MapQuest Refuses Lake Ontario Name Change, Sees App Store Surge

MapQuest's app has experienced a significant surge in downloads, propelling it to the top of the navigation category in the App Store. This rise in popularity is attributed to the company's public stance against renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America," a change mandated by an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump.

MapQuest stated that the decision to reject the name change was made swiftly. "We saw the president signing the name change executive order, and we had a very quick conversation and immediately came out with a simple statement: We're not changing it," said Doug Berger, general manager at MapQuest. The company reported being surprised by the positive public reaction and the subsequent increase in app usage.

While Google Maps now defaults to "Lake America" for users in the U.S., following the U.S. Geographic Names Information System's formal change, it retains "Lake Ontario" for users in Canada. This divergence highlights how different entities interpret and implement government directives. MapQuest's decision stands in contrast to other mapping services that have adopted the federal renaming.

The company has also embraced the situation with humor, launching a microsite allowing users to submit their own humorous names for the lake. The original name, Lake Ontario, has Indigenous roots, meaning "great lake" or "beautiful lake," and has been in use by Europeans since the early 1600s, predating both the U.S. and Canada.

MapQuest reports usage levels are currently around 50 times their usual volume. Berger indicated that the company "struck a chord" with its decision and is enjoying the increased visibility and engagement.