Peace Arch Border Crossing

Peace Arch Border Crossing
The Canada Border Inspection Station at the Peace Arch Border Crossing
Location
Country	United States; Canada
Location	US Port: 100 Peace Portal Drive, Blaine WA 98230 Canadian Port: 220 Highway 99, Surrey BC V3S 9N7
Coordinates	49°00′08″N 122°45′24″W / 49.002097°N 122.756563°W
Details
Opened	1891
US Phone	[phone]
Canadian Phone	1-800-461-9999
Hours	Open 24 hours
Website http://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports/blaine

The Peace Arch Border Crossing connects the towns of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia on the Canada–United States border. Border inspection services at this crossing long predated the 1921 construction of the Peace Arch. The Canada border station is known as "Douglas", although it has been known over the years as "White Rock" and "Surrey". The US border station is known as "Blaine - Peace Arch".

Between the two border stations sits the Peace Arch Park, where visitors are free to cross the border within the confines of the park.^[1] Trucks and other commercial vehicles have been prohibited from using this crossing since the 1970s, in an effort to improve the visitation experience of the park. All truck traffic must now use the Pacific Highway Border Crossing.

History

US Immigration Office at Blaine as seen in 1918

Prior to the construction of the Peace Arch, the border region was congested with homes and businesses.^[2]The US and Canada built inspection facilities near the border in the early 1900s. The area between the ports of entry was declared a bi-national park in 1939, and the buildings were demolished. The US built a substantial brick border station in 1936, and replaced it in the early 1980s, and again in 2009. Canada built a large wooden border station in 1929, and replaced it with a concrete border station in 1952. It was expanded and modified substantially over the years until a new border station was built in 2010.

See also

• List of Canada–United States border crossings

References

1. "The History of a Peace Park". Retrieved 2014-12-06.
2. "Custom Entry Ports in Surrey". Retrieved 2014-12-06.