Do I need an API key?

No! Overpass API is completely free and open. No authentication required. Please be respectful with query sizes — avoid queries returning more than 10,000 elements.

What is a bounding box?

A bounding box defines a geographic area using min_latitude, min_longitude, max_latitude, max_longitude. Example: "40.70,-74.01,40.72,-73.98" covers Lower Manhattan, NYC.

Can I search near my current location?

Yes! Use search_nearby or search_nearby_amenities with your GPS coordinates and a radius in meters (e.g. lat=40.7128, lon=-74.0060, radius=1000 for 1km around NYC).

What amenities can I search for?

Common amenities: restaurant, cafe, fast_food, bar, pub, hospital, clinic, pharmacy, school, university, library, atm, bank, fuel, parking, police, fire_station, post_office, toilets, cinema, theatre, nightclub, museum.

Overpass (OpenStreetMap) MCP Server for Claude Desktop 16 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Overpass (OpenStreetMap)
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

modelcontextprotocol.io/quickstart/user

Built by Vinkius GDPR 16 Tools IDE

Claude Desktop is Anthropic's native application for interacting with Claude AI models on macOS and Windows. It was the first consumer application to ship with built-in MCP support, making it the reference implementation for the Model Context Protocol standard.

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ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

RecommendedModern Approach — Zero Configuration

Vinkius Desktop App

The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install Overpass (OpenStreetMap) and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

Download Free Open SourceNo signup required

Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "overpass-openstreetmap": {
      // Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Fully ManagedVinkius Servers

60%Token savings

High SecurityEnterprise-grade

IAMAccess control

EU AI ActCompliant

DLPData protection

V8 IsolateSandboxed

Ed25519Audit chain

<40msKill switch

Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About Overpass (OpenStreetMap) MCP Server

Connect to Overpass API (OpenStreetMap) and query the world's largest free geographic database through natural conversation — no API key needed.

Claude Desktop is the definitive way to connect Overpass (OpenStreetMap) to your AI workflow. Add Vinkius Edge URL to your config, restart the app, and Claude immediately exposes all 16 tools in the chat interface. ask a question, Claude calls the right tool, and you see the answer. Zero code, zero context switching.

What you can do

Amenity Search — Find restaurants, cafes, hospitals, schools, pharmacies, ATMs, fuel stations and more
Shop Search — Discover shops, supermarkets, bakeries, clothing stores and retail outlets
Nearby Search — Find any amenity within a radius of any GPS coordinate
Hotel Search — Locate hotels, hostels and tourist accommodation
Park Search — Find parks, gardens and green spaces
EV Charging — Locate electric vehicle charging stations
Custom Queries — Execute custom Overpass QL queries for any OSM data

The Overpass (OpenStreetMap) MCP Server exposes 16 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Claude Desktop in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect Overpass (OpenStreetMap) to Claude Desktop via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Overpass (OpenStreetMap) MCP Server with Claude Desktop.

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config to open claude_desktop_config.json

Add the MCP Server

Paste the configuration above into the mcpServers section

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop to load the new server

Start using Overpass (OpenStreetMap)

Look for the 🔌 icon in the chat. your 16 tools are now available

Why Use Claude Desktop with the Overpass (OpenStreetMap) MCP Server

Claude Desktop by Anthropic provides unique advantages when paired with Overpass (OpenStreetMap) through the Model Context Protocol.

Claude Desktop is the reference MCP client. it was designed alongside the protocol itself, ensuring the most complete and stable MCP implementation available

Zero-code configuration: add a server URL to a JSON file and Claude instantly discovers and exposes all available tools in the chat interface

Claude's extended thinking capability lets it reason through multi-step tool usage, chaining multiple API calls to answer complex questions

Enterprise-grade security with local config storage. your tokens never leave your machine, and connections go directly to Vinkius Edge network

Overpass (OpenStreetMap) + Claude Desktop Use Cases

Practical scenarios where Claude Desktop combined with the Overpass (OpenStreetMap) MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Interactive data exploration: ask Claude to query DNS records, look up WHOIS data, and cross-reference results in a single conversation

Ad-hoc security audits: type a domain name and let Claude enumerate subdomains, check DNS history, and flag configuration anomalies. all through natural language

Executive briefings: generate comprehensive domain intelligence reports by asking Claude to compile findings into a formatted summary

Learning and training: new team members can explore API capabilities conversationally without needing to read documentation

Overpass (OpenStreetMap) MCP Tools for Claude Desktop (16)

