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<li id="toc-Roads_and_urban_planning" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Roads_and_urban_planning"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1</span> <span>Roads and urban planning</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Roads_and_urban_planning-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Numbering_within_a_township" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Numbering_within_a_township"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Numbering within a township</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Numbering_within_a_township-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Section_subdivisions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Section_subdivisions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> 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title="Section (land)">Section (land)</a>)</span></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">One square mile</div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Theoreticaltownshipmap.gif" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Theoreticaltownshipmap.gif/220px-Theoreticaltownshipmap.gif" decoding="async" width="220" height="238" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Theoreticaltownshipmap.gif/330px-Theoreticaltownshipmap.gif 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Theoreticaltownshipmap.gif/440px-Theoreticaltownshipmap.gif 2x" data-file-width="694" data-file-height="751" /></a><figcaption>Sectioning a <a href="/wiki/Survey_township" title="Survey township">township</a> (36 sections).</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Indy_farmland.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Indy_farmland.jpg/220px-Indy_farmland.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Indy_farmland.jpg/330px-Indy_farmland.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Indy_farmland.jpg/440px-Indy_farmland.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1600" data-file-height="1200" /></a><figcaption>Perfectly square 160-acre quarter sections of farmland cover central <a href="/wiki/Indiana" title="Indiana">Indiana</a>.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Crops_Kansas_AST_20010624.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Crops_Kansas_AST_20010624.jpg/220px-Crops_Kansas_AST_20010624.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="211" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Crops_Kansas_AST_20010624.jpg/330px-Crops_Kansas_AST_20010624.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Crops_Kansas_AST_20010624.jpg/440px-Crops_Kansas_AST_20010624.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2589" data-file-height="2481" /></a><figcaption>Satellite image of crops growing in southwest <a href="/wiki/Kansas" title="Kansas">Kansas</a>, mainly using <a href="/wiki/Center_pivot_irrigation" class="mw-redirect" title="Center pivot irrigation">center pivot irrigation</a>. The primary grid pattern is of quarter sections (<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1154941027">.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}</style><span class="frac"><span class="num">1</span>⁄<span class="den">2</span></span> mi × <span class="frac"><span class="num">1</span>⁄<span class="den">2</span></span> mi (800 m × 800 m)).</figcaption></figure> <p>In U.S. land surveying under the <a href="/wiki/Public_Land_Survey_System" title="Public Land Survey System">Public Land Survey System</a> (PLSS), a <b>section</b> is an area nominally one <a href="/wiki/Square_mile" title="Square mile">square mile</a> (2.6 square kilometers), containing 640 acres (260 hectares), with 36 sections making up one <a href="/wiki/Survey_township" title="Survey township">survey township</a> on a rectangular grid.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The legal description of a tract of land under the PLSS includes the name of the <a href="/wiki/U.S._state" title="U.S. state">state</a>, name of the <a href="/wiki/County_(United_States)" title="County (United States)">county</a>, township number, range number, section number, and portion of a section. Sections are customarily <a href="/wiki/Surveying" title="Surveying">surveyed</a> into smaller squares by repeated halving and quartering. A quarter section is 160 acres (65 ha) and a "quarter-quarter section" is 40 acres (16 ha). In 1832 the smallest area of land that could be acquired was reduced to the 40-acre (16 ha) quarter-quarter section, and this size parcel became entrenched in American mythology. After the <a href="/wiki/American_Civil_War" title="American Civil War">Civil War</a>, <a href="/wiki/Freedman" title="Freedman">freedmen</a> (freed slaves) were reckoned to be self-sufficient with "<a href="/wiki/40_acres_and_a_mule" class="mw-redirect" title="40 acres and a mule">40 acres and a mule</a>." In the 20th century real estate developers preferred working with 40-acre (16 ha) parcels.<sup id="cite_ref-linklater_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-linklater-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The phrases "front 40" and "<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/back_forty" class="extiw" title="wikt:back forty">back 40</a>," referring to farm fields, indicate the front and back quarter-quarter sections of land. </p><p>One of the reasons for creating sections of 640 acres (260 ha) was the ease of dividing into halves and quarters while still maintaining a whole number of acres. A section can be halved seven times in this way, down to a 5-acre (2 ha) parcel, or half of a quarter-quarter-quarter section—an easily surveyed 50-square-<a href="/wiki/Chain_(unit)" title="Chain (unit)">chain</a> (2 ha) area. This system was of great practical value on the American frontier, where surveyors often had a shaky grasp of mathematics and were required to work quickly.