How do I find my Zip-codes.com API Key?

Log in to your [**Zip-codes.com account**](https://www.zip-codes.com/account/login.asp), and you will find your API Key under the 'API Settings' or 'My Account' section. Copy and paste it below.

Does it support Canadian postal codes?

Yes. Zip-codes.com provides extensive data for both United States ZIP codes and Canadian Postal Codes (forward sortation areas).

Can the agent calculate distances?

Yes. The `get_zip_distance` tool calculates the point-to-point distance in miles between any two valid ZIP codes instantly.

ZIP Codes API MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 6 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: ZIP Codes API
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 6 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zip-codes-api": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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About ZIP Codes API MCP Server

Empower your AI agent to orchestrate your entire geographic research and ZIP code auditing workflow with ZIP Codes API, the authoritative source for United States and Canadian location data. By connecting the Zip-codes.com API to your agent, you transform complex logistics searches into a natural conversation. Your agent can instantly retrieve detailed ZIP metadata, audit distances between locations, and identify all ZIP codes within a specific radius without you ever touching a manual lookup tool. Whether you are conducting market analysis or managing regional logistics, your agent acts as a real-time geographic consultant, ensuring your data is always verified and precise.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings ZIP Codes API data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 6 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

ZIP Auditing — Retrieve high-resolution geographic details for any 5-digit ZIP code, including city, state, and county information.
Radius Oversight — Find all ZIP codes within a specific mile radius of a starting point to identify regional clusters instantly.
Distance Intelligence — Calculate the exact distance between any two ZIP codes to assist in logistics and delivery planning.
Regional Discovery — Find all ZIP codes associated with a specific city, state, or county to maintain a clear view of geographic distribution.
Metadata Discovery — Retrieve latitude and longitude coordinates for specific ZIP codes to maintain visual and spatial context.

The ZIP Codes API MCP Server exposes 6 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot 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 ZIP Codes API to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the ZIP Codes API MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using ZIP Codes API

Ask Copilot: "Using ZIP Codes API, help me...". 6 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the ZIP Codes API MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with ZIP Codes API through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

ZIP Codes API + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the ZIP Codes API MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

ZIP Codes API MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (6)

These 6 tools become available when you connect ZIP Codes API to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

find_zips_by_city

Find all ZIP codes associated with a city and state

find_zips_by_county

Find all ZIP codes in a specific county

find_zips_by_state

Find all ZIP codes in a specific state

find_zips_in_radius

Find all ZIP codes within a specific mile radius of a starting ZIP

get_zip_details

Get geographic and demographic details for a specific ZIP code

get_zip_distance

Calculate the distance between two ZIP codes

Example Prompts for ZIP Codes API in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with ZIP Codes API immediately.

"Get details for ZIP code '90210' using ZIP Codes API."

"Find all ZIP codes within a 10 mile radius of '10001' (New York)."

"Calculate the distance between '10001' and '90210'."

Troubleshooting ZIP Codes API MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting ZIP Codes API to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

ZIP Codes API + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating ZIP Codes API MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.