Google Maps Adopts Lake America for U.S. Users as Apple and MapQuest Keep Lake Ontario
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 31
Google Maps Adopts Lake America for U.S. Users as Apple and MapQuest Keep Lake Ontario
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 31
Summary
Google Maps switched Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for U.S. users on Aug. 29, while Canadian users still see “Lake Ontario” and users elsewhere see both names.
Trump’s Aug. 27 executive order told the Interior Department and U.S. Board on Geographic Names to formalize the rename within 30 days, prompting platforms to decide whether to follow federal naming changes.
MapQuest rejected the change outright in Aug. 27 and Aug. 30 posts, saying it would keep “Lake Ontario” and launching a tool that lets users create their own lake names.
Apple Maps still showed “Lake Ontario” as of early Aug. 31, though Apple previously adopted Trump’s 2025 Gulf of Mexico-to-Gulf of America rename.
The split response mirrors the earlier Gulf renaming fight and lands amid an escalating U.S.-Canada trade war, giving the map label dispute broader political weight.