Cross-border travel from Canada into the United States appears to be leveling off after more than a year of decline, but border traffic remains well below previous levels and continues to affect border communities. 

The number of Canadians entering the United States began declining in February 2025 compared to the same month the previous year. That trend continued for more than a year before leveling off in March 2026, when 1.8 million Canadians crossed the border, which matched March 2025 totals. 

Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, said that it has been a significant decline in cross-border travel. 

“Last year, 2025 overall, we saw a decline of 36% in the number of Canadian vehicles entering the U.S. in our region,” Trautman said. 

Trautman said there are a variety of factors impacting travel across the border, including the exchange rate. 

“I think the main factor is kind of this pushback toward the antagonism of the Trump administration toward Canada,” Trautman said. “That all started last March around not just the ‘51st state’ comments, but even the tariffs and the language around their use.” 

Brandon Hardenbrook, interim executive director of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, said that increasing tourism is one of the major ways to strengthen the economic relationship between the two countries.  

“We have supply chains across the border and family and connections and that remains strong,” Hardenbrook said. “But tourism has greatly reduced and we see tourism as an export from both countries. We want to do all we can to get the numbers back up to where they used to be and find ways to share tourism opportunities.” 

“Our economic relations with Canada are so important to the whole economy of the Northwest,” Hardenbrook said. “We can’t lose sight of that.” 

One potential way Hardenbrook said could increase tourism in the Pacific Northwest is the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which runs from June to July. According to CBS News, 1.2 million international visitors are expected to come to North America as a result of the tournament.

“We saw with the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver that folks came from around the world,” Hardenbrook said. “Folks came and returned to see other parts of the Northwest. I think that is an opportunity.” 

At Porthill, one of Idaho’s two border stations, arrivals from Canada in March 2026 totaled about 5,200 vehicles, an increase of about 200 from March 2025. It was the first increase since January 2025. 

“I think at least maybe it’s signaling that there’s kind of a stabilizing in those trends,” Trautman said. “Maybe this is the baseline of travelers who will make those trips regardless of politics or the exchange rate.” 

However, Lars Jacobsen, who owns Jake’s Landing, a store at the border, still saw a loss in revenue from March 2025. 

“This past March was a little worse than the previous March,” Jacobsen said. “We saw a 9% reduction last month from the year before. That 9% reduction is probably closer to 12% to 15% because we had higher gas prices.” 

He said part of the problem was rhetoric from both countries interfering with the community around Porthill. 

“We live in the same valley,” Jacobsen said. “We are the same community. If someone hadn’t drawn a line eons ago, if it had been a little farther south, Porthill would be in Canada and if it was a little farther north, Creston would be in America.” 

“Not helping our neighbor here in this valley only exacerbates the rhetoric coming out of Washington, D.C. and Ottawa,” Jacobsen said. “That’s not who we are in this neck of the woods. We are neighbors.” 

Idaho’s border crossings still saw a 6% decrease in traffic in March 2026 compared with the previous year. However, it was the smallest decline since January 2025. 

The month before, the decrease was 8.5%. While traffic into Idaho is still decreasing, recent statistics show the decline has slowed over the past two months.

Jacobsen said he has been hopeful for years that more people will venture south, ideally returning to pre-COVID-19 levels. 

“The hope is turning a little bit into concern,” Jacobsen said. “We want to see our community return to supporting one another like it used to be and we hope that happens.” 

Trautman said many small businesses along the border that rely on Canadian customers are struggling. 

“These businesses are facing all the things other businesses are facing, including inflation, challenges with tariffs and uncertain consumer spending,” Trautman said. “The challenge for these businesses is whether they ride it out and hope things go back to normal or if this is a longer-term trend and they have to pivot away from Canadian visitors.” 

In February, members from Boundary County and Creston, Canada, visited each other at the border near Porthill. Jacobsen supported the event and allowed the U.S. contingent to park at Jake’s Landing.

“We support all community efforts that strengthen the bond that Bonners Ferry, Porthill and Creston have together,” Jacobsen said. “I would love for them to do another one and we’ll be here to support it.” 

    Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection showing the amount of passenger vehicles and trucks from Canada to the U.S. since 2023.
  

    Entries from Canada to the U.S. through the Porthill border station in Idaho since 2023.