rectangular government survey rectangular government survey

The Rectangular Survey System is used for surveying land for sale and settling, along with the Metes and Bounds survey method. Land Description Government Rectangular Survey For 2019 | Real Estate Exam Prep. Dont Miss: Small Business Loan Government Programs. D. Rectangular government survey C Jacob is a developer who purchased 78 acres and had it subdivided into halfacre lots. Think about two more lines running up and down the page on top of the first two lines, also about an inch apart. These divisions mean just that. Dont Miss: Can The Government Help Me With Rent. Because the rectangular or government survey system was instituted when the United States was a brand-new country, it was used to describe most of the land west of the original 13 . 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. 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. Range lines are equally located six miles apart, and the columns of land they create are known as ranges. So, there can be the north, south, east, or west half section.\r\n\r\nBecause of the curvature of the earth, the lines in the government survey system are only theoretically straight. Also Check: Government Help With Home Down Payment. A township in this system can be both a line and the square of land created by the township lines and range lines. Remember, a township is 6 miles by 6 miles. 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. The numbering continues directly beneath the sixth section, except that it progresses from left to right on the second tier. For instance, a quarter section always contains 160 acres, or a fourth of the total 640 acres in a section. | 16 Land is designated as either a base line (East-West) or principal meridian line (North-South). The section in the bottom left corner, the southwest corner, is section 36. Pages 336 Where the two range lines and two township lines intersect, they form a township.\r\n\r\nNow, the way it really works is for this page to be filled with the lines going up and down and right to left so that you have many townships. The legal description can be further described by indicating which directional half or quadrants of the section, as well. The townships are consecutively numbered by their location within the intersection of multiple range lines and township lines. The following table indicates some distance and area conversions in the PLSS: 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. These divisions mean just that. The rectangular survey or government survey describes. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. Correction lines occur at every fourth township line or every 24 miles north and south of the baseline. So, in the example above, Township 4 South would be T4S. The numbering continues directly beneath the sixth section, except that it progresses from left to right on the second tier. The Rectangular Survey System provides for a unit of land approximately 24 miles square, bounded by base lines running east and west, and meridians running north and south. Principal meridians run perpendicular to the earths equator, north to south. Read Also: Government Grants For Commercial Real Estate. For a government survey to be valid, the official plat must have been approved by the government . When identifying property locations, you will always reference which principal meridian it is located near. The lines are spaced 24 miles apart, creating squares that are around 576 square miles. In addition to the principal meridians and baselines, the land is further divided by range lines, which run north and south. It will serve as the basis for surveys of government in a specified area under its jurisdiction. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. You need to know what these lines are called and how they intersect for your real estate license exam. A mailing label lists your name, street address, city, state, and country. (The figure below shows a variety of divisions in a quarter section. These tools will help you assess your knowledge of concepts pertaining to the Rectangular Survey System. 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. is a way of subdividing and describing land in the United States. 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. For instance, a quarter section always contains 160 acres, or a fourth of the total 640 acres in a section. Simply multiply 640 by or 0.25, which equals 160, then multiply 160 by 1/2 or 0.5, which equals 80. Since the lines that create them are six miles apart, they are 24 miles around and include an area of 36 square miles, which is 23,040 acres. The guide meridians occur every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian. Whenever properties have irregular boundaries, the land may be further described using one of the two other systems described in this section. For example, how many acres are there if you take the North East of the South 1/2 of section 3 in township 8 North and range 5 west? Township lines run parallel to the baseline, from east to west, defining how far north and south of the baseline a township is located. PLSS The Public Land Survey System is a way of subdividing and describing land in the United States. These sections are referred to as fractional sections. This system has also become known as the rectangular survey system and geodetic survey system.. Doing the math, its 1/2 1/4 640 = 80 acres.

\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274746\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"] A quarter section can be split into smaller parts. Annexation in Real Estate: Method & Laws | What is Annexation? (The figure below shows a variety of divisions in a quarter section. Quarter sections have an area of 160 acres.\r\n \t

