49th Parallel
& the Northwest Angle
After the American War of Independence, the border between the United States and British North America (which became Canada) was established by several treaties over many decades. The border in the eastern part, around Maine, south of Montreal, up the St Lawrence River and through the Great Lakes was established by the Treaty of Paris in 1783. West of there it got messy; for one thing, the Mississippi River didn’t extend as far north as the negotiators thought. The Convention of 1818 clarified the border west of Lake Superior to be via the Pidgeon River and then through a series of small lakes and along small connecting rivers and more lakes. Finally, it went up one more river and entered Lake of the Woods. This area was very remote and certainly had not seen a surveyor. The only map of the time showed Lake of the Woods as roughly a circle. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 had established that the border would extend up to ‘the most Northwest Point’ of this lake. From here the boundary agreed in 1818 would follow the 49th parallel of latitude to the west. But was that point at the north west corner of Lake of the Woods north or south of the 49th Parallel? No one knew for sure. So the Convention agreed that from that point a line would be drawn ‘north or south, as the case may be’ to the 49th Parallel. Of course, the lake turned out to be anything but round and where the north west corner was must have made for interesting negotiation. But critically, the negotiated point turned out to be north of 49th Parallel by about 40 km (25 miles). And so there is a parcel of United States land (about 15 x 20 km in area) that is above the 49th Parallel and is only accessible by land through Canada. It is in Minnesota and is called the Northwest Angle
This gallery is in three parts: (i) The Northwest Angle, (ii) The straight line border between Canada and the United States of America along the 49th parallel of latitude, and
(iii) Point Roberts, located at the western end of the 49th Parallel border, south of Vancouver BC.
Part 1: The Northwest Angle, Minnesota USA
The only way to enter the Northwest Angle by land is through Canada. Here is the location, at the north-south border line. There is no attended border post.
10 km into US territory is Jims Corner, where your entry request has to be entered onto a tablet, inside this kiosk. The airconditioned kiosk is there to protect you from the enormous flying bugs - and bad weather.
The most northerly flag pole in the contiguous 48 states. Looking across to the south west corner of Ontario, Canada. In the foreground is Mike and Ilyne's garden retreat.
Launching a boat at Youngs Bay, to go out onto Lake of the Woods
- the lake that was mentioned in the 1783 border agreement.
Crow Creek, Angle Inlet, Northwest Angle, Minnesota, USA
Part 2: The 49th Parallel (Canada/USA border), east to west
The whole border between the USA and Canada is marked by markers or 'monuments' made of granite, steel or concrete. There are over 5,500 of them. Through forests, the border is marked by a 6 m (20 feet) wide cutline. Along the 49th Parallel, these features form a straight line.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE A GREAT COLLECTION OF IMAGES FROM ALONG THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE CANADA / USA BORDER, (as well as great images on other topics) check out the website of
Andreas Rutkauskas, a Kelowna BC based photographer at:
https://www.andreasrutkauskas.com/borderline
Another excellent site for a photographic record of the whole border, from a USA perspective is the Centre for Land Use Interpretation:
https://clui.org/projects/united-divide
The monument here is in prairie country near Big Beaver, Saskatchewan. This view is from Saskatchewan, looking into Montana.
Let us now start near the east end (just west of the Northwest Angle) and proceed west . . .
At Warroad, with Minnesota on the left and Manitoba on the right. The marker and the notch in the distant trees indicate the line of the 49th Parallel. The bird is in Canada.
Trucks head south on Canadian Route 75, approaching the border at Emerson. Emerson is also where the north-flowing Red River of the North crosses the border.
A closed railroad crossing on the east-west Boundary Avenue (aka Taylor Street), Emerson, Manitoba. The gantry on the right is in Minnesota USA and scans passing trains.
The International Peace Garden, adjacent to Turtle Mountain Provincial Park, Manitoba. This is the only location along the 49th Parallel where there is a divided road with one half in Canada and the other half in the USA. Here is a garden and monument in the median.
Looking west along the 49th Parallel in the International Peace Garden, North Dakota / Manitoba.
International Peace Garden: Looking from North Dakota to the building in Manitoba.
