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MapQuest MCP Setup Guide ​

Connect MapQuest geocoding, routing, search, and traffic to Claude and any MCP-compatible AI agent in under five minutes.

MCP server endpoint

https://www.mapquestapi.com/mcp

Setup paths included

  • Cursor
  • Claude
  • Claude Code
  • ChatGPT
  • Codex

Version 1.2 - Updated July 7, 2026

Before You Begin ​

Prerequisites and 5-minute quick start

The MapQuest MCP server exposes the Location Intelligence Suite (geocoding, routing, search, traffic, and truck-safe profiles) over the Model Context Protocol so your agent can call them directly. Every agent uses the same endpoint and the same OAuth flow; only the place you register it differs.

What You Need ​

The Five Steps, End to End ​

Register first so your key and free monthly transactions are active before your agent authorizes. Then pick your agent below and follow its path.

  1. Register and create your key. Create your MapQuest developer account, complete the account details, and generate the API key your agent will use.
  2. Choose your agent. Pick the agent you want to connect and follow its dedicated setup path in this guide.
  3. Add the MapQuest server. Paste the MapQuest endpoint or config in the place your agent expects it.
  4. Authorize MapQuest. Authorize from the connector, server entry, or tool settings for your agent via OAuth.
  5. Verify the MCP tool is connected and authenticated by asking your agent to list your available MCP tools.

Cursor ​

Cursor supports remote MCP servers through its built-in MCP settings. You add MapQuest by pasting a short entry into Cursor's mcp.json file.

Add the Server ​

  1. In Cursor, open Settings and go to Tools & MCPs. In some versions, this is labeled Tools & Integrations, or Tools on the Free plan.
  2. Under MCP Tools, click New MCP Server. Cursor opens your mcp.json file.
  3. Add MapQuest inside the mcpServers object, then save. The key (mapquest) is the server name and the url is the endpoint:
json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mapquest": {
      "url": "https://www.mapquestapi.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Same entry for solo or team use; only the file location differs. Use <project-root>/.cursor/mcp.json to share it with a repo, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json to make it available across all your projects.

Verify the Connection ​

  1. In Tools & MCPs, click Connect next to mapquest. Your browser opens the authorization page; approve it, then return to Cursor. If the server does not appear right away, restart Cursor and check again.
  2. Confirm mapquest shows a connected status with its tools listed.
  3. Open a new chat (Cmd + L or Ctrl + L) and ask: "What MCP tools do you have available?"

API keys: all tools require an active API key. On first tool use, the agent either auto-selects a key or prompts you to choose one by nickname.

Claude ​

The same setup works on claude.ai and the Claude desktop app, and on Cowork and mobile where custom-connector install is in beta. MapQuest is a remote server, so you add it as a custom connector; you do not use the claude_desktop_config.json file. That file is only for local servers and is not used by claude.ai or Cowork.

Plan Availability

Custom connectors are available on every plan: Free, Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise. Free accounts are limited to one custom connector. On Team and Enterprise, an Owner or Primary Owner must add the connector for the organization first in Organization settings > Connectors; members then connect to it individually.

Add the Server ​

Add MapQuest as a custom connector:

  1. Go to Customize > Connectors at claude.ai/customize/connectors.
  2. Click the + button next to Connectors, then select Add custom connector.
  3. Enter Name = mapquest and URL = https://www.mapquestapi.com/mcp. Leave Advanced settings (OAuth Client ID and Secret) empty unless MapQuest provides those values.
  4. Click Add.
  5. In the connector list, click Connect and complete the authorization in your browser, then return to Claude.

Verify the Connection ​

  1. Confirm mapquest shows a connected status under Customize > Connectors.
  2. Open a new chat and enable it: click the + button in the lower left, hover Connectors, and toggle mapquest on.
  3. Ask: "What MCP tools do you have available?"

API keys: all tools require an active API key. On first tool use, the agent either auto-selects a key or prompts you to choose one by nickname.

Claude Code ​

Claude Code is configured from the terminal, not the Connectors UI. You need Claude Code installed and signed in to your Claude account.

If you already added MapQuest as a connector in claude.ai and you sign in to Claude Code with that same account, it appears in Claude Code automatically, labeled as coming from claude.ai, and you can skip the steps below.

