Point Roberts, WA

Point Roberts is one of the only exclaves in the United States. This means that the entire town is surrounded by ocean on three sides and the Canadian border on the fourth. At no point does a neighboring US city border Point Roberts, which makes for interesting results. The town’s water, electricity, trash service, fire fighters, and most importantly business comes from Canada. Now, as a result of the recent border closure, Point Roberts and its roughly 1300 residents are particularly isolated from the rest of society.

OUR EXPERIENCE

How do you get to Point Roberts, WA?

Getting to Point Roberts is a process. Under normal border conditions, one would simply cross the border from the Northwestern corner of Washington into Canada, drive about 25 miles, then cross the border back into the US via the Point Roberts border. However, because nonessential travel has been restricted during the pandemic, one must either fly a small prop plane or take a boat. We chose the latter on our trip.

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After a long boat ride, we arrived at the Point Roberts Marina, where we were greeted by Tom and Desiree, who picked us up to take us to our cottage where we stayed for a few nights while filming. Tom and Desiree were some of the kindest people we’ve ever met.

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What is Point Roberts like?

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Our first impression upon driving around town to our cottage was consumed by the desolation we felt. Because of the lack of tourism, Point Roberts felt hours away from a city, despite neighboring the suburbs. Not to mention Vancouver, which is a mere 30 minute drive away. The fact is that about 75% of the homes in Point Roberts are owned by Canadians and operate as vacation homes. This means that the city swells from about 1300 to over 6000 during summer months. Without the swell, Point Roberts feels very insular.

Who lives in Point Roberts, WA?

The community in Point Roberts was described to us as a Canadian/American hybrid. The residents sing O Canada then the Star Spangled Banner on July 4th. On top of that, many of the residents are dual citizens, or at least have someone who is dual in their family.

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“John Lesow, is proposing to sell the city of Point Roberts to Canada.”

In fact, the community is so Canadian that a former resident, John Lesow, is proposing to sell the city of Point Roberts to Canada. Admittedly, many of the residents in town are against such a proposal. But John seems determined to move this action forward. In such a scenario, Point Roberts residents would immediately become dual citizens, they would have access to Canadian medical care and benefits, and there would no longer be any border restrictions. The property values in Point Roberts would likely skyrocket, as the suburbs of Vancouver are just across the border on the Canadian side. These high priced residencies would bleed into what is now the United States. As a result, some say property values would rise as much as five to ten times their current value.

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Do you need a passport to go to Point Roberts?

Yes. If you are Canadian, you will need a passport to get into Point Roberts, as it is in the United States. If you are American, you will also need a passport to get into Point Roberts, as the only way to get there via roadway is through Canada. The only reason you wouldn’t need a passport is if you are traveling by plane or boat, as we got there during border closure.

What is it like to live in Point Roberts?

Point Roberts, WA has a rural feel, but it is only a short drive into the urban area of Vancouver. What keeps its small-town feel is the US/Canada border that prevents major development on the US side. There is a post office, several shops, like Auntie Pam’s Country store, a grocery store and several restaurants in town.

Point Roberts is known as the safest place in the world from coronavirus.
After a mapping error when establishing the border between the United States and Canada, Point Roberts became a pene-exclave.
Because of the economic downturn from the coronavirus pandemic, pressure on the town is mounting as a proposal from John Lesow to sell the land to Canada floats in the County Council.