Half sections: Half section is a description of any two abutting quarter sections within a section, usually accompanied by a directional notation indicating the half of the section in which the two quarter sections are located. . There are several advantages of the rectangular land survey system. flashcard sets. Now known as the Public Land Survey System, this system divided the western lands into grid-shaped townships and sections. Each one square mile section is 640 acres. Imagine trying to draw straight lines on a rubber ball. Were not done yet. One section is 1 mile or 640 square acres, so it still covers a large piece of land and must be divided again.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'realestatelicensewizard_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_4',690,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realestatelicensewizard_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Sections are further broken down into half and quarter sections repeatedly until you identify the exact location of a property. In reality, because of this earth curvature issue, many sections and townships vary from their exact area measurements. Since nothing is perfect, some sections of land ended up being larger or smaller than they should. as starting points. 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. All lands in the public domain are subject to subdivision by this rectangular system of surveys. These divisions mean just that. A government check represents an area that measures 576 square miles. It was originally proposed by President Thomas Jefferson and is sometimes referred to as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). The Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Government Survey System or Public Land Survey System, is a method of plotting land boundaries in the United States using a large grid made up of rectangles. As mentioned above, basically you can think of the US as a huge checkerboard, with vertical and horizontal lines splitting it up. The smallest division in this system is usually 10-acre quarters. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. Remember 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. Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Different Types of Estates in Real Estate, Legal Description of Property: Definition, Importance & Example, What is a Land Survey? Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. 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. Marketable Title Overview & Importance | What is a Marketable Title? He is also a real estate investor, board gamer and homebrewer. The sections are number 1 through 36 starting in the NE corner of the section continuing west along the top row. Townships are subdivided into 36 one-mile- square sections. The principal meridians and baselines are based respectively on lines of longitude and latitude.\r\n\r\nYoure likely to see at least a few questions on the on calculating the area of part of a section, and youll also see questions about terminology and some of the measurements that the rectangular survey system uses. The three legal real estate land descriptions are important information that all real estate agents and brokers must understand to pass their real estate exam and receive their license. The description is abbreviated as T1N, R2E. As the United States grew from its original 13 colonies, a system was needed to identify who owned what land. It is sometimes referred to as the recorded plat survey system, or the recorded map survey system. The rectangular survey or government survey describes land by reference to a. It is considered as one of the most significant subdividing of the United States mainland. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The numbering continues in this manner like a snake, until ending in the far southeast corner with section 36. Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. This system divides the country using 37 principal meridians that run north and south and baselines that run east and west. 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. So, in the example above, Township 4 South would be T4S. The township and range definition of a parcel of land, then, is its location in relation to the township and range lines. Learn the basic methodology, and real-world adjustments. Sections can be further subdivided into quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, or irregular government lots. Townships are identified based on their location to the point of origin where the principal meridian line meets the baseline. She has a Masters in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor's in English from Thomas Edison State University. )\r\nThe description probably would include the state and county in which the property is located and use abbreviations. Using the Fifth Principal Meridian in Missouri, the description would look like this: The W 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of Section 14, Township 2 South, Range 3 West of the Fifth Principal Meridian, Missouri. The roads in a lot of communities in the U.S. run along survey Base Lines as well just like in Arkansas, especially in Little Rock, the baseline road follows the baseline used by the Louisiana Purchase surveyors. You have 80 acres in that plot of land, and that is your answer. Since the earth is not flat like a checkerboard, there needed to be some adjustments made along the way to make sure everything worked out. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. The Rectangular Survey System is a method of surveying designed to divide the real property into specified plots. Standard parallels run east to west along with the baseline. 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. (The figure below shows a variety of divisions in a quarter section.). 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. Guide meridians run true north, and the intersecting correction line is shorter than a township line. The federal government developed the rectangular survey system, or government survey method, to simplify and standardize property descriptions as a replacement for the cumbersome and often inaccurate metes and bounds method. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Many plans have been made on how to subdivide the public domain lands. They are the starting points for describing a propertys boundaries. [/caption]\r\n\r\nEach section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. A system of fractional sections and government lots are parts of standard practice to account for these discrepancies.\r\n\r\nSo how does the system describe land? Half sections have an area of 320 acres. After six years of aircrew service in the Air Force, he earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix following a BS from the University of Maryland. That means it is 3 townships north of the baseline and 5 townships east of the principal meridian. [/caption]\r\n

Each half or quarter section can be further subdivided into halves and quarters. All township locations are defined by referencing how from they are from the principal meridian and baseline. Townships have an area of 36 square miles, more or less, and are each further divided into 36 sections.

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Sections: The divisions of a township, sections, are one mile square and have an area of one square mile, or 640 acres. These range lines form ranges. This is not merely the address of the property but is a legal description. The image does not specifically designate which meridian or state, but as they are all divided and labeled the same, this could represent any section of land along any meridian that would be identified in the legal description. So, there can be the north, south, east, or west half section.

