US border crossings near Langley: hours, NEXUS and live wait times

Langley sits about 20 minutes from four border crossings, which is handy for Bellingham errands, Mount Baker or a run down I-5. Which one is fastest depends on the hour, so the habit worth building is simple: check the live wait times before you pick a crossing, not after you’re in the line.

This page is part of our getting there from Langley guide. Distances are approximate, off-peak, measured by road from central Langley City (200 Street and Fraser Highway), and don’t include time in the border line.

Check the wait before you leave

• Going south (into the US): CBP Border Wait Times lists every crossing with the current wait, lanes open and hours. It shows separate figures for general, Ready Lane and NEXUS lanes.
• Coming home (into Canada): the CBSA wait times page covers Douglas, Pacific Highway, Aldergrove and Abbotsford–Huntingdon, each with its own “updated” time. CBSA notes the figures don’t include traffic on the roads leading up to the crossing. WSDOT’s border page shows the same northbound waits from the Washington side, broken out by general, NEXUS and truck lanes.
• Both directions on a map: DriveBC has a border crossing layer with estimated delays, next to its highway cameras.
• Planning a day ahead: the Cascade Gateway Border Data site, run for the Whatcom Council of Governments, keeps historical waits and volumes for all four crossings, so you can see which hours are usually busy on a given day of the week.

The time-zone wrinkle this winter

BC made its last clock change on March 8, 2026, and is staying on Pacific time (UTC-7) year-round. Washington still falls back on November 1, 2026, and springs forward again on March 14, 2027. In between, BC is one hour ahead of Washington. That matters for border hours, appointments and anything with a closing time south of the line.

CBSA has shifted hours at nine BC crossings to keep them lined up with the US side. The one that affects Langley is Aldergrove, which runs 9 am to 1 am BC time from November 1 until March 14, 2027. The 24-hour crossings don’t change. CBP’s site lists US-side hours in US local time.

The four crossings

Peace Arch

The crossing in the middle of Peace Arch Park, on the main highway between Vancouver and Seattle. CBSA’s port name is Douglas. It’s for travellers only; CBSA lists commercial traffic here as not applicable, and trucks use Pacific Highway. The crossing runs between the two halves of Peace Arch Park; on the Canadian side, BC Parks’ Peace Arch Park has lawns, gardens and a picnic area, with the parking lot gate open 8 am to 8 pm. BC Parks notes border officers may ask visitors for ID.

Pacific Highway

The “truck crossing.” By our routing it’s the closest crossing to central Langley, mostly a run down 176 Street, and it handles both cars and commercial traffic, with a dedicated FAST lane for trucks. When Peace Arch is backed up, this is the usual alternative, and the two are close enough to switch between if you check the waits early.

Aldergrove and Lynden

The small rural crossing, handy for Lynden and the farm country east of Bellingham. Because it closes overnight, don’t plan a late return through here: if you’re coming home after it shuts, you’ll need Sumas, Pacific Highway or Peace Arch. More about the town on this side in our Aldergrove guide.

Huntingdon and Sumas

The farthest of the four from Langley, but a real option when the Surrey crossings are slow, and the most direct line to Sumas and Highway 9 south. It’s also a sensible route to Mount Baker.

What to bring

The Government of Canada’s travel advice for the United States, based on US rules, says:

• Canadian citizens 16 and older, by land: a valid passport or a Trusted Traveler card such as NEXUS. The document must be valid for your whole stay.
• Canadian citizens 15 and under, by land: a passport, an original or copy of a birth certificate, or an original citizenship certificate.
• Staying longer than 30 days: Canadians visiting the US for more than 30 days must register with US authorities. The travel advice page links to the official registration and I-94 pages.
• Permanent residents of Canada, dual citizens and others: the rules differ, and the same page sets them out.

BC enhanced driver’s licences are gone. ICBC stopped accepting applications in 2020, and the Province said the last cards would expire by September 2025. If you used one for the border, you now need a passport or NEXUS.

Border officers have a lot of discretion. The federal advice suggests being ready to show ties to Canada, the purpose and length of your trip, and that you can pay for it.

Coming home

You report to CBSA at the booth, the same as always. ArriveCAN’s Advance Declaration is an airport tool: CBSA lists participating airports such as YVR and says it isn’t used with NEXUS kiosks. You don’t need it to drive home through a land crossing.

A few habits that help

• Look before you choose. Pacific Highway and Peace Arch are only a couple of kilometres apart, so a quick check on the CBP or CBSA page can save you a long wait.
• Mind the clock this winter. From November 1 to March 14, Washington is an hour behind BC. A Bellingham store that closes at 9 pm closes at 10 pm on your phone’s BC time.
• NEXUS lanes have hours. Outside the times above, NEXUS holders use the general lanes.
• Aldergrove closes at night. Plan late returns through a 24-hour crossing.

Related: getting there from Langley, transit in Langley and how to check road closures.

Something out of date? Tell us.