Straight-line distance between places

Straight-line geodesic distance between 2 or more places or points, with the midpoint and bearing for two, or the length of a line.

Request

curl -X POST https://mcp.terra-lab.ai/v1/tools/measure_distance \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TERRALAB_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"points":["Paris, France","Geneva, Switzerland"]}'

import os
import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://mcp.terra-lab.ai/v1/tools/measure_distance",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['TERRALAB_API_KEY']}"},
    json={
        "points": ["Paris, France", "Geneva, Switzerland"],
    },
    timeout=120,
)
response.raise_for_status()
print(response.json()["structuredContent"])

const response = await fetch('https://mcp.terra-lab.ai/v1/tools/measure_distance', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.TERRALAB_API_KEY}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    "points": [
      "Paris, France",
      "Geneva, Switzerland"
    ]
  }),
});
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data.structuredContent);

Other valid request bodies:

{"geometry":{"type":"LineString","coordinates":[[2.35,48.85],[2.36,48.86]]}}

Parameters

A JSON object in the request body; in an MCP client, the arguments of the tool call.

Response

structuredContent holds the result, content the same result as text for a model, and isError is true when the tool refused the request or failed; then structuredContent.code, message and hint say what to change.

{
  "structuredContent": {
    "sources": [{ "name": "...", "licence": "...", "url": "..." }],
    "downloads": [{ "label": "...", "format": "...", "url": "...", "name": "..." }]
  },
  "content": [{ "type": "text", "text": "..." }],
  "isError": false
}

Every result lists its sources with their licence. File results come as downloads: each link builds its file when opened.

Errors

A missing key answers 401, an empty balance 402, too many calls 429. A call that fails or finds nothing is not counted. See Errors and rate limits.

Description for agents

The text the server gives an agent to decide when to call this tool:

Use this when the user wants the straight-line (as the crow flies) distance between 2 or more places or points, with the midpoint and bearing for two, or the length of a drawn line. Geodesic on the WGS 84 ellipsoid, in m, km and miles. Not a road or travel distance (get_route), not an elevation profile (get_elevation). Returns the figures, a map and GeoJSON, KML, Shapefile zip or CSV downloads. Never use the user's current location unless they type it. Give the place as the user names it (place name, address or coordinates): this tool locates it, so find_places is not needed first. Download links build their file when opened; no file is saved. The user opens the file in QGIS or any GIS: this server cannot load it into the user's own QGIS or any app on their computer. Never pass these links to open_gis_file: list every format the user needs in formats, in this one call.