Canada is south of Detroit 😁

If you had to take a test and answer the question, “Is Canada north or south of Detroit?” you’d probably circle north with absolute confidence. After all, maps in school, movies and everyday conversation all reinforce that idea. But guess what? You’d be wrong. But Canada (at least a part of it) is actually south of Detroit. Yes, you read that correctly. Detroit (Michigan), that famous American city known for it’s automotive industry, Motown music and a rather gritty reputation, has a Canadian neighbour that sits below it on the map.

This isn’t some conspiracy theory cooked up in a dark basement, internet hoax or a twisted riddle. The reality of North American geography throws us a delightful curveball near Detroit, Michigan. It’s a simple geographical fact and once you wrap your head around it, you’ll realise that the world is full of sneaky little surprises just like this one. So, let’s unravel the strange reality of why you need to travel south from Detroit to reach Canada.

 

 Lakes, rivers and the moulding of borders – How is Canada south of Detroit? 

This whole brain-bending fact comes down to the way the Detroit River snakes between the two countries. To understand this geographical oddity, let’s take a quick trip to the border between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario (it’s Canadian counterpart). Most of the Canada-US border runs in a fairly predictable way i.e. Canada is up and America is down. However, history and nature have played a part in shaping borders that defy simple directional logic. When you reach Detroit, the script gets flipped. The city of Windsor (which is in Ontario) is actually positioned directly south of Detroit. So, if you were in downtown Detroit and wanted to visit Canada, you wouldn’t travel north.

Normally, rivers don’t pay much attention to political borders but in this case, the river flows southward from Lake St. Clair down into Lake Erie. You’d head south in Detroit, cross the Detroit River and find yourself in Windsor. Why? Because the Detroit River (which separates the two cities) flows from Lake St. Clair in the north down into Lake Erie in the south and creates a north-to-south flow. And Windsor is sitting right there just below Detroit, waiting to mess with your understanding of world geography.

The peculiar orientation of the Great Lakes has left it’s mark on the border between the two nations. Unlike many straight-lined boundaries, the Great Lakes region is a tapestry of islands, peninsulas and winding coastlines. Detroit’s position in the southeastern corner of Michigan means that it shares it’s waters with a Canadian city that challenges our basic compass readings. This fascinating twist in geography is a reminder that natural features rarely conform to the neat boxes of our maps. The interplay between landmasses and water bodies often creates borders that seem to contradict common expectations.

 

 But wait…why does this feel so wrong? 

If you’ve been conditioned to think of Canada as a land of maple syrup, moose and vast snowy expanses all sitting comfortably above the US, you are not alone. This belief is hammered into people from an early age. Hollywood movies, maps in schools and even common phrases like ‘going up to Canada’ or ‘heading down to the States’ reinforce the notion that Canada is perpetually located northward. Yet, Canada is a massive country, stretching across six time zones, and it’s geography doesn’t follow neat linear rules. While the vast majority of Canada does indeed lie north of the United States, there are exceptions. Windsor is one of them but it’s not alone.

The Great Lakes region (in particular) has an unusual layout that creates unexpected geographical oddities like Detroit having a southern Canadian neighbour. And if you think this is the only place where Canada dips below the United States, think again. Here’s a little geographical curveball. There are even places in Canada where you can look south and see the northern United States. Point Pelee in Ontario for instance, sticks out into Lake Erie and sits south of several parts of Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. If you ever find yourself standing on the southern tip of Point Pelee National Park, congratulations you are standing further south than some Americans.

 

 Canada’s southern secret – Windsor 

Windsor (Ontario) is not only famous for it’s automotive industry and cultural ties with Detroit but it also holds a peculiar place on the map. Here, geography rebels against convention. While the majority of Canada extends to the north, Windsor’s location on the river’s southern bank means that it’s latitude is slightly lower than that of it’s American counterpart across the water. This reversal may seem trivial but it offers a striking example of how our mental maps can be misleading. In everyday life, this anomaly rarely causes practical problems yet it provides a rich source of conversation fodder and trivia for those who appreciate the quirks of geography.

 

 The geography of the Great Lakes region 

To really appreciate why Windsor ended up south of Detroit, you need to understand the peculiar layout of the Great Lakes. The lakes are not arranged in a straight east-to-west line. Instead, they twist and turn with some of their shorelines curving in unexpected ways.

Detroit itself is positioned in the southeastern part of Michigan which is a state that is already unusual because it’s divided into two separate peninsulas namely the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula. This quirky geography means that while Detroit is generally in the northern part of the US, it’s specific location relative to Windsor means it ended up looking north across the river into Canada.

