MapQuest Surges to Top of Apple App Store by Keeping Lake Ontario’s Name

POLICY WIRE — City, Country — Thirty years after its inception during the dot-com boom, MapQuest has charted a new course for success. The digital mapping company has ascended to the top free app spot in the Apple App Store. This surge follows its refusal to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” in defiance of President Trump’s recent executive order mandating the change.

In a press release on Monday, MapQuest attributed its newfound popularity to its decision to maintain the historical and familiar names for lakes and gulfs on its maps. “The surge follows MapQuest’s decision to keep the historical, familiar names for lakes and gulfs on its maps,” the company stated.

ChatGPT holds the second position as the most downloaded free app on Apple. MapQuest made its stance clear on social media on August 27, the same day Mr. Trump signed the order for the name change. The company posted, We’re not changing it.

MapQuest further clarified its position by stating, We are aware that Lake Ontario is being correctly labeled on our map. The company also introduced a feature allowing users to create their own name for the lake.

Since announcing its decision to retain the name Lake Ontario, MapQuest has seen hundreds of thousands of new downloads. The app’s usage has spiked to approximately 50 times its usual rate, according to the company.

Doug Berger, MapQuest’s general manager, explained the company’s approach in a statement: 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. He added, “Hundreds of thousands of people signaled to us this weekend that we got it right, by downloading our app.”

President Trump’s order to rename Lake Ontario came amid trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada. The two countries imposed 50% tariffs on certain imports after failing to reach a trade agreement. Google Maps has updated its maps to reflect the new name for Lake Ontario, now directing searches for “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America.” As of September 1, Apple Maps continued to display “Lake Ontario” as the name for the body of water.

Denver-based MapQuest, launched in 1996, was among the first mapping services. It offered step-by-step navigation instructions, which many users printed out for car trips before the advent of GPS.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)