Google Maps renames Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for U.S. users
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Google updated its Maps service to display "Lake America" instead of "Lake Ontario" for users in the United States, following a recent presidential directive.
Google has altered the labeling of a major North American lake in its Maps application, showing the name "Lake America" to users located in the United States while retaining "Lake Ontario" for Canadian users and displaying both names internationally. The change aligns with a recent order issued by the U.S. president to rename the lake, a move that follows a similar renaming of the Gulf of Mexico in 2025.
In a blog post, the company said the update follows its policy of using names assigned by the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and is part of its standard practice for geographic features that have different names across borders. "People using Maps in the U.S. will see ‘Lake America,’ those in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario,’ and those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names," Google stated.
The presidential directive was announced amid heightened trade tensions between the United States and Canada. Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded by placing a large sign on the Canadian shoreline that reads "Lake Ontario. Now and forever." No immediate comment was received from the White House, the Canadian prime minister’s office, or the premier’s office regarding Google’s implementation.