How long is the Canadian-U.S. border?
Zec Jaro
This trail offers a view of the border area Quebec-Maine which bounds the south of Zec Jaro. Lying about 8891 km, the Canada-U.S. border proves the longest on the planet. The border line is managed by a dedicated team appointed by the two governments to maintain visibility and accessibility are constant. Its layout from the Atlantic ocean to Pacific is marked by a series of numbered terminals entrenched in the soil. These terminals are obvious marks on the line between the two countries. Segment boundary between the province of Quebec and U.S. is 813 km long. The portion defining Zec Jaro south is about 24 km.
Height of Land Portage
According to the Canada/US International Boundary Commission, Ontario's boundary with the United States runs 2700 kilometers on water and only about one kilometer on land. The 80-rod Height of Land Portage is a significant part of the land border; the remainder is along two other portages, Watap Portage () a short distance to its east, and Swamp (or Monument) Portage () to the west in the BWCA and Quetico Provincial Park.
Geography of the United States
The term "United States", when used in the geographical sense,
is the contiguous United States, the state of Alaska, the island state of Hawaii, the five insular territories of Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa, and minor outlying possessions. The United States shares land borders with Canada and Mexico and maritime borders with Russia, Cuba, and the Bahamas in addition to Canada and Mexico. The northern border of the United States with Canada is the world's longest bi-national land border.
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of seven disjointed parts with an original continuous segment from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canada–US border in Port Huron, Michigan, at . The remaining separated parts are variously completed and posted or unposted parts of an extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas. Of this extension—nicknamed the NAFTA Superhighway because it would help trade with Canada and Mexico spurred by the North American Free Trade Agreement—five pieces near Corpus Christi, Houston, northwestern Mississippi, Memphis, and Evansville have been newly built or upgraded and signposted as I-69. A sixth segment of I-69 through Kentucky utilizing that state's existing parkway system and a section of I-24 was established by federal legislation in 2008, but only a portion is signposted. A section of the previously existing Western Kentucky Parkway from Eddyville to Nortonville was approved and signposted in late 2011, with the Pennyrile Parkway between Nortonville and Henderson being signed as I-69 in 2015. This brings the total length to about .
Canusa Street
Local legend claims that a group of rather drunken surveyors, when given the task of determining the United States-Canada border line in the region (nominally at 45.00°N), decided to place the border right through the center of the village along what is now Canusa Street. On the current cadastral graphic matrix however, the border line is drawn along the southern border to the street, suggesting that it is entirely located within Canada.
70-centimeter band
The band's allocation varies regionally. In the United States, Australia and Trinidad and Tobago the band ranges from 420 to 450 MHz with some geographical limitations. In Canada, the band is only 430–450 MHz. In the UK, amateurs are allocated 430–440 MHz. By international treaty between the US and Canada, operation in the portion of the band from 420 to 430 MHz is prohibited north of Line A, which runs just south of the Canada–US border from Washington state to Maine, and east of Line C, which runs from northeast to southeast Alaska.
Vermont
Lake Champlain, the sixth-largest body of fresh water in the United States, separates Vermont from New York in the northwest portion of the state. From north to south, Vermont is long. Its greatest width, from east to west, is at the Canada–U.S. border; the narrowest width is at the Massachusetts line. The width averages . The state's geographic center is approximately three miles (5 km) east of Roxbury, in Washington County. There are fifteen U.S. federal border crossings between Vermont and Canada.
Fort Vancouver
Signed in 1846, the Oregon Treaty set the Canada–United States border at the 49th parallel north, putting Fort Vancouver within American territory. Although the treaty ensured that the HBC could continue to operate and had free access to navigate the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, and the Columbia River, company operations were effectively stifled by the treaty and became unprofitable and were soon closed down.
Laurier-Cascade Border Crossing
The Laurier-Cascade Border Crossing connects the town of Kettle Falls, Washington with Christina Lake, British Columbia on the Canada–US border. This crossing is the point at which the road signed as US Route 395 on the American side and British Columbia Highway 395 on the Canadian side, the Kettle River, the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the runway of the Avey Field State Airport all traverse the Canada–US border.
Oroville-Osoyoos Border Crossing
The Oroville-Osoyoos Border Crossing connects the cities of Oroville, Washington and Osoyoos, British Columbia on the Canada–US border. It can be reached by U.S. Route 97 on the American side and British Columbia Highway 97 on the Canadian side. This crossing was among the first on the border to have border inspection services. Canada first established a Customs office in Osoyoos in 1861. Today it is a busy 24-hour crossing that features a large joint border station that houses both the US and Canada border inspection services.
International Avenue Bridge
Although both facilities began actual operations with the bridge opening on November 16, 2009, the United States Customs facility in Calais was officially opened by Senator Susan Collins on November 23, while the Canada Customs facility in St. Stephen was officially opened by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on January 8, 2010. The new bridge represents the first new Canada–US border crossing between the US and Canada in over 40 years.
Canada–United States border
Rail crossings:There are 39 railroads that cross the US–Canada border. Nine of these are no longer in use. Eleven of them cross the border at bridges or tunnels. Only four international rail lines currently carry passengers between the US and Canada.
0 Avenue
0 Avenue is a road in British Columbia straddling the Canada–United States border, stretching from Surrey to Abbotsford. The road runs parallel for many miles and is very close to the physical border between Canada and the United States.
