Arcgis Charleston

What Arcgis Charleston MCP server does

Arcgis Charleston MCP server connects MCP-compatible agents to Charleston County, South Carolina open geospatial data published through ArcGIS. Its coverage includes datasets such as parcels, addresses, zoning, and public works. The server helps an agent locate a relevant dataset, understand the structure of its layer, and retrieve matching records.

The hosted connection is provided through the Pipeworx gateway. A local npm package is also available for applications that need a standalone stdio MCP process. Both access the pack’s three dedicated tools, while the hosted pack endpoint also exposes shared Pipeworx gateway tools.

How it works

A typical workflow starts with search_datasets. Give it a keyword such as parcels or zoning; the response includes dataset names, summaries, record counts, owner or organization information, and a Feature Service URL.

Pass that URL to layer_info to inspect the layer before querying it. The schema response includes field names and types, geometry type, total records, and listed capabilities. This helps determine which attributes can be selected and which filters are appropriate.

Use query_layer with the service URL to retrieve data. It supports a SQL-like where expression, selected fields through comma-separated out_fields, ordering, result limits, and offsets. For a sample, use where="1=1" with out_fields="*"; returned results can include both attributes and geometry.

Setup and configuration

For a hosted connection, add the Pipeworx MCP URL to an MCP client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arcgis-charleston": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/arcgis-charleston/mcp"
    }
  }
}

The README names Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf as compatible clients. The same gateway also has a full endpoint, but the pack URL lists this pack’s tools directly and includes shared gateway meta-tools.

For local use, run @pipeworx/mcp-arcgis-charleston with npx as an MCP stdio process. This mode does not require a Pipeworx account and exposes only the pack’s own tools.

Tools and capabilities

• search_datasets: Finds Charleston County GIS datasets by keyword and returns metadata plus service URLs.
• layer_info: Reports a layer’s schema, geometry type, record count, and capabilities.
• query_layer: Retrieves filtered, ordered, paginated layer records, including geometry when available.
• Hosted access also exposes shared Pipeworx tools, including routing and discovery tools documented in the README.

Limitations and notes

Arcgis Charleston MCP server is focused on Charleston County GIS data; it is not described as a general-purpose geocoding, routing, or map-rendering service. query_layer and layer_info require a service URL, normally obtained from search_datasets.

The hosted endpoint lists more tools than the three pack tools because Pipeworx adds shared meta-tools. The local stdio package does not include those gateway-wide tools. The exact hosted tool scope can change, so the connection’s initialize response is authoritative for the current listing.