GEOGRAPHY - THE NORTHWEST ANGLE

The Northwest Angle is a part of northern Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota. Except for minor surveying errors, it is the only place in the United States outside Alaska that is north of the 49th parallel, which forms the border between the U.S. and Canada from the Northwest Angle westward to the Strait of Georgia (between the state of Washington and the province of British Columbia). The land area of the Angle is separated from the rest of Minnesota by Lake of the Woods, but shares a land border with Canada. It is one of only six non-island locations in the 48 contiguous states that are practical exclaves* of the U.S. It is the northernmost township in Minnesota and contains the northernmost point in the contiguous 48 states. The unincorporated community of Angle Inlet is located in the Northwest Angle.

*Exclave – a portion of a state geographically separated from the main part by surrounding alien territory.

The Angle is accessible from the rest of Minnesota by one of two ways: 

1. The Angle can be reached without crossing the international border by crossing the Lake of the Woods by boat when the lake is free of ice, by ice road in the winter or by flying over it in a plane.
2. To reach the Angle by land, travelers take Minnesota State Highway 313 Northbound (Warroad, Minnesota to Sprague, Manitoba) across the Warroad-Sprague Border Crossing connecting to PTH 12 in Manitoba at the border, then to Provincial Road 308, to Provincial Road 525, then finally crossing back into the United States in the Northwest Angle south of Angle Inlet, Minnesota (Angle Inlet Township). The distance from Warroad or Roseau to the Angle proper is approximately 63 miles through Minnesota and Manitoba back to the Angle's U.S. border. The border crossing is unstaffed. Travelers using the single gravel road in and out of the Angle are expected to use a telephone at Jim's Corner, Youngs Bay Marina, or Carlson's Landing to contact Canadian or U.S. Customs and make their declarations.