Canadian canoe routes
The Canada–United States border meets Lake Superior near Grand Portage, Minnesota. From here to Lake of the Woods the voyageurs' route went northwest across the 9 mile (14 km) long Grand Portage to avoid the falls and canyon of the Pigeon River, thence along the present international border west up the long Pigeon River and Arrow River to South Lake, and then across the Height of Land Portage to North Lake whose waters drain into Hudson Bay. From North Lake the route goes through Gunflint Lake, thence down the Pine and Granite Rivers to Saganaga lake and through a chain of lakes, including Knife and Basswood Lakes, to Lac La Croix, where the route from Fort William comes in. It continues down the Loon River to Lake Namakan and north over either of two portages to Rainy Lake (a depot was established here to shorten the voyage of the Athabasca brigade) and down the Rainy River to Lake of the Woods west-northwest of Grand Portage. Leaving the US border, northwest down the Winnipeg River with 26 portages to Lake Winnipeg, a poor lake for small craft. This area was opened up by La Vérendrye in 1731-1737. Following the current downstream leads to the Nelson River and Hudson Bay, which is not very useful. (The Nelson River is difficult and the parallel Hayes River was preferred. The Hayes route became more important after 1821 when much trade shifted from Montreal to York Factory)
U.S. Route 89
U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for 848 miles (1,365 kilometers) from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern section runs for 404 miles (650 kilometers) from the northern entrance of Yellowstone National Park in Montana, ending at the Canada–US border. Unnumbered roads through Yellowstone connect the two sections. Before 1992, U.S. Highway 89 was a Canada to Mexico, border-to-border, highway that ended at Nogales, Arizona, on its southern end.
CanAm Highway
The CanAm Highway follows US 85 from El Paso, Texas, for to the border between the United States and Canada. It continues north on SK 35 to Weyburn, Saskatchewan, where it switches to SK 39. Then it runs north to Corinne where it continues on SK 6 until Melfort. There it changes highways again, this time to follow SK 3. That carries the CanAm Highway to Prince Albert where it continues on SK 2. The northern end is at La Ronge. The portion of the highway within Canada is ; the total length is .
Canada–United States border
Along the 49th parallel, the border vista is theoretically straight but in practice follows the 19th-century surveyed border markers and varies by several hundred feet in spots.
Canada
Canada and the United States share the world's longest undefended border, co-operate on military campaigns and exercises, and are each other's largest trading partner. Canada nevertheless has an independent foreign policy, most notably maintaining full relations with Cuba, and declining to officially participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Canada also maintains historic ties to the United Kingdom and France and to other former British and French colonies through Canada's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and the Francophonie. Canada is noted for having a positive relationship with the Netherlands, owing, in part, to its contribution to the Dutch liberation during World War II.
Strait of Juan de Fuca
This strait remains the subject of a maritime boundary dispute between Canada and the United States. The dispute is only over the seaward boundary extending west from the mouth of the strait. The maritime boundary within the strait is not in dispute. Both governments have proposed a boundary based on the principle of equidistance, but with different basepoint selections, resulting in small differences in the line. Resolution of the issue should be simple, but has been hindered because it might influence maritime boundary issues between Canada and the United States. In addition, the government of British Columbia has rejected both equidistant proposals, instead arguing that the Juan de Fuca submarine canyon is the appropriate "geomorphic and physiogeographic boundary". The proposed equidistant boundary currently marks the northern boundary of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. British Columbia's position is based on the principle of natural prolongation which developed in international law. It poses a dilemma for the federal government of Canada. If Canada holds that the principle of natural prolongation applies to the Juan de Fuca Canyon on its Pacific Ocean coast, the assertion could undermine Canada's argument in the "Gulf of Maine" boundary dispute. In this Atlantic Ocean context, Canada favours an outcome based on the principle of equidistance.
North America
The Pan-American Highway route in the Americas is the portion of a network of roads nearly in length which travels through the mainland nations. No definitive length of the Pan-American Highway exists because the US and Canadian governments have never officially defined any specific routes as being part of the Pan-American Highway, and Mexico officially has many branches connecting to the US border. However, the total length of the portion from Mexico to the northern extremity of the highway is roughly .
Canada–United States border
Currently there are 119 legal land border crossings between the US and Canada. A complete list of crossings can be found here. Of them, two are one-way crossings:
Geography of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan's southern border with the United States sits approximately on the 49th parallel, as agreed in the Treaty of 1818—though minor measurement errors during the 1870s International Boundary Survey result in some variance between the actual Canada–United States border and the 49th parallel. This boundary was not formally established until the 1867 survey. This border extends across southern Saskatchewan.
Canusa Street
Canusa Street or, in French, rue Canusa is the only part of the Canada–United States border that runs down the middle of a street. The street separates Beebe Plain, Vermont from the Beebe Plain area of Stanstead, Quebec and is a part of Quebec Route 247.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge
The easternmost physical manifestation of the Canada–United States border, which the bridge spans, is a plaque in its middle. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Canada Border Services Agency stations are located at each end of the bridge, forming the Lubec-Campobello Border Crossing.
Lewiston–Queenston Bridge
The crossing is the fourth-busiest on the Canada–United States border, with delays of up to two hours. It is on the most direct route between the US Interstate system with Toronto and Detroit. Canada replaced its border inspection facilities in 2011. The United States continues to use its original 1962 border inspection facilities; however it has announced plans to spend $50 Million to upgrade them. Both facilities are open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. All commercial vehicles crossing between the US and Canada in the Niagara Falls area must use this crossing.
Canada–United States border
Since the beginning of January 2017 and up until the end of March 2018, the RCMP have intercepted 25,645 people crossing the border into Canada illegally. Public Safety Canada estimates another 2,500 came across in April 2018 for a total of just over 28,000.
British Columbia
British Columbia is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and the American state of Alaska, to the north by Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories, to the east by the province of Alberta, and to the south by the American states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The southern border of British Columbia was established by the 1846 Oregon Treaty, although its history is tied with lands as far south as California. British Columbia's land area is . British Columbia's rugged coastline stretches for more than , and includes deep, mountainous fjords and about 6,000 islands, most of which are uninhabited. It is the only province in Canada that borders the Pacific Ocean.
