Township lines, which run east and west, parallel to baselines, are horizontal parallel lines that form township tiers.\r\n\r\nThink about two lines running from left to right across this page about an inch apart. So how does the system describe land? We have Quarter sections, Half sections, township sections, townships, quadrangles, and principal meridians with baselines. This process continues, creating a smaller and smaller grid that can be used to identify the specific location of any property. distinguishing among the various surveys. For example, you can say the east of section 3. That means the property is 320 acres and located on the east half of that section. Yes, but first you need to know the dimensions and measurements of a township. There are few subdivisions beyond the sections and quarter sections. . It was originally proposed by President Thomas Jefferson and is sometimes referred to as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). Guide meridians and standard parallels form quadrangles. You may have math questions on your real estate licensing exam related to this concept. flashcard sets. The area is further divided into six-mile segments using range lines that run parallel to the principal meridian and township lines that run parallel to the baselines. Townships are 36 miles square, 6 miles on each side, and are located within quadrangles. Originally proposed by Thomas Jefferson, the PLSS began shortly after the Revolutionary War, when the Federal government became responsible for large areas west of the thirteen original colonies. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Each piece of land is measured only from one meridian, and it may not be the one closest in proximity to the piece of land. That could be further divided into quarters, such as the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 18 of a township would be 40 acres. - Definition & Types, Rectangular Survey System: Definition & Uses, Measuring the Area of a Rectangle: Formula & Examples, Fair Housing & Consumer Protection Laws in Real Estate, Property Condition Disclosure Statements in Real Estate, Real Estate Closing & Settlement Procedures, Real Estate Taxes, Warranties & Insurance, Real Estate Ethics & Professional Responsibility, DSST Business Ethics and Society: Study Guide & Test Prep, CLEP Principles of Marketing: Study Guide & Test Prep, NES Business Education (309): Practice & Study Guide, How to Positively Influence Others in the Workplace, OSAT Marketing Education (CEOE) (041): Practice & Study Guide, Maintaining Records in a Florida Real Estate Office, Seamless Application in a Wireless Network: Definition & Requirements, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. The section in the uppermost northeast corner of a township is section 1. It uses the 37 principal meridian lines that run north to south across the U.S. and baselines that run east to west. These townships are not the same as political subdivisions.\r\n

Each township is further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each, or 640 acres, by horizontal and vertical section lines. . As mentioned above, basically you can think of the US as a huge checkerboard, with vertical and horizontal lines splitting it up. The townships are consecutively numbered by their location within the intersection of multiple range lines and township lines. The grid creates six-mile square townships that can then be further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each. Remember, a township is 6 miles by 6 miles. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. The coordinates are then used to create a legal description for the property. The earths curvature led to the creation of additional lines called Guide Meridians that is perpendicular to the baseline. All lands in the public domain are subject to subdivision by this rectangular system of surveys. There are various issues with the names on the very small land parcels in several states. This point will be the basis for all government surveys in the area it controls, and its latitude and longitude are fixed by astronomical observations. Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. ( the major vertical line) -37 in the U.S. Base Line The horizontal line ( the major one) Ranges From this initial . The guide meridians occur every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian. Learn the basic methodology, and real-world adjustments. Rectangular Government Survey System The rectangular government survey system -also known as the Public Land Survey These range lines form ranges. The fifth township south of the baseline and fourth to the west of the principal meridian would be identified as Missouri, Fifth Principal Meridian, Township 5 South, Range 4 West, or Missouri, Fifth Principal Meridian, T5S, R4W. He teaches pre-licensing and continuing education courses for salespeople, brokers, and appraisers.

