As a certified Millennial, the word MapQuest certainly brings me back. One of the first navigation-focused websites, MapQuest was a mainstay for those of us just learning to drive in the late 2000s and early 2010s as it allowed us to put in our home address, destination, and then receive on demand printable turn-by-turn directions that we could shakily hold up with one hand on the steering wheel as we tried to navigate our communities.
Of course, MapQuest slowly died with the onset of GPS apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps, but I’ve always had a soft spot for my OG navigational buddy. Previously, I had figured MapQuest had gone the way of AskJeeves and AltaVista: a defunct webapp never to be remembered again. However, not only is MapQuest a modern app, but it has just beaten Google Maps to become the number one navigational app on the App Store. And the reason is not one I expected.
- OS
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ios/Android
- Individual pricing
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Free
- Services
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Turn-by-turn navigation, route planning, lane recommendations, user profiles, favorites, speed monitoring, incident reports.
A modern GPS navigation app with features that include user profiles, turn by turn directions, satellite imagery, local business info, and incident reports.
Lake Ontario still has its original name on MapQuest in the US
Many Google Maps users are unhappy with the Lake America change
On August 27, as part of an ongoing trade war with Canada, President Trump decreed via executive order that Lake Ontario, which sits between Rochester, New York in the US and Toronto in Canada, would be renamed in the US to Lake America. The decision was met with sharp criticism both in the US and in Canada, as the name actually predates the founding of either country and seemed like a nonsensical escalation to an unpopular trade war.
Google Maps updated the lake’s nomenclature immediately in their app (similar to the way they updated the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America immediately after that change was announced). However, MapQuest said that it would not be changing the name of Lake Ontario on its maps to Lake America in any region, which has caused the app’s popularity to soar in the US.
Currently, MapQuest is not only the number one navigation app in the US (beating both Google Maps and Waze) but it has also reached the No. 8 position overall in the U.S. App Store across both apps and games.
Interestingly, as of Monday morning, Apple Maps has yet to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America in the US, and has not issued a statement about its plans.
What makes MapQuest different from Google Maps?
A surprisingly fun aesthetic
Though I haven’t thought about MapQuest in almost two decades, rediscovering the app has been a true joy. Not only does it have a fun 8-bit aesthetic, but it also has easy-to-use navigation features including turn-by-turn directions, route planning, incident alerts, and route optimization. It is also compatible with Apple CarPlay (no Android Auto for now).
MapQuest definitely feels like a modern app now and, no matter what your stance is on the Lake Ontario/Lake America debate, you might want to check out this navigation option again, as it feels a lot less sterile than other navigation apps, and could make your drive feel just a little bit more fun again.
