New Hampshire – Pittsburg / Chartierville Border Crossing

U.S. Route 3, Daniel Webster Highway / QC 257, Route Saint Hyacinthe

Although New Hampshire shares a 58 mile (93 kilometer) border with the Province of Quebec, the only Canadian border crossing is located at the northern end of the town of Pittsburg at the terminus of U.S. Route 3. The town of Pittsburg is geographically huge but is sparsely populated with fewer than 1,000 residents.

This road is used primarily by vacation travelers and local residents. Roughly 7,400 passenger cars and 1,150 commercial vehicles go through the U.S. port at Pittsburg each year. Most of the traffic through this port comes in the summer vacation months of July and August.

Despite a well-paved highway all the way to the border, it is an unforgiving place to those who do not come prepared for the wilderness conditions and unpredictable weather. In addition, the woods in this area are full of sensory devices to detect human movement. Helicopters and unmanned drones patrol the skies to prevent illegal, or inadvertent, border crossings. If necessary, this portion of the border can be sealed off very quickly.

On the Canadian side, customs agents greet you in French and all signs are posted in that language. Quebec Route 253 descends straight as an arrow down the long northern face of Magnetic Hill to Chartierville a few kilometers in the distance, and you will be hard pressed to find anyone who can speak a word of English.

Before heading to the border, be sure to review our pages on preparing for customs and prohibited items.

Pittsburg / Chartierville Port Information

• Can be closed depending on weather conditions.
• The U.S. port is typically open 8am – 8pm ET, 7 days a week.
• The Canadian port is open to travelers 8am – midnight ET, 7 days a week. Commercial services are only available 8am – 5pm, Mon – Fri.
• The U.S. port is managed by the Beecher Falls U.S. Customs and Border Patrol office in Vermont.

Travel Tips – Pittsburg / Chartierville Customs and Border Crossing

• Here is a handy link to hotels in Vermont and another to Hotels in Sherbrooke, which is the largest city near the Canadian port.
• Route 3 and Canada Route 257 is the snowmobile trail between the Port of Entries. Always stay in the right lane of the highway for the 700 feet between the two countries border offices. Speed Limit is 30 mph.
• You must stop for inspection at the Port of Entry of the country you wish to enter. Failure to check in at a border office can have serious consequences including a sizable fine, jail time, vehicle seizure and prohibitions from ever crossing the border again.
• The Pittsburg customs station is a place to park to pick up a cell-phone tower since cell-phone service is spotty at best around the border.
• Québec 511 also maintains a telephone service, available 24/7, which provides “almost” real-time road conditions information. From within Quebec Province, call 511 on any phone. You can also reach it from anywhere in North America by calling 1-888-355-0511 toll-free.
• Pittsburg / Chartierville Port GPS coordinates – Latitude & Longitude: 45.253095, -71.205214

Current Road Conditions in Vermont and Quebec

We have special pages showing all current road advisories for the state of Vermont and the province of Quebec. These pages show problems such as roadway accidents, snow or ice, lane closures or blockages, construction, road restrictions, traffic problems around the border crossing.

CHARTIERVILLE WEATHER

Pittsburg and Chartierville Ports of Entry Location and Traffic Map

To view current traffic conditions at this border crossing, select “View Larger Map” and turn on the traffic layer.

Telephone Numbers for the Border Customs Offices at Pittsburg and Chartierville

• The U.S. Customs Office  is located at is located at Daniel Webster Hwy, Pittsburg, NH 03592. You can call them at (819)656-2261.
• Canadian Customs is located at 165 Route Saint Hyacinthe, Chartierville, QC J0B 1K0, Canada. To contact Canadian Customs or other border patrol services at this port, call the Canadian Border Information Service (BIS) which can answer your questions or transfer you directly to the Canadian port.