Parts Sections can be broken down into parts.Sections: Townships are broken down into 36, 1-mile square sections (640 acres).Townships: Quadrangles are broken down into 16 townships, which are created by intersecting range lines and tier lines.Note, however, that quadrangle is not a legal term. Uses a 'check ' which corrects for curvature of earth. Quadrangles: Quadrangles are 24 miles on a side.(37 principal meridians in US) as starting points. The creation of the legal description for the Governmental Survey System is based on special longitude and latitude lines called principal meridians and base lines. This system created a checkerboard of identical squares using longitude lines (north/south) and latitude lines (east/west). The system was created by Thomas Jefferson in 1785. Government Survey System (Rectangular Survey System) Public Land Survey System (PLSS)Īfter the Revolutionary War ended, the United States Government needed a way to describe lands in the West to insure locating and selling. Recorded Plat Survey System (Lot and Block Survey System)ġ.Government Survey System (Rectangular Survey System or Public Land Survey System).

There are three (3) major types of legal land descriptions used throughout the United States. In order to buy and sell real estate, there must be in place a method whereby the property being sold can be accurately identified.

Township and range system real estate