Here's How To Check Canada-US Border Wait Times So You Don't Get Stuck In Line For Hours

Now that the Canada-U.S. border has opened and fully vaccinated Canadians are allowed to cross over, you can check the wait times so you don't get stuck in line for hours on the way there or on the way back.

On November 8, the U.S. started to allow fully vaccinated travellers from Canada to enter by land and air for non-essential reasons and some of the wait times at border crossings were three hours long!

If you want to take a trip from Canada to the U.S. and are planning on driving there, both countries actually have a way that you can check the wait times at the land border.

The Canadian government updates its site about border wait times at least once an hour which shows all ports of entry to the U.S. listed geographically from New Brunswick to B.C., how long delays are and how many lanes are open for both commercial and traveller flow to the U.S.

If you visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection site, you have to choose a lane type (commercial vehicle, passenger vehicle or pedestrian) and choose the border crossing. Then you'll be shown the current wait time, how many lanes are open and a comparison of the current wait time to the average wait time.

Even though non-essential travel is allowed across the border now, the Canada Border Services Agency is reminding Canadian travellers that border measures are still in place, including testing requirements to enter the U.S. and a pre-arrival COVID-19 test when returning to Canada.

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.