. AI Agent Connect > OpenRouteService gives your AI agent direct access to OpenStreetMap-backed routing, geocoding, and spatial analysis. Use it to calculate driving directions, generate reachability isochrones, solve complex vehicle routing problems, and clean up GPS data through a single chat interface in Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf. ## Overview - **Category:** developer-tools - **Price:** Free - **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_PSUHMhycOvqpomQ4KyrnDt17AfCQwXu8mm8OMYhJ/ai-agent-connect - **Tags:** routing, geocoding, isochrones, distance-matrix, vehicle-routing-problem, spatial-analysis ## Description You can now treat complex geospatial math as a simple conversation. Instead of manually querying APIs or writing custom scripts to handle coordinate data, you just tell your AI client what you need. Whether you are trying to find the fastest route between three warehouses or need to know which neighborhoods fall within a 10-minute drive of a new storefront, this MCP handles the heavy lifting. It uses OpenStreetMap data to provide precise directions for cars, bikes, and pedestrians. You can also use it to solve vehicle routing problems (VRP) by providing job and vehicle constraints, or use the geocoding tools to turn messy addresses into clean coordinates. It even helps clean up noisy GPS traces by snapping them to the nearest road network. It is a complete toolkit for anyone working with movement, distance, and location data. ## Tools ### get_elevation_line This tool returns elevation values along a specific path. You provide an encoded polyline to get altitude data for that line. ### reverse_geocode This tool converts longitude and latitude into a readable address. It turns raw coordinates into physical locations. ### calculate_matrix This tool computes a duration matrix between multiple origins and destinations. It helps you see the travel times between various points in a set. ### geocode_search This tool searches for specific addresses or places. It uses OpenRouteService geocoding to find locations based on your text input. ### snap_gps_to_road This tool cleans up noisy GPS data. It snaps raw coordinates to the nearest segment of the road network. ### calculate_directions This tool calculates routes between two or more coordinates. You can choose between driving, cycling, walking, or wheelchair profiles. ### calculate_isochrones This tool generates reachability polygons. It shows the areas accessible within a specific time or distance from a starting point. ### get_ors_status This tool checks the current status of the OpenRouteService API. It lets you verify if the service is operational. ### search_country_boundary This tool restricts geocoding searches to a specific country. You use a two-letter ISO country code to filter results. ### solve_vrp_optimization This tool solves vehicle routing problems. It optimizes routes based on specific jobs and vehicle capacities. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` Calculate a driving route from Berlin to Munich with estimated time. ``` **Response:** ``` Route calculated (driving-car): Berlin to Munich. Distance: 585 km. Duration: 5h 42min. Route passes through Leipzig and Nuremberg. 2 toll sections detected. Want me to generate an isochrone from the destination or calculate the return route? ``` **Prompt:** ``` Show me all areas reachable within 15 minutes by car from Times Square. ``` **Response:** ``` Isochrone generated for Times Square (40.7580, -73.9855) with 15-minute driving range. The polygon covers approximately 12 km2 including Midtown, Upper East/West Side, Chelsea, and parts of the East Village. GeoJSON available. Want me to also generate 5 and 10-minute isochrones for comparison? ``` **Prompt:** ``` Calculate the distance matrix between our 3 warehouses and 5 customer locations. ``` **Response:** ``` 3x5 distance matrix computed (driving-car). Shortest pair: Warehouse B to Customer 3 (8.2 km, 14 min). Longest pair: Warehouse A to Customer 5 (47.1 km, 52 min). Average delivery time across all pairs: 28 min. Want me to run VRP optimization to assign optimal warehouse-customer pairs? ``` ## Capabilities ### Route Planning Your agent calculates precise paths for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. ### Reachability Analysis The AI generates isochrone polygons to show how far you can travel in a set time. ### Logistics Optimization Your agent solves vehicle routing problems by balancing jobs and vehicle capacities. ### Geocoding Services The AI converts addresses to coordinates and vice versa using Pelias. ### Data Cleaning The agent snaps messy GPS coordinates directly onto the road network. ### Elevation Mapping Your agent retrieves altitude data for any given polyline. ## Use Cases ### Delivery Route Optimization A logistics manager provides a list of stops and asks the AI to find the most efficient path for a delivery van. ### Retail Site Selection An urban planner asks for an isochrone to see how many people live within a 10-minute walk of a proposed location. ### Fleet Management A service manager uses the distance matrix tool to estimate travel times between various service hubs and clients. ### GPS Data Refinement A developer uses the snap tool to fix jittery location data from a mobile app so it aligns with actual roads. ## Benefits - Directly connects OpenStreetMap data to your AI chat interface. - Automates complex VRP math through simple natural language requests. - Cleans up raw GPS traces by snapping them to real road segments. - Provides instant distance matrices for multi-point logistics. ## How It Works Setting up this MCP takes less than a minute. 1. Subscribe to the OpenRouteService MCP on Vinkius. 2. Add your OpenRouteService API key to the configuration. 3. Connect your preferred client like Claude or Cursor. 4. Ask your agent to perform a routing or geocoding task. ## Frequently Asked Questions **What kind of profiles are supported for routing?** The MCP supports driving-car, cycling-regular, foot-walking, and wheelchair profiles. **How do I use this with Claude or Cursor?** Once you subscribe on Vinkius and add your API key, you simply connect your client to the Vinkius host. The tools will then appear as available functions in your chat interface. **Can I solve complex vehicle routing problems?** Yes, the solve_vrp_optimization tool allows you to solve problems involving multiple vehicles, specific jobs, and capacity constraints. **Does this use real-time traffic data?** The MCP uses OpenStreetMap data to calculate routes and distances. **Can I filter geocoding results by country?** Yes, you can use the search_country_boundary tool to constrain your searches to a specific ISO country code. **Is the OpenRouteService API free?** Yes. ORS offers a free Standard plan with generous daily limits for all services (directions, isochrones, matrix, geocoding, and optimization). No credit card required. Higher rate limits are available through the Collaborative plan for non-profits, academics, and government organizations. **What routing profiles are supported?** ORS supports driving-car, driving-hgv (heavy goods vehicles), cycling-regular, cycling-road, cycling-mountain, cycling-electric, foot-walking, foot-hiking, and wheelchair. Each profile optimizes routes based on road network restrictions specific to that transportation mode. **Can I solve vehicle routing problems with time windows and capacity constraints?** Yes. The VRP optimization tool uses the VROOM solver. Define jobs with locations, service times, and time windows, then define vehicles with start/end locations, capacities, and operating hours. The solver returns optimized assignments and routes for your entire fleet.