 

 Canada-US mashup 

The Detroit-Windsor story is not the only instance where North American geography plays tricks on our perceptions. Consider these other examples:

Point Pelee, Ontario (the southernmost tip of mainland Canada) – If you head about 50 kilometres southeast of Windsor, you’ll find Point Pelee National Park which is a long narrow peninsula that juts into Lake Erie. This spot is so far south that it sits below parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and even northern California. In fact, Point Pelee is at the same latitude as Rome in Italy. Yes, Rome—the city of gladiators, pasta, and chaotic traffic. Not exactly what you picture when you think of Canada, right?

Point Pelee and the tip of Pelee Island

Pelee Island (Canada’s even more southern surprise) – If you want to go even further south than Point Pelee, you’ll need to hop on a ferry to Pelee Island. This tiny island which is also in Lake Erie, is the absolute southernmost inhabited part of Canada. It’s closer to Cleveland, Ohio than it is to the most of Ontario. This means there are Canadians who live south of a huge chunk of Americans. And if that doesn’t mess with your perception of geography, I don’t know what will.

In the United States, the Northwest Angle in Minnesota – is a small sliver of land entirely encircled by Canada. In fact, accessing it by road from the rest of the country requires a detour through Canadian territory, a reminder of how borders can complicate even the simplest journeys.

 

 Other geographical oddities in North America – Beyond Detroit 

Now that you are questioning everything that you thought you knew about maps and that your worldview has been thoroughly shaken, let’s sprinkle in some more surprising geographical quirks to keep the fun going.

Alaska is the easternmost, northernmost and the westernmost state in the US – This might sound like someone’s making things up but it’s true. Alaska stretches so far west that it actually crosses into the Eastern Hemisphere that makes it both the easternmost and westernmost US state. It’s also (of course) the northernmost.

Maine is the only US state that borders just one other state – While most states in the US are crammed next to multiple neighbours, Maine is a bit of a loner in only touching New Hampshire.

Maine

The US has a town called Canada and Canada has a town called USA – Alright not exactly but there is a Canada, Kansas and a town called Usa, Japan which once led to speculation that products labelled Made in USA were actually made in Japan.

There’s a place where you can walk from the US to Canada without crossing a border station – The town of Derby Line in Vermont sits right on the US-Canada border with some buildings straddling both countries. The border runs straight through buildings, streets and even a library. For example, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House literally has it’s entrance in the US and it’s reading room in Canada. You might be in Canada but if you walk to the other side of the room, you are back in the US.

Haskell Free Library and Opera House

Four US states meet at 1 single point – If you visit Four Corners, you can stand in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah all at the same time. It’s the only place in the US where 4 states touch.

Four Corners, USA

Minnesota has a chunk of land that is entirely surrounded by Canada – This little piece of land called the Northwest Angle is the only part of the continental US that lies above the 49th parallel. To get there by land, you actually have to drive through Canada.

Canada has an island inside a lake inside an island inside a lake inside an island – If that sentence made your brain hurt, just know that Victoria Island in Nunavut contains a lake which contains an island which contains a smaller lake which further contains yet another island. It’s an islandception!

 

 Laughter, life and learning from geography 

At first, learning that Canada is south of Detroit might seem like just a fun pub trivia fact. But it actually challenges the way we think about geography. We tend to assume that borders and locations follow simple rules of north is up, south is down and countries are always where we expect them to be. But the real world isn’t that neat. Rivers, lakes, peninsulas, and islands create all sorts of geographical oddities that don’t fit into clean categories. Learning about these quirks helps us appreciate how fascinating and unpredictable our planet really is. And of course, it gives you an amazing fact to drop in casual conversation:

"Did you know you have to travel south to get to Canada from Detroit?"

"Actually, there are places in Canada that are further south than parts of California"

"Alaska is both the westernmost and easternmost state in the US"

Watch as people's faces scrunch up in confusion and enjoy your moment of intellectual superiority. At the end of the day, geography is full of surprises and understanding these oddities can make us appreciate just how weird and wonderful our world is. Learning that Canada is south of Detroit might not change your life but it does challenge assumptions and makes you realise that what seems obvious isn’t always true. Plus, the next time someone confidently declares that Canada is always north of the United States, you can drop this little knowledge bomb and watch their brain short-circuit for a moment.

And that, my friend, is a small but satisfying victory. So, whether you are a trivia buff looking to impress your friends, a geography enthusiast craving a deeper appreciation of maps or just someone who enjoys blowing people’s minds with unexpected facts, remember this. Sometimes, even the most basic truths aren’t as straightforward as they seem. And sometimes, just sometimes, Canada is south of the United States.

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