These 16 tools become available when you connect Overpass (OpenStreetMap) to Claude Desktop via MCP:

custom_query

The query should be valid Overpass QL syntax. The output format is automatically set to JSON. If no out statement is included, "out geom;" is appended automatically. Example: `node["amenity"="cafe"](51.5,-0.15,51.51,-0.14); out geom;` Execute a custom Overpass QL query

search_amenities

Common amenities: "restaurant", "cafe", "school", "hospital", "pharmacy", "bank", "atm", "fuel", "parking", "toilets", "library", "police", "fire_station", "post_office", "cinema", "theatre", "nightclub", "bar", "pub", "fast_food", "ice_cream". Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max. Search for amenities (restaurants, schools, hospitals, etc.) in a bounding box

search_atms

Returns ATM locations, operator/bank names, addresses, 24/7 availability and network info. Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max. Search for ATMs in a bounding box

search_by_name

Optional amenity filter to narrow results. Returns matching elements with full details including addresses, phone numbers and websites. Search for OSM elements by name

search_by_tag

Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max (e.g. "51.249,-0.15,51.251,-0.10" for central London). Useful for finding specific OSM-tagged features. Search OpenStreetMap elements by tag key/value in a bounding box

search_charging_stations

Returns station names, addresses, connector types, charging speeds, operator info and access details. Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max. Search for EV charging stations in a bounding box

search_fuel_stations

Returns station names, brands, addresses, fuel types offered, opening hours and operator info. Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max. Search for fuel/gas stations in a bounding box

search_hospitals

Returns facility names, addresses, phone numbers, emergency services info, specialties and operator info. Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max. Search for hospitals and clinics in a bounding box

search_hotels

Returns hotel names, addresses, star ratings, phone numbers, websites and room info. Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max. Search for hotels in a bounding box

search_nearby

Useful for finding nearby amenities without defining a full bounding box. Returns names, addresses, distances and details. Search for OSM elements near a specific location

search_nearby_amenities

Common amenities: "restaurant", "cafe", "pharmacy", "atm", "bank", "hospital", "school", "supermarket", "fuel", "charging_station", "parking", "toilets", "police", "fire_station", "post_office". Search for specific amenities near a location

search_parks

Returns park names, addresses, area sizes, features (playgrounds, sports facilities) and operator info. Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max. Search for parks and green spaces in a bounding box

search_pharmacies

Returns pharmacy names, addresses, phone numbers, opening hours, dispensing info and operator info. Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max. Search for pharmacies in a bounding box

search_restaurants

Optional cuisine filter: "italian", "chinese", "japanese", "indian", "mexican", "thai", "french", "american", "pizza", "burger", "sushi", "vegan", "vegetarian". Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max. Search for restaurants in a bounding box

search_schools

Returns school names, addresses, phone numbers, websites, student capacity and operator info. Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max. Search for schools in a bounding box

search_shops

Optional shop type filter: "supermarket", "convenience", "clothes", "bakery", "butcher", "electronics", "furniture", "hardware", "jewelry", "mall", "bookmaker", "car", "car_repair", "chemist", "florist", "gift", "hairdresser", "mobile_phone", "shoes", "sports", "toys". Bbox format: lat_min,lon_min,lat_max,lon_max. Search for shops in a bounding box

Example Prompts for Overpass (OpenStreetMap) in Claude Desktop

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Claude Desktop agent to start working with Overpass (OpenStreetMap) immediately.

"Find all restaurants in Lower Manhattan."

"Find ATMs within 500m of Times Square (40.7580, -73.9855)."

"Find EV charging stations in downtown San Francisco."

Troubleshooting Overpass (OpenStreetMap) MCP Server with Claude Desktop

Common issues when connecting Overpass (OpenStreetMap) to Claude Desktop through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

Server not appearing after restart

Ensure the JSON is valid (no trailing commas). Check the file path: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\\Claude\\ (Windows).

Authentication error

Verify your Vinkius token is correct. Go to cloud.vinkius.com to regenerate it if needed.

Tools not showing in chat

Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the chat input. If it shows 0 tools, the server may still be connecting. wait a few seconds.

Overpass (OpenStreetMap) + Claude Desktop FAQ

Common questions about integrating Overpass (OpenStreetMap) MCP Server with Claude Desktop.

How does Claude Desktop discover MCP tools?

When Claude Desktop starts, it reads the claude_desktop_config.json file and connects to each configured MCP server. It calls the tools/list endpoint to fetch the schema for every available tool, then surfaces them as clickable options in the chat interface via the 🔌 icon.

What happens if the MCP server is temporarily unavailable?

Claude Desktop handles disconnections gracefully. if the server is unreachable at startup, the tools simply won't appear. Once the server becomes available again, restarting Claude Desktop will re-establish the connection. There is no timeout penalty or error loop.

Can I connect multiple MCP servers simultaneously?

Yes. You can add as many servers as you need in the mcpServers section of the config file. Each server appears as a separate tool provider, and Claude can use tools from multiple servers in a single conversation turn.

Is there a limit on the number of tools per server?

Claude Desktop can handle hundreds of tools per server. However, for optimal LLM performance, Vinkius servers are designed to expose focused, well-documented tool sets rather than overwhelming the model with too many options.

Does Claude Desktop support Streamable HTTP transport?

Yes. Claude Desktop supports both SSE (Server-Sent Events) and the newer Streamable HTTP transport that Vinkius uses. Simply provide the server URL. Claude auto-negotiates the transport protocol.