Key facts
- MapQuest became the No. 1 overall app in the U.S. App Store following its refusal to rename Lake Ontario.
- Google Maps and Apple Maps complied with President Trump's executive order, renaming Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' for U.S. users.
- A poll shows a majority of Americans oppose the renaming and are concerned about US-Canada trade tariffs.
- MapQuest has seen over 1.5 million installs across the U.S. and Canada combined since the executive order.
- President Trump previously ordered the Gulf of Mexico renamed 'Gulf of America'.
MapQuest has surged to the top of the U.S. App Store charts following its public refusal to rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' as directed by President Trump's executive order. While Google Maps and Apple Maps adopted the new name for U.S. users, citing government sources, MapQuest maintained the original name, a stance that has resonated with consumers.
The company has seen an estimated 632,000 U.S. downloads since the order, with total installs across the U.S. and Canada exceeding 1.5 million. MapQuest's General Manager, Doug Berger, noted that users are actively engaging with the app, providing feedback and feature requests.
This defiance contrasts with the actions of its larger competitors and follows MapQuest's previous decision to retain the name 'Gulf of Mexico' instead of 'Gulf of America.' A recent poll indicates that a majority of Americans oppose the renaming of Lake Ontario and express concern over U.S.-Canada trade tariffs, which impact approximately $20 billion in goods.
President Trump has also suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz to 'Trump Strait,' following the Lake Ontario initiative. Canadian officials, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, have rejected the renaming effort.