Beebe Plain, Vermont
The international border runs up the middle of Canusa Street (Quebec Route 247). Local legend claims that a group of rather drunken surveyors, when given the task of determining the United States-Canada border line in the region (nominally at 45.00°N), decided to place the border right through the center of the village along what is now Canusa Street.
Canada–United States border
The actual number of U.S. and Canadian border security personnel is classified; there are in excess of 17,000 United States Border Patrol personnel on the Mexico–U.S. border alone.
International Peace Garden Border Crossing
The crossing is connected by U.S. Route 281 on the American side and Manitoba Highway 10 on the Canadian side. The US calls its border station Dunseith and Canada calls its border station Boissevain. The entrance/exit to the Peace Garden is directly on the border. This allows visitors from either country to enter the park via US 281 or MB 10 without passing through customs, and they may move throughout the park (crossing the border at will) without restriction. However, the customs stations for Canada and the U.S. are located on the road just north and south (respectively) of the access drives for the garden, requiring all visitors – including those returning to the country from which they arrived – to go through the immigration procedures of their destination country upon leaving the garden.
Easton - River de Chute Border Crossing
The Easton - River de Chute Border Crossing connects the towns of Easton, Maine and Wicklow, New Brunswick on the Canada–US border. Historically, two roads entered Easton from Canada, but in the late 1950s, the Canada closed its Beaconsfield crossing on Nicholson Road, so the US government moved its border station from its original location near the intersection of Ladner and Curtis Roads. After the move, the US Customs Service operated out of at least three different mobile trailers until 2012, when it finally constructed a permanent border inspection station.
Thousand Islands Border Crossing
The Thousand Islands Border Crossing connects the towns of Alexandria Bay, New York and Ivy Lea, Ontario on the Canada–US border. The crossing is via the international span of the Thousand Islands Bridge. The Thousand Islands bridge, which was completed in 1938, is actually a system of three bridges and the island roadways connecting them. The international span, which crosses a small rift between Wellesley Island in the US and Hill Island in Canada, is only in length. A second, parallel span was built in 1959 to accommodate congestion at the ports of entry. The US and Canada border stations are located at the opposite ends of this span.
Continental Divide of the Americas
The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) follows the Divide through the U.S. from the Mexico–US border to the Canada–US border. The trail itself is a corridor of pathways - i.e. dedicated footpaths or back roads, either on or near the Continental Divide. A less-developed Canadian extension called the Great Divide Trail continues through five national parks and six provincial parks, ending at Kakwa Lake in east-central British Columbia.
Detroit–Windsor Tunnel
The Detroit–Windsor Tunnel crosses the Canada–United States border; an International Boundary Commission plaque marking the boundary in the tunnel is between flags of the two countries. The tunnel is the second busiest crossing between the United States and Canada after the nearby Ambassador Bridge. A 2004 Border Transportation Partnership study showed that 150,000 jobs in the region and $13 billion (U.S.) in annual production depend on the Windsor-Detroit international border crossing. Between 2001 and 2005, profits from the tunnel peaked, with the cities receiving over $6 million annually. A steep decline in traffic eliminated profits from the tunnel from 2008 until 2012, with a modest recovery in the years since.
Borders of Canada
The latter begins at the terminus of international waters in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Vancouver Island and northwest of the Olympic Peninsula. It follows the Strait of Juan de Fuca eastward and then turns northeastward to enter Haro Strait. The border follows this strait in a northerly direction and turns sharply in an easterly direction through Boundary Pass, separating the Canadian Gulf Islands from the American San Juan Islands. Upon reaching the Strait of Georgia, the border turns due north and then to a northwesterly direction, bisecting this strait until the 49th parallel north. At this parallel, the border makes a sharp turn to a due eastbound direction, and follows the parallel across the Tsawwassen Peninsula, separating Point Roberts, Washington from Delta, British Columbia, and continues into Alberta. This border, going from west to east, is shared with the U.S. states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana.
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
On 14 October 2013, an MQ-9 began patrolling the Manitoba portion of the U.S.-Canada border. The UAV is based at Grand Forks Air Force Base and will watch the -long border. The drone will not carry weapons and needs permission to enter Canadian airspace. U.S. authorities fear that drug smugglers, migrants, and terrorists may exploit the long border. The use of the unmanned surveillance aircraft is an enhancement of the partnership between U.S. and Canadian agencies.
Canada–United States border
An 1844 boundary dispute during U.S. President James K. Polk's administration led to a call for the northern boundary of the U.S. west of the Rockies to be latitude 54° 40' north (related to the southern boundary of Russia's Alaska Territory), but the United Kingdom wanted a border that followed the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. The dispute was resolved in the Oregon Treaty of 1846, which established the 49th parallel as the boundary through the Rockies.
Environmental issues along the Mexico–United States border
The Mexico–United States border consist of a continental boundary of 1,954 mi. This border region is composed of diverse terrains in which various species, peoples, and indigenous tribes have made their homes. Through the decades, both countries have attributed to the increase in population growth, manufacturing corporations, and fragmentation of land due to border policy changes which contribute to environmental disparities between these neighboring borders.
Saint Francis River (Canada–United States)
The St. Francis River (French: "Rivière Saint-François") is a river roughly long, which forms part of the Canada–United States border. The river rises () in a lake of the same name located east of the Rivière du Loup in Quebec. The portion that forms the boundary starts at the bottom of Lake Pohenegamook at the very northernmost point of New England between Estcourt Station, Maine, and Estcourt, Quebec. The river along the international boundary flows south and then south-east through two deep, narrow lakes to its mouth on the Saint John River at St. Francis, Maine/Saint-François-de-Madawaska, New Brunswick.