<sup id="cite_ref-linklater_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-linklater-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p> A description of a quarter-quarter section in standard abbreviated form, might look like "NW 1/4, NE 1/4, Sec. 34, T.3S, R.1W, 1st P.M." or, alternatively, "34-3-1 NW4NE4 1PM". In expanded form, this would read:</p><blockquote><p>The Northwest quarter of the Northeast quarter of Section 34 of Township 3 South, Range 1 West, first <a href="/wiki/Principal_meridian" title="Principal meridian">Principal Meridian</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-mapuse_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mapuse-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Section_(United_States_land_surveying)&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The existence of <a href="/wiki/Section_line" class="mw-redirect" title="Section line">section lines</a> made property descriptions far more straightforward than the old <a href="/wiki/Metes_and_bounds" title="Metes and bounds">metes and bounds</a> system. The establishment of standard east-west and north-south lines ("township" and "range lines") meant that deeds could be written without regard to temporary terrain features such as trees, piles of rocks, fences, and the like, and be worded in the style such as "Lying and being in Township 4 North; Range 7 West; and being the northwest quadrant of the southwest quadrant of said section," an exact description in this case of 40 acres, as there are 640 acres (260 ha) in a square mile. </p><p>The importance of "sections" was greatly enhanced by the passage of "An Ordinance for ascertaining the mode of disposing of lands in the Western Territory" of 1785 by the <a href="/wiki/Congress_of_the_United_States" class="mw-redirect" title="Congress of the United States">U.S. Congress</a> (see <a href="/wiki/Land_Ordinance_of_1785" title="Land Ordinance of 1785">Land Ordinance of 1785</a>). This law provided that lands outside the then-existing states could not be sold, otherwise distributed, or opened for settlement prior to being surveyed. The standard way of doing this was to divide the land into sections. An area of six sections by six sections would define a township. Within this area, one section was designated as school land. As the entire parcel would not be necessary for the school and its grounds, the balance of it was to be sold, with the monies to go into the construction and upkeep of the school. </p><p>On May 20, 1862, President <a href="/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln" title="Abraham Lincoln">Abraham Lincoln</a> signed into law the <a href="/wiki/Homestead_Act" class="mw-redirect" title="Homestead Act">Homestead Act</a>, by which settlers could "claim" 160 acres (a quarter section) of public land. Claimants were required to "live on" and “improve” their plots by cultivating the land. After five years, the original filer of the claim was entitled to the property, free and clear, except for a small registration fee.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Roads_and_urban_planning">Roads and urban planning</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Section_(United_States_land_surveying)&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Roads and urban planning"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Section_line_road" title="Section line road">Section line road</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Numbering_within_a_township">Numbering within a township</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Section_(United_States_land_surveying)&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Numbering within a township"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Plat_book_of_Saunders_County,_Nebraska_-_containing_carefully_prepared_township_plats,_village_plats,_analysis_of_U.S._land_system,_leading_farmers_directory_-_illustrated._LOC_2007626721-19.tif" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Plat_book_of_Saunders_County%2C_Nebraska_-_containing_carefully_prepared_township_plats%2C_village_plats%2C_analysis_of_U.S._land_system%2C_leading_farmers_directory_-_illustrated._LOC_2007626721-19.tif/lossy-page1-220px-thumbnail.tif.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="269" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Plat_book_of_Saunders_County%2C_Nebraska_-_containing_carefully_prepared_township_plats%2C_village_plats%2C_analysis_of_U.S._land_system%2C_leading_farmers_directory_-_illustrated._LOC_2007626721-19.tif/lossy-page1-330px-thumbnail.tif.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Plat_book_of_Saunders_County%2C_Nebraska_-_containing_carefully_prepared_township_plats%2C_village_plats%2C_analysis_of_U.S._land_system%2C_leading_farmers_directory_-_illustrated._LOC_2007626721-19.tif/lossy-page1-440px-thumbnail.tif.