The small fountain is on the border line.
North Portal, Saskatchewan. The road leads into Portal, North Dakota. 400 m east on the Canadian side is the Gateway Cities golf course. At the 9th hole, tee off in Canada and putt on the 9th green in the USA. (Advice thanks from Andreas Rutkauskas)
The closed border crossing on Route 34, south of Big Beaver, Sasketchewan,
looking to Montana.
In Glacier National Park, Montana, approaching the Chief Mountain border crossing into Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta (2007).
Looking east along back fences and the cut line on the 49th Parallel, Henderson Road, near Cultus Lake, British Columbia.
The following images are all along the border between Washington state [WA] in the USA and British Columbia [BC] in Canada
Near the west end of Henderson Road (near Cultus Lake, BC), looking west.
The cut line can be seen on the hill in the background.
Whatcom Road, BC, looking east. The border is along the fence line.
Boundary Road, Huntingdon BC is on the left.
Chatting with a young American farmer across the border.
0 Avenue ('Zero Avenue'), Abbotsford BC, at Townline Road. Looking east.
At Mt Lehman Road, BC. Looking east.
0 Avenue BC on the left, and a bus full of waving, cheering American school kids on East Boundary Road WA on the right.
Near Bradner Road, BC, looking east
B Street in Sumas, BC, looking south
Markworth Road WA, viewed from 0 Avenue (with its double centre line) in BC. The monument is on the left.
Opposite 236 Street, BC is this small lake in the USA. The border runs through the lower left corner of this image.
Smugglers Inn Bed and Breakfast in WA, viewed from 0 Avenue in BC.
"Smugglers Inn MUST Enter From USA Side ONLY"
At Blaine on Route 15/543 (2007). At that time the value of the Canadian Dollar was greater than the US Dollar. Early on a Saturday morning, long lines of shoppers from greater Vancouver were heading to Seattle for bargains.
The Peace Arch, in the median of the route linking
US Interstate 5 and Canadian route 99.
Under the Peace Arch. From either Canada or the United States, people can walk freely around the arch and the adjacent gardens. But best not attempt to walk too close to the border posts 200 m away.
For about 500 m east of the Peace Arch, people can walk freely across the 49th Parallel. This is the only place where this can be done legally and without having to pass through a border post on your return. Here the park is in the USA and the road is in Canada.
Walking across the border from 0 Avenue in Canada
to Peace Arch Historical State Park in the USA.
A car heads south into the USA, beside the Peace Arch. The view is across Boundary Bay to the cliffs on the east coast of Point Roberts.
Part 3: Point Roberts, Washington USA
In a way that is similar to the situation at the Northwest Angle, the only way to enter Point Roberts by land is through Canada. But here there is an attended border post.
An aerial view of Point Roberts from the north. The land in the foreground is in Canada. The straight yellow line indicates the position of the 49th Parallel.
Looking north along the east coast of Point Roberts (2007). The 49th Parallel is indicated by the coastal tower, which also be seen in the next image.
Looking east along Roosevelt Way, Point Roberts, Washington USA to the tower at the eastern shore (2007). The houses are in Canada. The tower is no longer there in Andreas Rutkauskas' 2012 image in this area.
Looking west along Roosevelt Way towards its western end (2007).
Again, the houses are in Canada.
Looking north along Marine Drive where it turns into Roosevelt Way, on the west side of Point Roberts (2007). The distant house is in Canada - and is also seen in the next image.
The western land end of the 49th Parallel, looking west.
The large stone monument is also seen in the next image.
The western-most monument along the 49th Parallel (2007). This is at the west coast of Point Roberts. The monument was erected in 1861. At some time between 2007 and 2012 the steel tower behind it was removed.
As Canadian photographer Andreas Rutkauskus comments, "While this border is often referred to as undefended, it is nonetheless heavily monitored under surveillance technologies."
I am sure that both American and Canadian authorities were keeping an eye on me as I took my images close to the border.
Don't forget to see Andreas' images along the entire Canada/USA border on his website:
https://www.andreasrutkauskas.com/borderline
Also check out
https://clui.org/projects/united-divide