Sault Sainte Marie Border Crossing
Both the US and Canada border stations are open 24 hours per day. The US replaced its border station in 2011. Canada completed its new $51 million border station in 2017.
Borders of Canada
The border begins at the southern tip of Beau Lake at 47°18′N, 69°03′W and proceeds to the Saint John River. The border then proceeds through the Saint John River until 47°04′N, 67°47′W, where it splits from the river and heads southward. Then, at 45°56′N, 67°47′W heads into the Chiputneticook Lakes, which subsequently lead it to the St. Croix River. The border then proceeds through the St. Croix River to Passamaquoddy Bay, which in turn leads it past Grand Manan Island into the middle of the Bay of Fundy, where it turns in a southerly direction and then terminates upon reaching international waters. This border is shared entirely with the U.S. state of Maine.
Mexico–United States border
The Mexico–United States border () is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traverses a variety of terrains, ranging from urban areas to deserts. The Mexico–US border is the most frequently crossed border in the world, with approximately 350 million documented crossings annually.
Canada–United States border
That parallel had been established in the 1760s as the boundary between the provinces of Quebec and New York (including what later became the state of Vermont). It was surveyed and marked by John Collins and Thomas Valentine from 1771 to 1773.
Rainy Lake
Rainy Lake spans the Canada–United States border. The laws of Canada and the Province of Ontario apply to the portions of the lake on the Canadian side of the border; the laws of the US and the State of Minnesota apply to those portions on the US side of the border. The relevant law enforcement agencies of each country are responsible for the portions of the lake within their borders. The Canadian and US Coast Guards maintain navigational aids on their respective sides of the border. Boaters and fishermen must be aware of the requirements imposed by relevant jurisdictions while traveling or fishing on Rainy Lake (see "External links").
Alburg Springs-Clarenceville Border Crossing
The Alburg Springs-Clarenceville Border Crossing connects the villages of Clarenceville, Quebec and Alburgh, Vermont on the Canada–United States border. The border crossing is open daily between 8:00 AM and midnight. Canada built a new border inspection station in 2005, while the US continues to use its Depression-era border station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Saskatchewan Highway 6
Highway 6 is a paved undivided major provincial highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Montana Highway 16 at the Canada–US border near the Canada customs port of Regway to Highway 55 near Choiceland. Highway 6 is about long. The CanAm Highway comprises Saskatchewan Highways from south to north: SK 35, Sk 39, Sk 6, Sk 3, as well as Sk 2. of Saskatchewan Highway 6 contribute to the CanAm Highway between Corinne and Melfort.
British Columbia Highway 97
Highway 97 is the longest continuously numbered route in the Canadian province of British Columbia (and the longest provincial highway in any province), running from the Canada–United States border near Osoyoos in the south to the British Columbia/Yukon boundary in the north at Watson Lake, Yukon. The route takes its number from U.S. Route 97, with which it connects at the international border. The highway was initially designated '97' in 1953.
Canada
Canada's population density, at , is among the lowest in the world. Canada spans latitudinally from the 83rd parallel north to the 41st parallel north, and approximately 95% of the population is found south of the 55th parallel north. About four-fifths of the population lives within of the contiguous United States border. The most densely populated part of the country, accounting for nearly 50 percent, is the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor in Southern Quebec and Southern Ontario along the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River. An additional 30 percent live along the British Columbia Lower Mainland, and the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor in Alberta.
Pan-American Highway
The Alaska Highway through Alaska, Yukon and British Columbia is commonly considered a de facto northerly extension of the Pan-American Highway, as well as the Dalton Highway in Alaska. In Canada, no particular road has been officially designated as the Pan-American Highway. The National Highway System, which includes but is not limited to the Trans-Canada Highway, is the country's only official interprovincial highway system. However, there are several Canadian routes that are a natural extension of several key American highways that reach the Canada–US border. British Columbia Highway 97 and Highway 2 to Alberta both pick up where the southern end of the Alaska highway leaves off. Highway 97 becomes U.S. Route 97 at the Canada–US border. British Columbia Highway 99 provides an alternate route from Highway 97 just north of Cache Creek that runs through Whistler and Vancouver before ending at the Canada–US border at the north end of Interstate 5 in Washington State, the beginning of the official Pan-American route south of British Columbia. Meanwhile, Alberta Highway 2 runs south and east to Alberta Highway 3 leading into Lethbridge, then south on Alberta Highway 4 to the Canada–US border where it becomes Interstate 15 in Montana, the first official stretch of the Pan-American Highway south of the Alberta route.
Canada–United States border
The International Boundary is commonly referred to as the world's "longest undefended border", but this is true only in the military sense, as civilian law enforcement is present. It is illegal to cross the border outside border controls. Everyone crossing the border must be checked. The relatively low level of security measures stands in contrast to that of the United States – Mexico border (one-third as long as the Canada–U.S. border), which is actively patrolled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to prevent illegal migration and drug trafficking.
Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .
Overton Corners–Lacolle 221 Border Crossing
The Overton Corners–Lacolle 221 Border Crossing connects the towns of Lacolle, Quebec to Champlain, New York on the Canada–United States border. This crossing is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Because the village of Lacolle, Quebec has two border crossings, this one is called 221 to indicate it is the crossing on Quebec Route 221. The other crossing is the Rouses Point - Lacolle 223 Border Crossing immediately to the east. Conversely, the US Border station is sometimes called 276 because it is located on New York State Route 276.