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2234" data-file-height="2730" /></a><figcaption>Section map of <a href="/wiki/Rock_Creek_Township,_Saunders_County,_Nebraska" title="Rock Creek Township, Saunders County, Nebraska">Rock Creek Township, Saunders County, Nebraska</a> (1907)</figcaption></figure> <p>Every township is divided into 36 sections, each usually 1 mile (1.6 km) square. Sections are numbered <a href="/wiki/Boustrophedon" title="Boustrophedon">boustrophedonically</a> within townships<sup id="cite_ref-mapuse_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mapuse-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> as follows (north at top): </p> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <td>6 </td> <td>5 </td> <td>4 </td> <td>3 </td> <td>2 </td> <td>1 </td></tr> <tr> <td>7 </td> <td>8 </td> <td>9 </td> <td>10 </td> <td>11 </td> <td>12 </td></tr> <tr> <td>18 </td> <td>17 </td> <td>16 </td> <td>15 </td> <td>14 </td> <td>13 </td></tr> <tr> <td>19 </td> <td>20 </td> <td>21 </td> <td>22 </td> <td>23 </td> <td>24 </td></tr> <tr> <td>30 </td> <td>29 </td> <td>28 </td> <td>27 </td> <td>26 </td> <td>25 </td></tr> <tr> <td>31 </td> <td>32 </td> <td>33 </td> <td>34 </td> <td>35 </td> <td>36 </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Section_subdivisions">Section subdivisions</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Section_(United_States_land_surveying)&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Section subdivisions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">"Quarter section" redirects here. For the Canadian use, see <a href="/wiki/Dominion_Land_Survey#Sections" title="Dominion Land Survey">Dominion Land Survey § Sections</a>.</div> <p>Sections can be divided into <b>quarter sections</b> of 160 acres (65 ha), named by <a href="/wiki/Intercardinal_direction" class="mw-redirect" title="Intercardinal direction">intercardinal direction</a> (northwest, northeast, etc.). For instance, the southwest quarter of a section is named SW 1/4.<sup id="cite_ref-Wisconsin_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Wisconsin-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <td>NW </td> <td>NE </td></tr> <tr> <td>SW </td> <td>SE </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Sections can be further broken up into 40-acre (16 ha) blocks, or <b>quarter-quarter sections</b>. These add a second intercardinal direction label. For instance, the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter section mentioned above is labeled SE 1/4, SW 1/4:<sup id="cite_ref-Wisconsin_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Wisconsin-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <td>NWNW </td> <td>NENW </td> <td>NWNE </td> <td>NENE </td></tr> <tr> <td>SWNW </td> <td>SENW </td> <td>SWNE </td> <td>SENE </td></tr> <tr> <td>NWSW </td> <td>NESW </td> <td>NWSE </td> <td>NESE </td></tr> <tr> <td>SWSW </td> <td>SESW </td> <td>SWSE </td> <td>SESE </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Measurement_anomalies">Measurement anomalies</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Section_(United_States_land_surveying)&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Measurement anomalies"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Curvature_of_the_Earth" class="mw-redirect" title="Curvature of the Earth">curvature of the Earth</a> makes it impossible to superimpose a regular grid on its surface, as the <a href="/wiki/Meridian_(geography)" title="Meridian (geography)">meridians</a> converge toward the <a href="/wiki/Geographical_pole" title="Geographical pole">North Pole</a>. As the U.S. is in the <a href="/wiki/Northern_Hemisphere" title="Northern Hemisphere">Northern Hemisphere</a>, if a section's or township's east and west sides lie along meridians, its north side is shorter than its south side. As sections were surveyed from south and east to north and west, accumulated errors and distortions resulted in the north and west lines, and north and west sections diverged the most from the ideal shape and size. </p><p>The entire township grid shifts to account for the Earth's curvature. Where the grid is corrected, or where two grids based on different <a href="/wiki/Principal_meridian" title="Principal meridian">principal meridians</a> meet, section shapes are irregular. </p><p>Sections also differ from the PLSS ideal of one square mile for other reasons, including errors and sloppy work by surveyors, poor instrumentation, and difficult terrain. In addition, the primary survey tool was the magnetic compass, which is influenced by local irregularities. </p><p>Once established, even an imperfect grid remains in force, mainly because the monuments of the original survey, when recovered, hold legal precedent over subsequent resurveys.<sup id="cite_ref-mapuse_3-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mapuse-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Alternatives_and_legacy_systems">Alternatives and legacy systems</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Section_(United_States_land_surveying)&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Alternatives and legacy systems"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Public Land Survey System was not the first to define and implement a survey grid. A number of similar systems were established, often using terms like section and township but not necessarily in the same way. For example, the lands of the <a href="/wiki/Holland_Purchase" class="mw-redirect" title="Holland Purchase">Holland Purchase</a> in western <a href="/wiki/New_York_(state)" title="New York (state)">New York</a> were surveyed into a township grid before the PLSS was established. In colonial <a href="/wiki/New_England" title="New England">New England</a> land was often divided into squares called towns or townships and further subdivided into parcels called lots or sections.