Google Maps Reflects Name Change for Lake Ontario in U.S.
Google Maps now labels Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' for users in United States, reflecting a U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) change following a presidential executive order. Users in Canada will continue to see 'Lake Ontario', while users outside…
Nashville, TN, August 30, 2026 —
Google Maps has updated its labeling for a prominent North American body of water, now displaying it as ‘Lake America’ for users located within the United States. This change aligns with a recent update to the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
The shift in nomenclature follows a presidential executive order that reportedly influenced the GNIS to reclassify the lake. For users accessing Google Maps from Canada, the body of water will continue to be identified as ‘Lake Ontario’. Individuals viewing the map outside of both the United States and Canada will reportedly see both ‘Lake Ontario’ and ‘Lake America’ displayed, indicating the dual naming convention in place.
The U.S. Geographic Names Information System, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, is the official repository of domestic geographic feature names. Changes to this system, particularly those stemming from executive orders, carry significant weight in how geographical locations are officially recognized and represented.
This update means that U.S. users will see the name ‘Lake America’ on Google Maps, a reflection of the GNIS designation. The exact details of the presidential executive order that led to this change and the specific reasoning behind renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America were not elaborated in the provided summary.
Story summarized from the original created by Logan Schiciano, Julia Benbrook, CNN on www.newschannel5.com, see more information here.
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