Add the Server ​

Run from your terminal:

bash
claude mcp add --transport http mapquest https://www.mapquestapi.com/mcp

This registers the server at local scope (just you, current project) by default. To change scope:

bash
# Available across all your projects
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http mapquest https://www.mapquestapi.com/mcp

# Shared with teammates via a committed .mcp.json
claude mcp add --scope project --transport http mapquest https://www.mapquestapi.com/mcp

Then authorize MapQuest. From your terminal, run:

bash
claude mcp login mapquest

This opens your browser so you can sign in. Inside a session you can instead run /mcp, which opens a panel listing your servers; select mapquest there and choose to authenticate, and your browser opens to finish.

If you configure servers by editing JSON instead of the command above, include "type": "http". An entry with a URL but no type is read as a local server and fails to connect.

Verify the Connection ​

  1. Run claude mcp list, or /mcp in a session, and confirm mapquest shows a connected status.
  2. Start a new session and ask: "What MCP tools do you have available?"

API keys: all tools require an active API key. On first tool use, the agent either auto-selects a key or prompts you to choose one by nickname.

ChatGPT ​

ChatGPT connects to MCP servers through custom apps. You add MapQuest as a new app in ChatGPT on the web.

Plan Availability

Custom MCP apps are set up in ChatGPT on the web. On Business, Enterprise, and Edu workspaces they are admin-controlled: an Owner or Admin enables Developer Mode and custom apps in Workspace settings, so if you do not see the option, ask your admin to turn it on.

Add the App ​

If custom apps are not already available in your account, first enable Developer Mode: open Settings > Apps, click Advanced settings, and toggle Developer mode on. Then create the app:

  1. In Settings > Apps, create a new app. The dialog is titled New App.
  2. Name: mapquest.
  3. Description (optional): a short line such as "MapQuest geocoding, routing, search, and traffic tools." ChatGPT uses this to help choose the right tool.
  4. Connection: keep Server URL selected. The Tunnel tab is for local development. Enter https://www.mapquestapi.com/mcp.
  5. Authentication: choose OAuth. Leave Advanced OAuth settings as they are unless MapQuest gives you a client ID and secret or specific scopes to enter.
  6. Check I understand and want to continue to acknowledge the third-party risk notice, then click Create.

Verify the Connection ​

  1. On success, ChatGPT shows the tools the server advertises; complete the OAuth sign-in if prompted.
  2. In a new chat, enable mapquest for the conversation from the composer's tools (Developer Mode) menu.
  3. Ask: "What MCP tools do you have available?"

API keys: all tools require an active API key. On first tool use, the agent either auto-selects a key or prompts you to choose one by nickname.

Codex ​

Codex is configured through its config.toml file, which the Codex CLI and IDE extension share. You need Codex installed and signed in. MapQuest is a remote Streamable HTTP server, so you add it as a url entry and authenticate with OAuth.

Add the Server ​

Codex runs in a terminal and is not preinstalled. Confirm it with:

bash
codex --version

If that returns "command not found," install it with:

bash
npm install -g @openai/codex

This requires Node.js. Then run:

bash
codex login

Set up MapQuest before launching Codex, or /mcp will look empty. Its config lives at ~/.codex/config.toml. If that file does not exist yet, run mkdir -p ~/.codex first, then create it. To scope MapQuest to one trusted project instead, use .codex/config.toml there.

In the IDE extension, open the file via MCP settings > Open config.toml from the gear menu. Add:

toml
[mcp_servers.mapquest]
url = "https://www.mapquestapi.com/mcp"

Then authorize MapQuest over OAuth by running:

bash
codex mcp login mapquest

Your browser opens to complete sign-in.

Note: codex mcp add is for local stdio servers, so a remote HTTP server like MapQuest is added through config.toml as shown, not with that command.

Verify the Connection ​

  1. In the Codex TUI, run /mcp to confirm mapquest is listed and connected. Run codex mcp --help to see all MCP commands.
  2. Start a session and ask: "What MCP tools do you have available?"

API keys: all tools require an active API key. On first tool use, the agent either auto-selects a key or prompts you to choose one by nickname.