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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Point Roberts
Go for a half-day or one night only: a 5 km² US near-exclave reached by road only through Canada, with gas, beaches and a border monument.
Point Roberts is a US peninsula cut off by the 49th parallel: the only road in and out crosses into Canada at Boundary Bay, so you need a passport and a re-entry plan. It is a small residential community of about 1,300 people with beaches, two marine parks, a golf course and cheap-by-Canadian-standards gas. Most visitors come from Greater Vancouver for a few hours; a full day or one night covers everything.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, grey, many businesses shut)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Casual meal | $12–25 |
| Gas, per US gallon | $4–5 |
| Golf green fee, Bald Eagle Golf Club | about $60 |
| Campsite, Lighthouse Marine Park | $22/night |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- 1RL · Point Roberts Airpark
- Grass runway, private and small scheduled flights only; check current service.
- YVR · Vancouver International
- Main gateway; drive to Tsawwassen then cross at Boundary Bay, roughly 1 h plus border time.
- BLI · Bellingham International
- US side; the drive to Point Roberts goes through Canada, so bring your passport.
Typical fares
- Cab, Point Roberts to Bellingham
- about $100
- TransLink bus, Bridgeport Station to Diefenbaker Park
- regular fare, then a 10-min walk to the border
- San Juan Airlines, Bellingham to Point Roberts
- about $148 one way, Tuesdays
Get around
You need a car: there is no public transit on the Point and the only taxi is Point Roberts Cab Company. Uber runs here only semi-regularly and can cross into Canada or reach Bellingham for about $100. Distances are short — the whole peninsula is about 5 km across — so most trips are a few minutes by car or a longer walk.You need a car: there is no public transit on the Point and the only taxi is Point Roberts Cab Company. Uber runs here only semi-regularly and can cross into Canada or reach Bellingham for about $100. Distances are short — the whole peninsula is about 3.1 mi across — so most trips are a few minutes by car or a longer walk.
See and do
Known for
- US near-exclave reached only via Canada
- Roosevelt Drive border line and obelisks
- Lighthouse Marine Park and Lily Point
- Cheaper US gas for Canadians
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Delta and Tsawwassen, BC | Cross at Boundary Bay on Tyee Drive, then drive north on 56th St | 15–30 min plus border time |
| Vancouver | Drive via Delta and Highway 99, or take the cab service that crosses the border | 1–1.5 h plus border time |
| Bellingham, Washington | Drive through Canada and re-enter the US, or arrange the local cab (about $100) | 1.5–2 h plus two border crossings |
Sleep
- Maple Meadows Inn area (Goodman Rd)
- The main inn on the Point; walking distance to Maple Beach and the eastern shore.
- Lighthouse Marine Park campground
- 30 county campsites with fire pit and picnic table; $22/night for a camper.
- Near Tyee Drive and the border
- Closest to the crossing, the grocer and the post office; best if you are only passing through.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the border crossing? | Where is the border crossing? |
| I am just visiting for the day | I am just visiting for the day |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
| Thank you | Thank you |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- The only road in or out crosses into Canada: bring a valid passport or visa, and check both US and Canadian entry rules before you go.
- If you need a visa for Canada and hold only a single-entry one, you can get stuck on the Point — plan your re-entry before crossing.
- No doctor, dentist or pharmacy on the Point; the clinic has a nurse practitioner only a few days a week.
- Cell coverage is patchy: Verizon is the only US carrier with a local site, and Canadian networks may bill you as roaming.
- Restaurants and shops open reduced or irregular hours; check before relying on a meal here.
Very low crime; the real risks are the border itself, patchy cell coverage and thin services — no pharmacy, no hospital, and limited food hours.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Point Roberts yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- US near-exclave reached only via Canada
- Roosevelt Drive border line and obelisks
- Lighthouse Marine Park and Lily Point
- Cheaper US gas for Canadians
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce: www.pointrobertschamberofcommerce.com/
- Whatcom County — Lighthouse Marine Park: www.whatcomcounty.us/3539/Lighthouse-Marine-Park
- Whatcom County — Lily Point Marine Park: www.whatcomcounty.us/3659/Lily-Point-Marine-Park
- Whatcom County — Monument Park: www.whatcomcounty.us/3661/Monument-Park
- Wikivoyage: Point Roberts, revision 5332562 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5332562
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Point Roberts
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies on the Point; nearest consulates are in Vancouver, BC (check).
English is the only language you need.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/point-roberts). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.