Laurier, Washington — Where U.S. 395 Runs Out of America

Laurier exists because U.S. 395 reaches Canada there.

The settlement around the port of entry is tiny, but every traveler continuing north toward British Columbia passes through the same narrow point.

Rail transportation used the corridor as well, connecting northeastern Washington with Canadian routes and mining districts.

That produced an unusual community: part rural neighborhood, part international checkpoint.

Customs buildings can be more conspicuous than the scattered homes around them.

The legal boundary is absolute. The mountains, watersheds, wildlife and weather continue north without acknowledging it.

Laurier's reason for appearing on the map is wonderfully literal.

It is where the highway runs out of America.