Free Mine Data API

MinesNearMe.com provides a free JSON API for accessing U.S. mine and mineral deposit data from USGS MRDS and MSHA federal databases. Use it in your research, data journalism, mapping projects, or applications.

Endpoints

Query Mines

GET /api/mines?state=CA&commodity=Gold&status=Active&limit=100

Returns a JSON array of mines matching your filters. All parameters are optional.

Parameter	Description	Example
`state`	Two-letter state abbreviation	`CA`, `NV`, `WV`
`commodity`	Commodity name (partial match)	`Gold`, `Coal`, `Copper`
`status`	Exact mine status	`Active`, `Abandoned`, `Past Producer`
`limit`	Max results (1–1000, default 100)	`500`

Download CSV

GET /api/download/{state-slug}.csv

Downloads all mines for a state as a CSV file. Use the state slug from the URL (e.g., california, west-virginia).

Example: /api/download/nevada.csv

Nearby Mines

GET /api/nearby?lat=37.7749&lng=-122.4194&radius=25

Returns mines within a radius (in miles) of a coordinate. Max radius: 100 miles. Max results: 100.

Response Format

The /api/mines endpoint returns JSON:

{
  "mines": [
    {
      "source": "mrds",
      "source_id": "10310805",
      "name": "Empire Mine",
      "lat": 39.2117,
      "lng": -121.0489,
      "state": "California",
      "state_abbr": "CA",
      "county": "Nevada",
      "commodity": "Gold",
      "type": "Underground",
      "status": "Past Producer",
      "operator": "",
      "employees": 0,
      "url": "https://minesnearme.com/mine/mrds/10310805"
    }
  ],
  "attribution": "Data from USGS MRDS and MSHA via MinesNearMe.com"
}

Attribution

This API is free to use. If you use this data in research, journalism, or public-facing projects, please link back to MinesNearMe.com and cite the original federal sources (USGS MRDS and MSHA).

Rate Limits

Please keep requests reasonable — no more than a few per second. For bulk data, use the CSV download instead of making thousands of API calls.