Opentopodata

What Opentopodata MCP server does

The Opentopodata MCP server connects agents to the public Open Topo Data API at https://api.opentopodata.org/v1/. It exposes two pack-specific tools:

• elevation(locations, dataset?, samples?, format?) retrieves elevation values for geographic points.
• datasets() returns the DEM datasets available from the service.

locations can be a single object containing lat and lon, or an array of those objects. A single elevation request can include up to 100 locations. The default dataset is srtm90m; other documented examples include aster30m, srtm30m, mapzen, nzdem8m, eudem25m, etopo1, and gebco2020.

This fits workflows that need terrain height for coordinates, compare elevation sources, or let an agent discover which DEM datasets are available before querying.

How it works

The package supports two connection patterns. Through Pipeworx, add the scoped MCP endpoint at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/opentopodata/mcp, or connect to the full gateway at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp. The scoped gateway endpoint lists the Opentopodata tools along with shared Pipeworx meta-tools. Those meta-tools include routing and discovery capabilities such as ask_pipeworx, which can reach other catalog sources from the same connection.

The local package runs MCP over standard input and output. It exposes only the Opentopodata pack tools and does not add the gateway’s shared meta-tools. The source and tool behavior are otherwise based on the same Open Topo Data service.

The upstream public instance is keyless, with stated soft limits of one request per second and 1,000 requests per day. The README also provides a gateway HTTP endpoint for direct tool calls, including POST /v1/tools/opentopodata_elevation.

Setup and configuration

For a gateway connection, add the scoped URL to an MCP client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "opentopodata": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/opentopodata/mcp"
    }
  }
}

For a local installation, configure the package as a stdio server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "opentopodata": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-opentopodata"]
    }
  }
}

You can also verify the local process directly with npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-opentopodata. The standalone mode does not require a Pipeworx account or gateway round trip.

Tools and capabilities

elevation accepts optional dataset, sample, and format arguments in addition to coordinates. Use the dataset argument when a particular DEM is required; otherwise, the service uses srtm90m. datasets is useful for discovering supported DEM names rather than relying on a hard-coded list.

Agents can call the tools through MCP, while HTTP clients can submit JSON to the gateway tool endpoint. The gateway also supports plain-language requests through ask_pipeworx, which selects a tool and fills its arguments automatically.

Limitations and notes

The public Open Topo Data instance has soft rate and daily usage limits. Elevation requests are limited to 100 locations each. Gateway pack connections include shared meta-tool schemas in addition to the pack’s own tools, so their reported tool count is higher than the two documented here. The local stdio mode avoids those shared tools and provides only the Opentopodata capabilities.