US-83 begins winding its way from the Canadian border at the small United States entrance station (daily 9 am–10 pm only) six miles north of Westhope (pop. 575). Westhope, named by an optimistic Great Northern Railway official, is a good example of North Dakota’s small agrarian towns. A few motels, cafés, and gas stations, a sparse two-block-long downtown, and that’s about it. The Gateway Inn motel/lounge (701/245-6264) has tourist information on the area.
Six miles south of Westhope, US-83 zig-zags west along Hwy-5 for five miles before sharply banking south. The next 37 miles to Minot are a straight shot south, passing nothing save two sweeping wildlife refuges and a lonely Domino’s Pizza, all by itself apart from occasional A-10s thundering overhead to and from Minot Air Force Base.
