Google Renames Lake Ontario for U.S. Users Following Presidential Directive

Google Maps has updated the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America for users in the United States, following an executive order from President Trump. The company says the change reflects the U.S. Geographic Names Information System, while Canadian users will continue to see the original name. The renaming occurred two days after the order, which allowed up to 30 days for implementation.

The executive order, designated 14172, was issued amid an ongoing trade war over tariffs between the U.S. and Canada. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed a separate order demanding the change take effect immediately, though the presidential directive allowed up to 30 days. Google's statement emphasized that the U.S. Geographic Names Information System formally updated the name, and the company follows official government sources for map labels.

For international users, the lake will appear primarily as Lake Ontario with "Lake America" in parentheses. Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized the move as pointless and predicted the name would not stick, noting the lake has carried its current name for centuries.