Del Bonita is one of six road border crossings between Alberta and Montana. Alberta Highway 62 meets Montana Secondary Highway 213 at the international boundary. Both countries call their port of entry Del Bonita. CBSA: Alberta highway border offices · U.S. Department of Transportation crossing map
There are two places named Del Bonita here: the Alberta hamlet in Cardston County, and Del Bonita, Montana, an unincorporated community in Glacier County also known as Port of Del Bonita. The Montana community is on the boundary, south of its Alberta namesake. Cardston County community profiles · Del Bonita, Montana
1938: Roosevelt designates the U.S. customs port
On August 9, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 7947 designating Del Bonita, Montana, as a customs port of entry. It belonged to Customs Collection District No. 33, covering Montana and Idaho, with headquarters at Great Falls. The order took effect thirty days after signing and appeared in the Federal Register on August 11. Executive Order 7947, printed p. 1965 · Archive record
1939: the road crossing opens
The crossing opened in 1939 with the completion of the highway. The nearby Whiskey Gap crossing closed at that time. Crossing history · Whiskey Gap
The community history records that the Whiskey Gap office’s records and equipment moved to Del Bonita in the summer of 1939. Customs business was conducted in a tent until the new office and residence were ready on December 1. Heritage of the High Country, p. 202.
1962: a U.S. inspection station
The U.S. border inspection station built in 1962 served the crossing until its replacement in 2012. Crossing history
1980: the ports on both sides of the border
2012: a new station and a gathering at the airport
By September 2012, Montana’s Department of Transportation described the new U.S. customs building on the west side of Highway 213. Beside the crossing, the grass runway of Del Bonita/Whetstone International Airport follows the international boundary. Ken Wilhelm, “Del Bonita Work Session,” MDT Aeronautics newsletter, September 2012, p. 1
On July 7 that year, pilots from both countries gathered at the airport for a fly-in and work session organized by the Montana Aeronautics Division and the Alberta Flying Farmers. Volunteers maintained the runway, painted the windsock standard and cleared weeds. The Flying Farmers provided a barbecue, and Canadian and American customs representatives spoke after the meal. Montana Department of Transportation, September 2012, p. 1
2014: the Canadian border station
The six Alberta–Montana road crossings
From west to east, the six crossings are:
| Alberta port | Montana port |
|---|---|
| Chief Mountain | Chief Mountain |
| Carway | Piegan |
| Del Bonita | Del Bonita |
| Coutts | Sweetgrass |
| Aden | Whitlash |
| Wild Horse | Wild Horse |
CBSA: Alberta highway border offices · U.S. Department of Transportation crossing list, Annex B. This count covers road crossings. Chief Mountain operates seasonally. CBSA: Chief Mountain’s 2026 season
Visiting the crossing
Highway 62 approaches from Del Bonita, Alberta; Highway 213 continues south toward Cut Bank, Montana. For current hours and services, check both countries’ official port information: Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
See the border schedule and local store hours on Del Bonita today.