How many US states border Canada?

The US and Canada are among the largest countries on the planet: the US holds the fourth position after China on the third, and Canada is on the second after the Russian Federation. So, the land border between the two countries is quite prolonged (5,525 miles).

Canada is bounded by the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, the United States and the Great Lakes and Greenland. So, Canadian provinces and territories share borders with the following 13 states: Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington.

More Info: geography.about.com

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109 Comments

William Laughlin

Did you ever hear of Erie, PA? It's in the Northwest corner of Pennsylvania, on Lake Erie. Lake Erie is split between Canada and the US. The water offshore of Pennsylvania is considered part of the state as are the waters offshore of Canada, part of Canada. Where the two national or state waters meet is the border, hence Pennsylvania borders Canada.

William Laughlin

Territorial waters or a territorial sea as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) from the baseline, usually the mean low-water mark, of a coastal state. The territorial sea is regarded as the sovereign territory of the state, although foreign ships, both military and civilian, are allowed innocent passage through it; this sovereignty also extends to the airspace over and seabed below. Adjustment of these boundaries is called, in international law, maritime delimitation. The term "territorial waters" is also sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the contiguous exclusive economic zone and potentially the continental shelf. The Great Lakes are divided into US and Canadian territories, so yes, they are part of the borders. The US waters do not extend across oceans. We are limited by the number of miles we can claim to be US waters before it becomes International waters. So no, we do not border the likes of Brazil, the UK, Africa, or Japan.

James Armstrong

Where does Pennsylvania border Canada????

Rick Kummer

A tiny piece borders on Lake Erie, hence Canada!

William Laughlin

Dianna Inmon Lake Erie is split between Pennsylvania and Canada. Where the Canadian waters meet Pennsylvania's waters is the border, so yes, Pennsylvania borders Canada. See my explanation above.

Patty K

Ron King, what if you ride a boat across Lake Erie? You just crossed a border from Penn or Ohio into Canada. Sounds like border crossing to me

earlepg

I remembered all 12 if the lower-48 in order. I almost missed Alaska so had to add it for number 13.

tdelisi

Like so many others - I did not count states that did not have an actual land border.

Ron King

While I agree with your definition William, I would say there’s no border crossing from Pa. or Ohio into Canada. That would be my definition of bordering.

DonRt

Barbara Ell, Apparently the part of Lake Superior that belongs to Wisconsin only touches the parts of Superior that belongs to Michigan and Minnesota. IMHO, it's a poorly worded question.

Barbara Ell

If you are including Ohio and Pennsylvania, then Wisconsin should also be included.

Martha Calkins

Peter Bergman, Wisconsin touches only US waters: look at the boundary lines in Lake Superior.

Mark Ann Dubaz

Easy if you look at a map and count them.

Joseph A. Robitaille

A lot of times when I see a question like this ,I forget about Alaska. great question.

Judy Muhlethaler

I missed Alaska and Ohio

Bob Marquardt

Agree. PA and OH border lake. Question needs clarification.

Bob Rodger

no, only 11.

edelbill

Steve McVey, Erie, PA, is on Lake Erie. New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan border the lake on the US side, so each state has a watery border with Canada. Look at a map.