Turner–Climax Border Crossing
The Turner-Climax Border Crossing connects the towns of Turner, Montana and Climax, Saskatchewan on the Canada–US border. This facility is one of only six joint US-Canada border stations where U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) share a single facility. The rationale for making this facility a joint border station was primarily for officer safety, since the border stations on both sides of the border were often staffed by only one officer at a time.
Canada–United States border
Cornwall, Ontario, experiences ongoing smuggling —mostly of tobacco and firearms from the United States —because of its location. The neighboring Mohawk territory of Akwesasne straddles the Ontario–Quebec–New York borders, and its First Nations sovereignty prevents Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Canadian Coast Guard, United States Border Patrol, United States Coast Guard, and New York State Police from exercising jurisdiction over exchanges taking place within the territory.
U.S. Route 5 in Vermont
U.S. Route 5 (US 5) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from New Haven, Connecticut to the Canada–United States border at Derby Line, Vermont. In Vermont, the road runs south–north from the Massachusetts state line near Guilford to the international border. The that lie in Vermont are maintained by the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) and run largely parallel to Interstate 91. US 5 also follows the path of the Connecticut River from the Massachusetts border to St. Johnsbury, where the river turns northeast while US 5 continues north. The highway serves the major towns of Brattleboro, Hartford, and St. Johnsbury, along with the city of Newport near the Canadian border.
Maine State Route 6
State Route 6 (SR 6) is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, running from west to east across the state. Its western terminus is at the Canada–United States border near Sandy Bay (a terminus it shares with U.S. Route 201), where it connects to Quebec Route 173. Its eastern terminus is at the Canada-US border in Vanceboro, where it connects to New Brunswick Route 4. SR 6 is the only highway in Maine to terminate at the Canadian border at both ends. With a length of , it is the third-longest state highway in Maine. Much of SR 6 runs through isolated parts of the state.
Canaan–Hereford Road Border Crossing
The Canada–United States border between Vermont and Quebec is essentially a straight east-west line. This border crossing is located west of Leach Creek, a tributary of the Connecticut River and northwest of the village center of Canaan. The Canadian village of Hereford, a small cluster of buildings, is set just north of the border, while the area immediately south of the border is rural.
Canadian Border Peak
Canadian Border Peak, , originally known simply as Border Peak, is a mountain at the head of Slesse Creek in the Cascade Mountains of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. As its name suggests, it is near the Canada–US border and is connected via a high ridge or col to American Border Peak, which is slightly higher at . The two together are known as the Border Peaks or American-Canadian Border Peaks and are most easily visible within nearby settled parts of Canada from the northern part of Sumas Prairie and the western part of Chilliwack Prairie in the area of Greendale, which is just east of the boundary between the cities of Chilliwack and Abbotsford.
Canada–United States border
In 1903 a joint United Kingdom–Canada–U.S. tribunal established the boundary of southeast Alaska.
Saskatchewan Highway 35
The southern portion of SK Hwy 35 from the Canada–United States border to Weyburn forms the initial segment of the CanAm Highway. The terrain is mixed prairie featuring rolling moraines and valleys. North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA super corridors are a concept of huge transportation corridors connecting Mexico, United States, and Canada. The CanAm highway was a concept begun in the 1920s. This area has been subject to criticism as the entry way to Canada of this route. "The CanAm matters so little to Saskatchewan highway planners that they've turned the most southern part of it within the province -- the Highway 35 link from Weyburn to the little U.S. border crossing at Oungre -- to gravel. SK Hwy 35 achieved a dishonourable mention in the Canadian contest entitled 'Highways from Hell'. "Brenda Bakken Lackey called Highway 35 an “embarrassment’’ and a hazard for truckers’ business since it was turned into a gravel roadway last year[2004]. 'When it rains, there is mud and when it is dry, there is flying dust and gravel,' she said. 'Truckers from my constituency tell me that the U.S. Customs officials say they are not going to put up with the mud that is coming across on the trucks. There is also concerns about grain seeds and weeds coming across in the mud on truck tires.'...Highway Minister Maynard Sonntag said. 'Highway No. 6 has a much higher traffic count, many more trucks in and out from the States than Highway No. 35 would have.’' " "The projects on Highways 39 and 6 will help to improve traffic flow through these Canada/U.S. ports. 'Highways 6 and 39 are very important to Saskatchewan – serving as tourism links and major north-south trade corridors to the U.S.,' Sonntag said. "Highway 35 from Wadena South is always an adventure. I have found my driving skills have improved immensely especially when it comes to emergency braking and swerving to avoid the many areas of broken pavement. This past spring the Dept. of Highways could have saved thousands in signage costs if they only had put up warning signs where the road was smooth and unbroken." The regional parks in this area are Nickle Lake, Mainprize, and Oungre Memorial as well as the Rafferty Reservoir.
List of land borders with dates of establishment
"Canada–United States
Jamieson Line Border Crossing
Jamieson Line is a closed border crossing connecting Athelstan, Quebec to Burke, New York on the Canada–US border. Canada closed its port of entry on April 1, 2011, and tore down its border inspection station in 2012. The US Customs and Border Protection closed its port of entry on August 21, 2014.
Armstrong–Jackman Border Crossing
The Armstrong–Jackman Border Crossing is a border crossing on the Canada–United States border, located southeast of Saint-Théophile, Quebec and northwest of Jackman, Maine. The border crossing is the northern terminus of U.S. Route 201, which also has the road name Old Canada Road north of Jackman, and the southern terminus of Quebec Route 173, also known as Route-du-Président-Kennedy - the existing Quebec Autoroute 73 already heads in the direction of this US/Canadian border crossing, as the closest Canadian freeway of any kind in the area.
Former colonies and territories in Canada
Although Canada and the United States share the longest non-militarized border between two countries, there is a long history of disputes about the border's demarcation.