","authors":[{"authorId":9566,"name":"John A. Yoegel","slug":"john-a-yoegel","description":"

John A. Yoegel, PhD, is a certified real estate instructor and former board member of the Real Estate Educators Association. You got it: Tic tac toe. Also known as the Rectangular Survey System, it was created by the Land Ordinance of 1785 to survey land ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Paris in 1783, following the end of the American Revolution. The land is then further divided into quadrangles. Quadrangles have an area of 576 square miles, more or less, and are divided into 16 townships.\r\n \t

Townships: The divisions of a quadrangle, townships, are six miles square (six miles on each side) and are delineated by township lines. Government Survey System (Rectangular Survey System) Public Land Survey System (PLSS) After the Revolutionary War ended, the United States Government needed a way to describe lands in the West to insure locating and selling. So, in the example above, Township 4 South would be T4S. It is primarily used throughout the United States with the exception of the thirteen colonies, which was surveyed by the metes and bound method . It uses imaginary lines to set land descriptions on thedistance: base lines run east-west and meridians run north-south. Adding that to the description results in a more specific parcel of land: The NW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 18, Township 5 South, Range 4 West of the Fifth Principal Meridian, Missouri. Sections can be further subdivided into quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, or irregular government lots. Townships are subdivided into 36 one-mile- square sections. Standard parallels run east to west along with the baseline. a rectangular system of land survey that divides a district into 24-square mile quadrangles from the meridian (north-south line) and the baseline (east-west line); the tracts are divided into 6-mile-square parts called townships, which are in turn divided into 36 tracts, each 1 mile square, called sections. are further subdivided into 36 one-mile-square, (each section is one square mile or 640 acres), then into quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, or irregular, Beginning at an initial point, townships are surveyed in all directions. Township lines run east and west and are also found six miles apart. The Rectangular Survey System is a means of dividing and measuring large areas of land. Real Estate License Wizard2009 MacKenzie WaySuite 100Cranberry Twp, PA 16066Phone: (412) 212-3240Email: info [at] realestatelicensewizard.com. Congress created it in 1785 as a more straightforward, faster and more accurate way to identify land. Just because they are referred to as government lots does not mean the government owns the land they contain. The numbering continues in this manner like a snake, until ending in the far southeast corner with section 36. To learn more about these land descriptions, view our Real Estate Principles course, which provides information on ethics of practice, titles to and conveyance of real estate, deeds encumbrances and liens, distinctions between personal and real property, appraisal, finance and regulations, and more. The range lines run north and south parallel to the principal meridians. (This description refers to a 10-acre parcel of land. )

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Figuring out the size of a piece of property, which sometimes is called a parcel, is simple, if you keep in mind that youre always dealing with a section of 640 acres. An area bounded on two sides by guide meridians and on the other two sides by correction lines is called a government check, check, or quadrangle, which is 24 miles square, meaning each of its boundaries is 24 miles long. There are 16 townships in each quadrangle. So, you can refer to the south (S) 1/2 of the northwest (NW) 1/4 of a section in a township, for example. The Rectangular Survey System is a method of surveying designed to divide the real property into specified plots. Furthermore, how well individual surveying parties actually met the requirements or recommendations at the time, also varied. Each one square mile section is 640 acres. Imagine trying to draw straight lines on a rubber ball. Correction lines occur at every fourth township line or every 24 miles north and south of the baseline. Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. Range lines run parallel to the principal meridian and determine how far east and west the township is of that meridian.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'realestatelicensewizard_com-banner-1','ezslot_5',689,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realestatelicensewizard_com-banner-1-0'); All township locations are defined by referencing how from they are from the principal meridian and baseline. Finally, sections can be further divided into halves or quarters that are named for their direction within the section: the east half, the west half, the north half, the south half, the northwest quarter, the northeast quarter, the southwest quarter, and the southeast quarter. Guide meridians and standard parallels form quadrangles. The rectangular survey system may just be a giant grid covering the United States, but understanding how it is used can seem a little complex, so stick with us while we cover the basic definitions.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'realestatelicensewizard_com-box-4','ezslot_11',688,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realestatelicensewizard_com-box-4-0'); The largest grid comprises of two types of lines, principal meridians, and baselines. Same as term government rectangular survey: Way in which the U.S. government uses to subdivide public land. The rectangular survey describes property location as fractions of sections, which are part of townships, and provide distance measurements from principal meridians, base lines and range lines. Whenever properties have irregular boundaries, the land may be further described using one of the two other systems described in this section. For example, a piece of land could be identified as the southeast quarter of section 18 of a township, which would be 160 acres. Although the lines start out the same distance apart, they get closer together as you get near one or the other end of the ball.\r\n\r\nCorrection lines and guide meridians were established to correct this problem in the government survey system. ","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"The rectangular survey system, often referred to as the government survey system, is based on a system of lines that form rectangles and squares throughout the United States. The system became official with the Land Ordinance Act of 1785. Using principal meridians and baselines as points of reference, land areas are divided by two kinds of lines, township lines and range lines. The numbering continues directly beneath the sixth section, except that it progresses from left to right on the second tier. Think about two more lines running up and down the page on top of the first two lines, also about an inch apart. It is the lands boundary lines that also have terminal points and angles. The Metes and bounds system dates back centuries to the original 13 colonies, while the rectangular survey method was established in 1785 and used in all 36 states formed after that point. Specific directional references are needed in the actual description to locate a particular piece of property, but for finding out how large a particular piece of property is, only the fractions matter.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274747\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"] Sections can be divided in a variety of ways, including quarters and smaller sections. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. When identifying property locations, you will always reference which principal meridian it is located near. The Surveyor General was later merged with the General Land Office, which later became a part of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management . The rectangular survey or government survey describes. Annexation in Real Estate: Method & Laws | What is Annexation? The rectangular survey system was enacted by the Land Ordinance Act of 1785. Moreover, the astronomical observations will then determine the areas latitude and longitude. For example, a Bound could be a road, tree, river, or large rock. These sections are referred to as fractional sections. Then the numbering drops down to 13 and goes right to left again and so forth:

