America’s Town You Reach Through Canada (w music)

Did you know there’s a U.S. town you can’t reach without leaving the country first?

Point Roberts, Washington sits south of Canada—but it’s cut off from the rest of the

United States. The reason is a straight line: the 49th parallel, drawn in the 1800s

to simplify the U.S.–Canada border. Surveyors extended that line west without realizing it would

slice through a small peninsula. The result is an American exclave connected to Washington

State only by sea or air. To drive there, residents must cross into Canada,

then cross back into the United States. Even everyday errands like school,

groceries, or emergency services often require crossing an international border twice.