Canada–United States border
The part of the 45th parallel that separates Quebec from the U.S. states of Vermont and New York had first been surveyed from 1771 to 1773 after it had been declared the boundary between New York (including what later became Vermont) and Quebec, and it was surveyed again after the War of 1812. The U.S. federal government began to construct fortifications just south of the border at Rouses Point, New York, on Lake Champlain. After a significant portion of the construction was completed, measurements revealed that at that point, the actual 45th parallel was three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) south of the surveyed line; the fort, which became known as "Fort Blunder", was in Canada. This created a dilemma for the United States that was not resolved until a provision of the treaty left the border on the meandering line as surveyed. The border along the Boundary Waters in present-day Ontario and Minnesota between Lake Superior and the Northwest Angle was also redefined.
U.S. Route 62
U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexico-US border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canada–US border. It is the only east-west United States Numbered Highway that connects Mexico and Canada.
Borders of Canada
The border begins at the Beaufort Sea at 69°39′N, 141°00′W and proceeds southwards along the 141st meridian west. At 60°18′N, the border proceeds away from the 141st meridian west in a southeastwardly direction and follows the St. Elias Mountains. South of the 60th parallel north, the border continues into British Columbia. The entire Canada–U.S. border in Yukon is shared with the U.S. state of Alaska.
Vanceboro - St. Croix Border Crossing
The Vanceboro - St. Croix Border Crossing connects the towns of Vanceboro, Maine and Saint Croix, New Brunswick on the Canada–United States border. The Canadian government has at times called this crossing McAdam, named for the larger municipality east of St. Croix. In the early 1900s, this crossing was located at the adjacent lock structure a short distance to the north. At some point in the distant past (at least prior to 1930), a bridge existed to the south of the railroad bridge, extending from Public Crossing Road on the Canadian side. Concrete footings for this bridge remain on the US side at this site.
Demographics of Canada
vast majority of Canadians are positioned in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km of the southern border with the United States; the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia
Whitlash-Aden Border Crossing
The Whitlash-Aden Border Crossing connects the town of Whitlash, Montana with Aden, Alberta on the Canada–United States border. It is reached by Montana Secondary Highway 409 on the American side and Alberta Highway 880 on the Canadian side. The Whitlash Port of Entry is the least trafficked of all the land border crossings entering the United States, averaging just 2 vehicles per day. In spite of this fact, both the US and Canada spent considerable funds replacing their border inspection facilities in 2012.
Canada
Canada is home to the world's northernmost settlement, Canadian Forces Station Alert, on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island – latitude 82.5°N – which lies from the North Pole. Much of the Canadian Arctic is covered by ice and permafrost. Canada has the longest coastline in the world, with a total length of ; additionally, its border with the United States is the world's longest land border, stretching . Three of Canada's arctic islands, Baffin Island, Victoria Island and Ellesmere Island, are among the ten largest in the world.
Beaufort Sea
Canada's position has its roots in the Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1825) between the United Kingdom and the Russian Empire that set the boundary between the two. Canada is the successor state to Great Britain in relation to this treaty, which stipulates:
Canada maintains that this treaty is extensible from the land into the Beaufort Sea along the meridian. The United States rejects this extension and instead asserts a boundary line based upon equidistance, although its position is somewhat undermined by its acceptance in 1867 of similar treaty wording and a similar interpretation under the treaty whereby it acquired Alaska. Both the U.S. and Canada agree that they are bound by the 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf; and they both agree that the boundary should be "equitable", as determined by the International Court of Justice. They differ on what should be deemed "equitable". The U.S. contends that "equidistance is an appropriate principle for determining a maritime boundary where there are no special circumstances in the area and when equidistance results in a boundary in accordance with equitable principles". Canada contends that an equidistance principle does not result in an equitable boundary, because distortion would occur. The coast of Yukon is concave, whereas the coast of Alaska is convex; and thus an equidistance principle would result in a significant extension of the U.S. possession. This dispute has taken on increased significance due to the possible presence of natural reserves within the wedge, which according to Canada's National Energy Board may contain of gas, which would cover the national consumption for 20 years, and more than of oil. Because of this, Canada argues that "special circumstances" apply to this border, a position that the U.S. rejects. This dispute is in this respect a mirror image of the dispute between the U.S. and Canada over the Gulf of Maine, where the U.S. argued for "special circumstances" and Canada argued for the equidistance principle. (It is to be noted that in that latter dispute, both of those arguments were rejected, and the border was drawn based upon geometric principles taking into account geographic factors.) Neither the U.S. nor Canada has pressed for a swift resolution for the matter, or arbitration at the International Court of Justice, however; and the two have in the meantime cooperated in several measures aimed at preserving the maritime environment.
Chateaugay–Herdman Border Crossing
The Chateaugay–Herdman Border Crossing connects the towns of Hinchinbrooke, Quebec to Chateaugay, New York on the Canada–US border. The crossing can be reached by New York State Route 374 on the American side, while Chemin Herdman connects it to Quebec Route 202 on the Canadian side. This crossing is open 24 Hours per day, 365 days per year. Border inspections at the crossing were established in 1933 in response to a surge in alcohol smuggling from Canada into the United States. The U.S. border station and inspector's residence built at that time are still in use, and were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
1.25-meter band
Until January 2006, Canadian amateur radio operators were allowed operate within the entire 220–225 MHz band. Canadian operations within 120 km of the United States border were required to observe a number of restrictions on antenna height and power levels to coordinate use with non-amateur services in the United States.