\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274749\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"532\"] Townships are divided into 36 sections numbered consecutively. For example, a legal description of Missouri, Fifth Principal Meridian, T4S, R7E, sec 23 indicates a property that is 4 townships south and 7 townships east of the Fifth Principal Meridian in Missouri. Areas smaller than full-size sections are known as government lots and are numbered and placed in fractional sections. Base lines The PLSS typically divides land into 6-mile-square townships. The Rectangular Survey System is a method of surveying designed to divide the real property into specified plots. There are 36 sections in a township, and each section contains one square mile, which is 640 acres. Halves are 320 acres, and quarters are each 160 acres. The lot and block survey system is a method used in the United States and Canada to locate and identify land, particularly for lots in densely populated metropolitan areas, suburban areas, and exurbs. The Rectangular Survey Method established a standard measurement and origin point for all properties to follow using a grid system. Monuments are also placed at quarter-section corners and at other important points, such as the corners of government lots. Only about half of the states in the United States still use the Rectangular Survey System. Longitude and latitude are imaginary lines that divide the earth through the north and south poles (longitude) and run parallel with the equator (latitude). What Is Chattel in Real Estate and Property? Quadrangles have an area of 576 square miles, more or less, and are divided into 16 townships.

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Townships: The divisions of a quadrangle, townships, are six miles square (six miles on each side) and are delineated by township lines. It was originally proposed by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson as a means of keeping track of the ever-expanding land area of the United States. The area created by the intersection of a township line and a range line is a township. The government survey system is known by a few different names. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. These range lines form ranges. )\r\nThe description probably would include the state and county in which the property is located and use abbreviations. Additionally, the terms used in the Rectangular Survey System can have different meanings under other systems of measurement and governmental designations. They are the starting points for describing a propertys boundaries. The states that use the rectangular survey system are:Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Alabama, and Florida. The largest grid comprises of two types of lines, principal meridians, and baselines. The system uses Metes, which are straight lines connecting two points, and Bounds, which are identifiable aspects of a property. Where the two range lines and two township lines intersect, they form a township. Half sections have an area of 320 acres. Rectangular Survey System This is also called the section and township system or U.S. Government Section and Township Survey, established in the nineteenth century by the U.S. Surveyor General to survey public lands. It will serve as the basis for surveys of government in a specified area under its jurisdiction. We have Quarter sections, Half sections, township sections, townships, quadrangles, and principal meridians with baselines. A government check represents an area that measures 576 square miles.\r\n\r\nRemember that although these correction lines and guide meridians are the way the government deals with the issue of the earths curvature, it isnt the way the government survey system describes land. The real estate exam probably wont ask you what states use the Metes and Bounds system or the Rectangular Survey System, but they may ask you which system your state uses.