International border states of the United States facts for kids
The international border states are those states in the U.S. that border either the Bahamas, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, or Russia. With a total of eighteen of such states, thirteen lie on the U.S.–Canada border, four on the U.S.–Mexico border, and one consists of a maritime borders with Cuba and The Bahamas.
Border with Canada
Thirteen states lie on the U.S.–Canada border. The U.S. states of Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin do not share a direct geographic border with Canada. They do, however, possess customs facilities due to their place along the Great Lakes, which leads to the Canadian border. (All three states connect Lake Michigan, while Wisconsin also connects to Lake Superior).
| State | Adjacent province or territory |
Length of border | Description (if not land border) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | British Columbia and Yukon | 1,538 mi (2,475 km) | |
| Michigan | Ontario | 721 mi (1,160 km) | Water boundary (land border on Crystal Island) |
| Maine | New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Quebec | 611 mi (983 km) | Water boundary with Nova Scotia |
| Minnesota | Manitoba and Ontario | 547 mi (880 km) | Water boundary with Ontario |
| Montana | Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan | 545 mi (877 km) | |
| New York | Ontario and Quebec | 445 mi (716 km) | Water boundary with Ontario |
| Washington | British Columbia | 427 mi (687 km) | |
| North Dakota | Manitoba and Saskatchewan | 310 mi (499 km) | |
| Ohio | Ontario | 146 mi (235 km) | On Lake Erie |
| Vermont | Quebec | 90 mi (145 km) | |
| New Hampshire | Quebec | 58 mi (93 km) | |
| Idaho | British Columbia | 45 mi (72 km) | |
| Pennsylvania | Ontario | 42 mi (68 km) | On Lake Erie |
Border with Mexico
Four states lie on the U.S.–Mexico border.
| State | Adjacent Mexican state | Length of border | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas | 1,241 mi (1,997 km) | |
| Arizona | Baja California and Sonora | 373 mi (600 km) | |
| New Mexico | Chihuahua and Sonora | 180 mi (290 km) | |
| California | Baja California | 140 mi (225 km) |
Borders with other countries
In addition to the states bordering on Canada and Mexico, the U.S. state of Florida shares a water boundary with Cuba and the Bahamas, and Alaska shares a water boundary with Russia (in addition to its land border with Canada).
| State | Length of border | Bordering country |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 1,538 mi (2,475 km) | Russia (water boundary) (Canada to the east) |
| Florida | Cuba and the Bahamas (water boundaries) |
