PLSS Basics
This is the basic north-south line from which townships are measured in the PLSS.
What is the Principal Meridian?
Each section in a township is this many square miles.
What is 1 square mile?
This act of Congress in 1785 established the PLSS.
What is the Land Ordinance of 1785?
The description “NW¼ of Section 4, T2N, R3E” contains how many acres?
What is 160 acres?
This federal agency manages the PLSS system.
What is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)?
This is the basic east-west line in the PLSS used to measure ranges.
What is the Base Line?
Each section contains this many acres.
What is 640 acres?
The first survey using the PLSS started in this state.
What is Ohio?
This term refers to describing a property boundary by bearings and distances.
What is metes and bounds?
Surveyors use these tools today instead of chains and compasses.
What are total stations and GPS?
A standard township is typically this size in miles.
What is 6 miles by 6 miles?
The numbering of sections in a township follows this pattern.
What is a boustrophedonic (serpentine or zigzag) pattern?
The PLSS was created to help manage and sell this type of property.
What is public land?
The legal description "SW¼ of the NE¼ of Section 10" refers to this many acres.
What is 40 acres?
Land surveys must account for this natural distortion of the Earth’s shape.
What is curvature?
Townships are divided into this many sections.
What is 36?
Section 16 was traditionally reserved for this public purpose.
What is public schools?
Not all U.S. states use the PLSS. This state is one that does not.
What are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina or Texas?
This document typically includes a legal description of land for transfer of ownership.
What is a deed?
Surveys sometimes create these irregularly sized sections to adjust for curvature.
What are fractional sections?
This is the direction township lines run relative to the Base Line.
What is north-south?
This term describes a quarter of a quarter section.
What is a sixteenth section (or 40 acres)?
These correction lines are added every 24 miles north and south to account for the Earth's curvature.
What are standard parallels?
This type of land description uses township, range, and section numbers.
What is a rectangular (PLSS) description?
This term describes lands not surveyed under PLSS, often due to topography or historic claims.
What are unsurveyed or irregular lands?