Boat from Detroit Due South? You'll Hit Ohio, Not Canada

Traveling due south by boat from Detroit keeps you in the USA—you'll enter Lake Erie, not a foreign country.

The Geography

• Detroit River flows south from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie
• US–Canada border runs down the middle of the river
• Due south from downtown Detroit = US waters all the way to Lake Erie

To Reach Canada by Boat from Detroit

• Cross the river east/west (Windsor, ON is south of Detroit but across the channel)
• Head southeast into Lake Erie toward Pelee Island (ON) or Erie, PA (US)

First Foreign Land Due South?

Keep going past Lake Erie, through Lake Huron, Lake Michigan… you'll hit no foreign country until the Gulf of Mexico (Cuba/Mexico)—1,500+ miles later.

Fun fact: Detroit is the only major US city where you look south to see Canada.