MapQuest has emerged as the most-downloaded navigation tool in the United States, surpassing both Google Maps and Apple Maps. This surge in popularity follows the company's public defiance of an executive order issued by Donald Trump on 27 August, which directed federal agencies to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America” amid ongoing trade disputes with Canada.
While Google promptly complied with the administration's directive for its US users, Apple has reportedly faced pressure from the White House to follow suit. In contrast, the 30-year-old mapping service, which brands itself as the internet’s “OG” (original) navigation tool, has maintained a firm stance. MapQuest stated on social media that it would not be changing the name, and the company has even poked fun at the order, including a feature that allows subscribers to generate their own names for the body of water. This tool was previously introduced in 2025 after the administration rebranded the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for federal agencies.
Doug Berger, general manager of MapQuest, noted that the app's usage is currently running at approximately 50 times its normal rate. “We took the same approach we did with the Gulf of Mexico: be part of the conversation, and give people an app that keeps the names they’re familiar with,” Berger said. He added that hundreds of thousands of people signaled their support for the decision through recent downloads.
The company’s defiance began with an initial “We’re not changing it” social media post on 27 August. The following day, it adopted a rhetoric style reminiscent of the president, posting, “Our maps are big and beautiful. People come up to us and say we’ll get them places. And we do!” MapQuest also confirmed its continued operations as an e-commerce platform, responding to users who mistakenly believed the company had shuttered, by drawing parallels to RadioShack.
Public sentiment appears to align with the company’s decision, as a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Tuesday indicated that only 14% of Americans favor renaming the lake. The same poll showed that 57% of respondents oppose the higher tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Canadian goods. Meanwhile, in Canada, MapQuest was the second-most downloaded app overall by Sunday night.
Political pushback against the executive order is also mounting. On Monday, Democratic US representatives Tim Kennedy, Joe Morelle, and Debbie Dingell introduced the “Hands Off Our Great Lakes” act, which seeks to block the renaming order and prevent future unilateral changes. Despite Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s assertion on Monday that he was “confident” Apple would soon display the name “Lake America,” the app continued to show the label as Lake Ontario as of Tuesday morning. On Google, the map reflects the change for US users, but retains the name Lake Ontario for users in the rest of the world.
It comes as polls show Trump’s efforts at renaming the lake found favor with only 14% of Americans, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Tuesday. And that survey found only slightly more, 20%, approved of higher tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Canadian goods, with 57% opposed.
On Google, its map for US users reflects the change – but remains Lake Ontario, a name it has had for about 400 years, for users in the rest of the world.
