Location · 4 min read

How to use the Cities & Countries API in Python & JavaScript

Location lookups should be one call, not a dataset to host. Here's how to do it with the Cities & Countries API.

By DataNest · Published May 2026

What the Cities & Countries API does

A worldwide geographic database: city search with population filters, full country profiles (capital, borders, currencies, timezones), and regions. Responses are JSON, the API runs behind the RapidAPI gateway for auth and rate limiting, and there's a free tier for prototyping.

When to use it

location autocomplete

travel apps

demographic research

The example request

GET https://cities-countries-by-datanest.p.rapidapi.com/cities?minPopulation=10000000

Example JSON response

An illustrative response body — run the live demo for the real thing.

{
  "count": 1,
  "cities": [
    {
      "name": "Mumbai",
      "country": "India",
      "region": "Maharashtra",
      "population": 12442373,
      "latitude": 19.07283,
      "longitude": 72.88261,
      "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata"
    }
  ]
}

Common parameters

Every request also needs your RapidAPI auth headers.

Parameter	In	Required	Example
limit	query	No	5
minPopulation	query	Yes	10000000
x-rapidapi-key	header	Yes	YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY
x-rapidapi-host	header	Yes	cities-countries-by-datanest.p.rapidapi.com

Step by step

1. Subscribe and get your key

Open the Cities & Countries API on RapidAPI, subscribe to the free BASIC plan, and copy your X-RapidAPI-Key.

2. Call the endpoint

The example call for this API is shown above. The quick-start snippets below send exactly that request in cURL, Python and Node so you get a real response on the first try.

3. Try it without code first

The Cities & Countries page has a live "Try it" panel — change the input, run it, and inspect the real JSON before you integrate.

4. Integrate and cache

Call it from your backend and cache responses where it makes sense. Most responses change slowly, so even a daily cache keeps you well within the free tier.

Quick-start code

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://cities-countries-by-datanest.p.rapidapi.com/cities?limit=5&minPopulation=10000000' \
  --header 'x-rapidapi-host: cities-countries-by-datanest.p.rapidapi.com' \
  --header 'x-rapidapi-key: YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY'

What you can build

Location autocomplete

Power a city dropdown that resolves to region and country.

Shipping validator

Confirm a destination city exists before checkout.

Demographic explorer

Compare cities by population and geography in a research tool.

Wrapping up

If your project needs location autocomplete, the Cities & Countries API removes the part nobody enjoys building. It's one of 23 in the DataNest collection — grab a free key and make your first call.

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Cities & Countries updates

New Cities & Countries guides and endpoint updates, occasionally.