<sup id="cite_ref-linklater_2-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-linklater-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Sections are also used in land descriptions in the portion of northwestern <a href="/wiki/Georgia_(U.S._state)" title="Georgia (U.S. state)">Georgia</a> that was formerly part of the territory of the <a href="/wiki/Cherokee" title="Cherokee">Cherokee</a> Nation. They are not, however, part of the PLSS and are irregular in shape and size. See <a href="/wiki/Cherokee_County,_Georgia" title="Cherokee County, Georgia">Cherokee County, Georgia</a> for more information on the historical reasons for this. </p><p>Another exception to the usual use of sections and section numbering occurs when most of a parcel, or <a href="/wiki/Lot_(real_estate)" class="mw-redirect" title="Lot (real estate)">lot</a>, falls under a body of water. The term "government lot" is used for such parcels and they are usually described separately from the rest of the section using single numbers (such as "Government Lot 5 of Section 15"). Also, parcels within a <a href="/wiki/Plat" title="Plat">platted</a> <a href="/wiki/Subdivision_(land)" title="Subdivision (land)">subdivision</a> are often specified by lot number rather than using PLSS descriptions.<sup id="cite_ref-mapuse_3-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mapuse-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Where <a href="/wiki/Spanish_land_grants_in_Florida" title="Spanish land grants in Florida">Spanish land grants in Florida</a> have descriptions that predate PLSS or even the U.S. itself, deviation from typical section numbering and size and shape often takes place. In an effort to honor these land grants after the U.S. took control of Florida, surveyors would use descriptions from confirmed land grants to establish their initial boundaries and created PLSS sections that extrapolated from those lines. Often, the amount of land left over in areas immediately surrounding the grants was grossly undersized or awkwardly shaped. Those tracts are referred to as "fractional sections" and often are not subject to township or range definitions. An example of such a legal description's beginning would read "Being a portion of Fractional Sec. 59, Township 0 South, Range 0 West". </p><p>Also, land north of the <a href="/w/index.php?title=Watson_Line&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Watson Line (page does not exist)">Watson Line</a> near the Georgia border was not subject to the standard U.S. section, township and range designations, since the State of Georgia had claimed and laid out counties and surveyed its public lands south of that line into what eventually became part of the State of Florida. The exact location of the Georgia–Florida state line was ultimately confirmed by an Act of Congress, approved April 9, 1872. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Section_(United_States_land_surveying)&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Canadian <a href="/wiki/Dominion_Land_Survey" title="Dominion Land Survey">Dominion Land Survey</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Section_(United_States_land_surveying)&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFWhite1983" class="citation book cs1">White, C. Albert (1983). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/histrect.pdf"><i>A History of the Rectangular Survey System</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Washington, D.C.: <a href="/wiki/United_States_Bureau_of_Land_Management" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Bureau of Land Management">United States Bureau of Land Management</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=A+History+of+the+Rectangular+Survey+System&rft.place=Washington%2C+D.C.&rft.pub=United+States+Bureau+of+Land+Management&rft.date=1983&rft.aulast=White&rft.aufirst=C.+Albert&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blm.gov%2Fsites%2Fblm.gov%2Ffiles%2Fhistrect.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASection+%28United+States+land+surveying%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-linklater-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-linklater_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-linklater_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-linklater_2-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLinklater2002" class="citation book cs1">Linklater, Andro (2002). <span class="id-lock-registration" title="Free registration required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780452284593/page/72"><i>Measuring America: How the United States Was Shaped By the Greatest Land Sale in History</i></a></span>. Plume. pp. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780452284593/page/72">72, 166, 234</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-452-28459-7" title="Special:BookSources/0-452-28459-7"><bdi>0-452-28459-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Measuring+America%3A+How+the+United+States+Was+Shaped+By+the+Greatest+Land+Sale+in+History&rft.pages=72%2C+166%2C+234&rft.pub=Plume&rft.date=2002&rft.isbn=0-452-28459-7&rft.aulast=Linklater&rft.aufirst=Andro&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fisbn_9780452284593%2Fpage%2F72&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASection+%28United+States+land+surveying%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-mapuse-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-mapuse_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-mapuse_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-mapuse_3-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-mapuse_3-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMuehrckeMuehrckeKimerling2001" class="citation book cs1">Muehrcke, Phillip C.; Muehrcke, Juliana O.; Kimerling, A. Jon (2001). <i>Map Use: Reading, Analysis, and Interpretation</i> (4th ed.). JP Publications. pp. 234–239. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9602978-5-5" title="Special:BookSources/0-9602978-5-5"><bdi>0-9602978-5-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Map+Use%3A+Reading%2C+Analysis%2C+and+Interpretation&rft.pages=234-239&rft.edition=4th&rft.pub=JP+Publications&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=0-9602978-5-5&rft.aulast=Muehrcke&rft.aufirst=Phillip+C.&rft.au=Muehrcke%2C+Juliana+O.&rft.au=Kimerling%2C+A.+Jon&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASection+%28United+States+land+surveying%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/homestead-act">"Homestead Act (1862)"</a>. 29 July 2021.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Homestead+Act+%281862%29&rft.date=2021-07-29&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.archives.gov%2Fmilestone-documents%2Fhomestead-act&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASection+%28United+States+land+surveying%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Wisconsin-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Wisconsin_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Wisconsin_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ForestManagement/documents/PLSSTutorial.pdf">"Tutorial on the Public Land Survey System Descriptions"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-01-14</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Tutorial+on+the+Public+Land+Survey+System+Descriptions&rft.pub=Wisconsin+Department+of+Natural+Resources&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fdnr.wi.gov%2Ftopic%2FForestManagement%2Fdocuments%2FPLSSTutorial.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASection+%28United+States+land+surveying%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMurray1969" class="citation book cs1">Murray, William Gordon (1969). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=QHJRR3IhIloC&pg=PA52"><i>Farm Appraisal and Valuation</i></a> (5th ed.). Ames: Iowa State University Press. p. 53. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780813805702" title="Special:BookSources/9780813805702"><bdi>9780813805702</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/246381719">246381719</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Farm+Appraisal+and+Valuation&rft.place=Ames&rft.pages=53&rft.edition=5th&rft.pub=Iowa+State+University+Press&rft.date=1969&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F246381719&rft.isbn=9780813805702&rft.aulast=Murray&rft.aufirst=William+Gordon&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DQHJRR3IhIloC%26pg%3DPA52&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASection+%28United+States+land+surveying%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Section_(United_States_land_surveying)&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRaymond1914" class="citation book cs1">Raymond, William Galt (1914). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/planesurveyingf00raymgoog"><i>Plane Surveying for Use in the Classroom and Field</i></a>. New York: American Book Company.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Plane+Surveying+for+Use+in+the+Classroom+and+Field&rft.place=New+York&rft.pub=American+Book+Company&rft.date=1914&rft.aulast=Raymond&rft.aufirst=William+Galt&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fplanesurveyingf00raymgoog&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASection+%28United+States+land+surveying%29" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hildegard_Binder_Johnson" title="Hildegard Binder Johnson">Johnson, Hildegard Binder</a>. Order Upon the Land: The U. S. Rectangular Land Survey and the Upper Mississippi Country. Oxford University Press, 1976.</li></ul>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Section_(United_States_land_surveying)&oldid=1240380582">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Section_(United_States_land_surveying)&oldid=1240380582</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Surveying_of_the_United_States" title="Category:Surveying of the United States">Surveying of the United States</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Units_of_area" title="Category:Units of area">Units of area</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Customary_units_of_measurement_in_the_United_States" title="Category:Customary units of measurement in the United States">Customary units of measurement in the United States</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description is different from Wikidata">Short description is different from Wikidata</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 15 August 2024, at 03:02<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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