Peace Arch Church

Address: Peace Arch State Park, Blaine, WA / Peace Arch Provincial Park, Surrey, BC (border site)

Website: https://parks.state.wa.us/562/Peace-Arch

Admission: Free

The Peace Arch is a border monument and park at the boundary between Blaine, Washington, United States, and Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, erected in the early 20th century as a symbol of peaceful relations. The site combines a freestanding arch with contiguous parkland on both sides of the border.

The site includes the arch itself and linked public parks on the U.S. and Canadian sides, with lawns, memorial plaques and viewpoints that face the international line. It is commonly visited for photography, small ceremonies and to see the monument that literally spans the border.

The arch and the paired parks were established in the early 1920s as a joint commemorative project celebrating peace and friendly relations between the two nations. Since then the location has been maintained as a symbolic and recreational space for cross-border visitors.

Sited at the international crossing between Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia, the monument stands beside the road border crossing on the Salish Sea coast in the northwest corner of Washington State.

• Cross-border park access: Parkland straddles the international boundary so visitors can walk around the arch without immediately passing through an immigration control point, but crossing into either country beyond the park requires appropriate travel documents.
• Commemoration: The monument commemorates long-standing peaceful relations between Canada and the United States and is a common spot for ceremonies on anniversaries and international observances.

What to See#

• Peace Arch monument: A freestanding white arch monument erected on the international boundary that bears inscriptions celebrating peace and friendship between the two countries.
• Peace Arch Park (state and provincial parks): Adjacent parkland on both sides of the border designated as public parks: one administered by Washington State and the other by British Columbia; the parks meet at the international boundary beneath the arch.

Peace Arch State Park is adjacent to the I‑5 / BC Highway 99 border crossing. On the U.S. side it’s a short drive from Bellingham; public buses and regional shuttles serve Blaine and the crossing area. Visitors should be mindful of customs procedures if crossing the actual border line.

• Visit early in the morning or late afternoon to watch the light change on the arch and the international lawns.
• Bring a passport if crossing into either side of the park; the border straddles the US-Canada frontier and some gates can be awkward at peak times.
• Avoid major holiday weekends if possible; parking on both sides fills quickly during peak season.