Google Maps Changes Lake Ontario to Lake America Following Executive Order

<p>Google began displaying "Lake America" in place of "Lake Ontario" for U.S. users of Google Maps on August 27, 2026, following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on August 25, 2026, amid a trade dispute with Canada.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/honoring-the-american-history-of-the-great-lakes-and-renaming-lake-ontario-as-lake-america-3a36/">order</a> directs the Interior Department to update the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the federal database that governs official American map labels. Google <a href="https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/maps/gnis-lake-ontario-lake-america-name-change/">stated</a> that its maps are updated "to reflect name changes in official government sources," and that the change follows the company’s "long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country." Under the new display rules, U.S. users see "Lake America," Canadian users continue to see "Lake Ontario," and users elsewhere see both names, with "Lake America" appearing in parentheses.</p><p>The change mirrors Google’s 2025 decision to relabel the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" after a similar executive order from Trump, a move that Mexico <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5143996-mexico-threatens-to-sue-google-gulf-of-mexico/">threatened</a> to challenge legally at the time.</p><p>Not every mapping platform has followed suit. Apple Maps still shows "Lake Ontario," while MapQuest announced it will not adopt the new name, instead providing a tool allowing users to rename the lake as they choose.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">We’re not changing the name of Lake Ontario. Name it whatever you want at your leisure: <a href="https://t.co/E2I0Ezd57W">https://t.co/E2I0Ezd57W</a></p><p>(tag us so we can see your work ) <a href="https://t.co/x8lIAMt6ab">pic.twitter.com/x8lIAMt6ab</a></p><p>— MapQuest (@MapQuest) <a href="https://x.com/MapQuest/status/2093069649713733725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2026</a></p></blockquote><p>The lake, the smallest of the Great Lakes, sits on the border between New York and Ontario, with its surface area split roughly 52% Canada and 48% U.S., though the White House has <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/08/28/nx-s1-5946811/trump-signs-order-renaming-lake-ontario-to-lake-america">noted</a> that most of its volume and its deepest sections lie on the American side.</p><p>Canadian officials have rejected the rebranding. Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X that the lake "is called Lake Ontario — today and forever," noting the name predates both the Canadian Confederation and U.S. independence. Ontario Premier Doug Ford <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/ap-ontario-premier-answers-trumps-lake-america-with-giant-lake-ontario-sign/">unveiled a bilingual lakeside sign</a> reading "Lake Ontario — Now and Always" on August 27, 2026, and compared the renaming to a <em>Saturday Night Live</em> bit during a Sunday <a href="https://abcnews.com/Politics/week-transcript-8-30-26-ontario-premier-doug/story?id=136055988">appearance</a> on ABC’s <em>This Week</em>, while urging the two countries to negotiate an end to their trade standoff.</p><p>Domestically, reactions have split along familiar lines. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung celebrated the change, <a href="https://x.com/StevenCheung47/status/2094025164866383979">writing</a> "It’s official! LAKE AMERICA on Google Maps." New York Governor <a href="https://x.com/GovKathyHochul/status/2093064058589086181">Kathy Hochul</a> and Vermont Governor Phil Scott both criticized the move, with Scott <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-york-gov-hochul-rejects-trumps-lake-america-renaming-blunt-message">calling</a> it "petty and disappointing."</p>