U.S. Route 99
U.S. Route 99 (US 99) was a main north–south United States Numbered Highway on the West Coast of the United States until 1964, running from Calexico, California, on the US–Mexico border to Blaine, Washington, on the U.S.-Canada border. It was assigned in 1926 and existed until it was replaced for the most part by Interstate 5. Known also as the "Golden State Highway" and "The Main Street of California", US 99 was important throughout much of the 1930s as a route for Dust Bowl immigrant farm workers to traverse the state. Large portions are now California's State Route 99 (SR 99), Oregon Route 99, 99W, 99E and Washington's SR 99. The highway connected to British Columbia Highway 99 at the Canada–US border.
Canadian River
In 1818, the Quapaw tribe ceded all its land north of the Canadian to the United States, thus making this river the effective southern boundary of the new nation. In 1825, the Osage ceded their claims to land along the river. The Canadian was designated as the boundary between the Creek-Seminole lands on the north side and the Choctaw (and later the Chickasaw) on the south side. Major Stephen H. Long led an expedition up the Canadian River in 1821. He proclaimed the land along the river as the "Great American Desert." Despite this assessment, trading posts were established along the river, starting with Edwards' Post at the mouth of Little River. Camp Holmes was established by Colonel Henry Dodge's Dragoons in 1834. Captain Nathan Boone led a dragoon troop up the river to the 100th Meridian, which was then the western border of the United States.
Trans-Canada Highway
Following the designation of Route 2, from Edmundston, the highway (again signed exclusively with the TCH shield) follows the Saint John River Valley, running south for to Woodstock (paralleling the Canada–US border) and then east for another to pass through Fredericton. east of Fredericton, the Saint John River turns south whereby the highway crosses the river at Jemseg and continues heading east to Moncton another later. On November 1, 2007, New Brunswick completed a 20-year effort to convert its section of the Trans-Canada Highway into a four-lane freeway. The highway has a speed limit of 110 km/h.
Whitlash-Aden Border Crossing
The crossing was established in 1929, when Canada decided to close its facility at nearby Pinhorn, Alberta. Prior to the 2012 reconstruction of the US and Canada border stations, the US operated out of a red wooden structure built in 1974, and Canada had a white steel building constructed in 1973 that lacked an inspection canopy. This is one of the few crossings on the Canada–United States border that is located on an unpaved road, although about 100 yards of road surface directly in front of the new US border station was paved in 2012.
Cannon Corners-Covey Hill Border Crossing
The Cannon Corners-Covey Hill Border Crossing connects the towns of Havelock, Quebec to Mooers Forks, New York on the Canada–US border. It can be reached by Quebec Route 203 on the Canadian side and by Cannon Corners Road on the American side. The United States completed work on a new border station in 2012.
Borders of Canada
The entire Canada–U.S. border in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan lies on the 49th parallel north. This border, going from west to east, is shared with the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota.
Canada–United States border
Piney Pinecreek Border Airport is located in Manitoba and Minnesota. The northwest/southeast-oriented runway straddles the border, and there are two ramps; one in the U.S. and one in Canada. The airport is jointly owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the local government of Piney, Manitoba. It is assigned U.S. identifier 48Y and Canadian identifier JX2.
Bridgewater - Centreville Border Crossing
The Bridgewater - Centreville Border Crossing connects the towns of Bridgewater, Maine and Centreville, New Brunswick on the Canada–US border. The crossing is reached by Boundary Line Road on the American side and by New Brunswick Route 110 on the Canadian side. The US and Canadian governments both built new border stations at this crossing in 1976. In 2012, the US replaced its border station once again. It is open from 6am to 10pm.
Geography of Canada
Canada covers and a panoply of various geoclimatic regions. There are 8 main regions. Canada also encompasses vast maritime terrain, with the world's longest coastline of . The physical geography of Canada is widely varied. Boreal forests prevail throughout the country, ice is prominent in northerly Arctic regions and through the Rocky Mountains, and the relatively flat Canadian Prairies in the southwest facilitate productive agriculture. The Great Lakes feed the St. Lawrence River (in the southeast) where lowlands host much of Canada's population.
Point Roberts - Boundary Bay Border Crossing
The crossing is the westernmost on the border in the contiguous United States. For many years, a second border crossing also connected these communities at Meadow Lane and 67th Street, about a mile to the east. That crossing was closed by both the US and Canada in 1975, but the historic Canada border station still stands. Crossing the border at the Meadow Lane location is now prohibited.
Canada–United States border
The International Boundary Survey, called the Northern Boundary Survey in the United States, began in 1872. Its mandate was to establish the border as agreed to in the Treaty of 1818. Archibald Campbell led the way for the United States. Donald Cameron headed the British team. This survey focused on the border from the Lake of the Woods to the summit of the Rocky Mountains.
Rush–Bagot Treaty
There are still military facilities near or next to the Great Lakes:
The Canada–United States border was demilitarized, including the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. The U.S. and the British agreed to joint control over the Oregon Territory. The Rush–Bagot Agreement laid the foundation for the world's longest east–west boundary—8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), and the longest demilitarized border in the world.
Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge
The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge is the tenth-busiest passenger crossing on the Canada–United States border, and the only land crossing for almost 700 miles (1125 km). It serves as the northern terminus of Interstate 75 (I-75). The bridge began construction in 1960 and officially opened to traffic on October 31, 1962. Daily operation is carried on by the International Bridge Administration (IBA) under the supervision of the Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Authority (SSMBA). The SSMBA replaced the previous Joint International Bridge Authority (JIBA) in 2009, which in turn had succeeded the International Bridge Authority (IBA, created in 1935) in 2000.
Border irregularities of the United States
East Richford Slide Road in the US state of Vermont crosses in to the Canadian province of Québec for a distance of approximately 100 meters (300 feet) before returning to the United States.
