Township and Range System Explained | How US Land Surveys Work

Quick Answer: The Township and Range System divides land into 6×6 mile townships, each containing 36 one-mile-square sections. Locations are identified by Township (north/south), Range (east/west), and Section number relative to a principal meridian.

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The Township and Range System, also known as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) or Rectangular Survey System, is the method used to divide and describe land in 30 US states. If you've ever seen a land description like "T2N R4E" or wondered how rural property is identified, this guide explains everything you need to know.

What is the Township and Range System?

The township and range system is a grid-based method for surveying and describing land. Created by the Land Ordinance of 1785, it was designed to bring order to the vast territories acquired by the young United States.

Instead of relying on natural landmarks (like the older metes and bounds system), the township and range system creates a uniform rectangular grid that covers most of the country west of the original colonies.

How the Grid System Works

The entire system is based on two perpendicular reference lines:

Principal Meridians (North-South Lines)

There are 37 principal meridians across the United States, each serving as a starting reference for surveys in its region. Some major ones include:

Meridian	States Covered
5th Principal	AR, IA, MN, MO, ND, SD
6th Principal	CO, KS, NE, WY
Indian	OK
Mount Diablo	CA, NV
Willamette	OR, WA
Salt Lake	UT

Baselines (East-West Lines)

Each principal meridian has a corresponding baseline running east-west. Together, the meridian and baseline create the origin point (0,0) for all measurements in that region.

Understanding Townships

A township in the survey system refers to a 6-mile by 6-mile square of land (36 square miles total). Townships are identified by their distance from the baseline:

• T2N = Township 2 North (12 miles north of the baseline)
• T5S = Township 5 South (30 miles south of the baseline)

Townships are arranged in horizontal rows called township tiers. The number indicates how many 6-mile units the township is from the baseline.

Understanding Ranges

Ranges are 6-mile-wide vertical columns running north-south. They're numbered based on their distance from the principal meridian:

• R4E = Range 4 East (24 miles east of the meridian)
• R7W = Range 7 West (42 miles west of the meridian)

Putting It Together: Township and Range

When you combine township and range, you identify a specific 36-square-mile area:

2N 4E 5th Meridian

This describes a township located:

• 2 townships (12 miles) north of the 5th Principal Meridian baseline
• 4 ranges (24 miles) east of the 5th Principal Meridian

Sections: Dividing the Township

Each township is divided into 36 sections. Each section is:

• 1 mile × 1 mile
• 640 acres
• Numbered 1-36 in a specific pattern

Section Numbering Pattern

Sections are numbered in a serpentine (back-and-forth) pattern starting from the northeast corner:

Quarter Sections and Smaller Divisions

Sections can be divided into smaller parcels:

Quarter Sections (160 acres)

Each section has four quarters:

Quarter-Quarter Sections (40 acres)

Quarter sections can be further divided into 16 parcels of 40 acres each:

Reading Order

Legal descriptions read from smallest to largest:

NESW 25 5N 30E Mount Diablo Meridian

This means:

1. Start with the entire township (5N 30E)
2. Find Section 25
3. Go to the Southwest quarter (SW)
4. Within that, find the Northeast quarter (NE)
5. That 40-acre parcel is what's described

Why This System Matters

The township and range system is used for:

• Property deeds and titles - Legal ownership documents
• Oil and gas leases - Drilling permits reference specific sections
• Agricultural land - Farmers know their land by section numbers
• County records - Assessor data organized by legal description
• Land sales - Rural real estate is described this way

States Using Township and Range

The system covers 30 states:

Western States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Midwestern States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Wisconsin

Southern States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma

States NOT Using Township and Range

The original 13 colonies and a few other states use the older metes and bounds system: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia

Convert Township and Range to Coordinates

Need to find the GPS location of a township, range, or section? Use Township America's free converter:

1. Enter any legal description (e.g., 2N 4E 5th Meridian)
2. See the location on an interactive map
3. Get precise latitude/longitude coordinates
4. Export data in multiple formats

Try the Township and Range Converter →

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a township and a section? A township is a 6×6 mile area (36 square miles). A section is one of the 36 one-mile squares within a township (640 acres).

Do I need the "T" and "R" prefixes? No. Township America uses simplified format: enter 2N 4E instead of T2N R4E.

Why are there 37 principal meridians? Different regions were surveyed at different times as the US expanded westward. Each survey region needed its own reference point.

Do all states use township and range? No. The original 13 colonies and a few other states (like Texas) use the older "metes and bounds" system based on physical descriptions.

How do I find my property's legal description? Check your property deed, county assessor website, or tax records. Township America can also convert an address or coordinates to a legal description.