Canada–United States trade relations
The strength of the Canada–U.S. relationship is demonstrated by impressive bilateral trade of approximately $1.9 billion a day, along the world's longest undefended border. Energy trade is the largest component of this cross-border commerce. Canada has the third-largest oil reserves (after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela), thanks to its oil-sands resources. The United States has historically been Canada's only foreign market for natural gas, oil, and hydropower. In 2010, almost 100% of Canada's exports in these commodity classes were destined for the United States. Canada is the largest foreign supplier of crude oil (25% of oil imports) and natural gas to the United States. In short, this energy relationship has enhanced U.S. energy security and provided Canada with steady demand for its energy exports.
Peace Arch
Peace Arch Park consists of Peace Arch Provincial Park on the Canadian side and Peace Arch State Park on the American side of the border. Within the park is a major border crossing (between Interstate 5 on the U.S. side and British Columbia Highway 99 on the Canadian side). The Peace Arch symbolizes a long history of peace between the two nations. Because of the Peace Arch monument, the border crossing between Surrey and Blaine is popularly known as the "Peace Arch Border Crossing". In Canada, the crossing is officially named Douglas after Sir James Douglas, the first governor of the Colony of British Columbia. It is one of the busiest border crossings between Canada and the United States, and the busiest such crossing west of Detroit.
Zec Jaro
Path of the Canada-US border
45th parallel north
The 45th parallel roughly marks the national border between the United States and Canada between the St. Lawrence and Connecticut rivers (the northern borders of the U.S. states of New York and Vermont with the Canadian province of Quebec), where the parallel is sometimes called the "Canada line". The actual boundary of Vermont lies approximately north of the parallel due to an error in the 1772 survey.
Ambassador Bridge
The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest crossing on the Canada–United States border. The four-lane bridge carries more than 10,000 commercial vehicles on a typical weekday. The Gateway Project, a major redesign of the U.S. plaza completed in July 2009, provides direct access to Interstate 96 (I-96) and I-75 on the American side and Highway 3 on the Canadian side. The Canadian end of the bridge connects to busy city streets in west Windsor, leading to congestion.
List of Canada–United States border crossings
This is a list of border crossings along the International Boundary between Canada and the United States. They are ordered from west to east (crossings with Alaska from north to south). Each port of entry in the table below links to an article about that crossing.
Blaine, Washington
The Interstate 5 freeway extends from the U.S./Mexico border at San Diego, northward to Canada, and terminates in Blaine at the city's northern border. The country's only pedestrian crosswalk to cross an Interstate freeway exists in Peace Arch State Park, the Washington portion of the binational Peace Arch Park. The Canadian side of the park, designated as Peace Arch Provincial Park, is in Douglas, the Canadian port-of-entry and part of the city of Surrey, British Columbia. The Peace Arch monument, located in the Park, symbolizes lasting peace and amity between the U.S. and Canada. One innovative feature that has never been abrogated even during the days since 9/11 is that people entering the Park from either side may have the unique experience of strolling to the opposite park's boundary amid flowers, ponds, and works of art, without having to go through Immigration, thus truly making the Park a place of bi-national mingling. Frequently, wedding ceremonies are performed in the Park.
Canada–United States border
Northwest of Lake Superior, the boundary followed rivers to the Lake of the Woods. From the Lake of the Woods, the boundary was agreed to go straight west until it met the Mississippi River. In fact that line never meets the river since the river's source is further south.
Baudette–Rainy River Border Crossing
Both the US and Canada border stations are open 24 hours per day. The Canada border station at Rainy River was rebuilt in 1991, and features a tall canopy that accommodates larger trucks than those that can fit beneath the bridge structure (14' 8"). The height limitations restrict the size of the trucks than can cross the border at this location. A plan is in place to replace the bridge in 2018, and do away with the overhead support structures.
Mexico–United States border
The Mexico–United States border extends , in addition to the maritime boundaries of in the Pacific Ocean and in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the International Boundary and Water Commission, the continental border follows the middle of the Rio Grande—according to the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo between the two nations, "along the deepest channel" (also known as the thalweg)—from its mouth on the Gulf of Mexico a distance of to a point just upstream of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. It then follows an alignment westward overland and it is marked by monuments for a distance of to the Colorado River, when it reaches its highest elevation at the intersection with the Continental Divide. It then follows the middle of that river toward the north with a distance of , and ultimately follows an alignment overland toward the west and marked by monuments with a distance of to the Pacific Ocean.
Porthill-Rykerts Border Crossing
The Porthill-Rykerts Border Crossing connects the town of Bonners Ferry, Idaho with Creston, British Columbia on the Canada–US border. It can be reached by Idaho State Highway 1 on the American side and British Columbia Highway 21 in the Canadian side. It is open daily from 7:00am to 11:00pm.
This crossing was first established in 1883, when Canada directed John Charles Rykert to establish Customs and Immigration inspection operations at the border, primarily to inspect vessels crossing the border on the adjacent Kootenai River. In 1973, Canada replaced its white wooden border station with the present facility. In 1967, the US replaced its depression-era brick border station with the current wooden structure. A redesign of the road system approaching the border enabled the new facility to be built in a different location, so the old border station remains nearby. In 2014, the old border station was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Roseau–South Junction Border Crossing
The Roseau–South Junction Border Crossing connects the cities of Roseau, Minnesota and South Junction, Manitoba on the Canada–US border. It is connected by Minnesota State Highway 310 on the American side and Manitoba Provincial Road 310 on the Canadian side. The crossing was established in 1948, and Canada is still using the border station it completed in 1953, which is located about a half mile north of the border. The US rebuilt its border station in 2004. The new facility includes an outdoor gun range.
Outline of Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area, and shares land borders with the United States to the south and northwest, and marine borders with France and Greenland on the east and northeast, respectively.