\r\n\r\nBecause of the curvature of the earth, the lines in the government survey system are only theoretically straight. Remember, there are 36 square miles in a township, and each section is 1 square mile. The townships are consecutively numbered by their location within the intersection of multiple range lines and township lines. The township is the basic unit of measurement in the rectangular survey system. ( the major vertical line) -37 in the U.S. Base Line The horizontal line ( the major one) Ranges The Rectangular Survey Method established a standard measurement and origin point for all properties to follow using a grid system. Imagine trying to draw straight lines on a rubber ball. You got it: Tic tac toe. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Attachments & Severance in Real Estate: Definitions, Examples & Laws. 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. Create your account. Sections can be divided in several ways, but basically for purposes of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), they are divided in quarter sections.\r\n \t

Quarter sections: The divisions of a section, quarter sections, are formed by dividing a section into fourths that are delineated by their direction from the center of the section (northwestNW, northeastNE, southeastSE, and southwestSW). We know that there are 640 acres in one section, and we are taking a 1/4 of a 1/2 section. succeed. 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. Using the land noted on the image, a parcel could be defined as the West half of the Southeast quarter of Section 14 of Township 2 South, Range 3 West. You may be asked to identify sections in the Rectangular Survey System, so remember the order from specific to general. Tenancy at Will Laws & Examples | What is an Estate at Will? The system uses Metes, which are straight lines connecting two points, and Bounds, which are identifiable aspects of a property. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. Just because they are referred to as government lots does not mean the government owns the land they contain. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. Other survey systems include the metes and bounds system and the lot and block system. Only about half of the states in the United States still use the Rectangular Survey System. The principal meridians and baselines are based respectively on lines of longitude and latitude.\r\n\r\nYoure likely to see at least a few questions on the on calculating the area of part of a section, and youll also see questions about terminology and some of the measurements that the rectangular survey system uses. As each territory or state opened new public lands, the government identified a meridian (running north and south) and a base line (running east and west) to guide all future land surveys in that area. The government survey system is known by a few different names. In the survey method, there has to be the creation of an initial point. ","description":"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. Types of Tenancy in Real Estate | Overview, Leases & Examples, Lien Theory State vs. 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. From this initial . The survey system essentially functions the same way. Metes and Bounds surveys are still used in many states; however, they differ from the Public Land Survey System as they are not based on any grid but instead identify objects on the land, measurements, and compass directions. Today, the BLM controls the survey, sale, and settling of lands acquired by the United States. The first sets of lines respectively are called principal meridians, which run north and south, and baselines, which run east and west. Shawn Custer has taught college-level English, composition, and literature for over six years. According to historian Matthew Dennis, this rectangular survey system allowed the leaders of the young government to apply their "nationalistic, scientific, and engineering mentality in transforming the continental landscape of North America, reconceptualizing its space, subduing and organizing it, and distributing it to white yeoman farmers in The system was created by Thomas Jefferson in 1785. You can think of this system as a gigantic checkerboard, as it has a bunch of intersecting lines that form squares into a grid. The area created by the intersection of a township line and a range line is a township. You have 80 acres in that plot of land, and that is your answer. Half sections have an area of 320 acres. So, you can refer to the south (S) 1/2 of the northwest (NW) 1/4 of a section in a township, for example. Normally, a permanent monument, or marker, is placed at each section corner. Explain. Using principal meridians and baselines as points of reference, land areas are divided by two kinds of lines, township lines and range lines. by six miles square (for a total area of 36 square miles or 23,040 acres). Sections also are numbered consecutively. 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. 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. In legal documents, such as a lien, deed, trust deed, mortgage, and sales contract, courts require an exact description of where a piece of land is located. The Rectangular Survey System can be thought of as a grid that covers the U.S. Way in which the U.S. government uses to subdivide public land. The Rectangular Survey System is a grid system of townships and sections that is used to divide the land into manageable units. For the real estate exam, youll need to know the two primary survey methods. The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. The rectangular survey system is the method of forming specific plots, used commonly in the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) in America. Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. 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. 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. 276 lessons 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. 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. Take for example there is a shared baseline in both Nebraska and Kansas as both states border is at the 40th parallel north. They are often combined to create a more accurate map of property boundaries. Title Theory State | Rights, Differences & Purpose. The grid creates six-mile square townships that can then be further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each. Surveyors also establish an east-west line from which all measurements originate. Graphic depiction of the Rectangular Survey System. Standard parallels run east to west along with the baseline. Township locations are identified by tier or township lines and ranges. 1 Square mile is equal to 640 acres. Dummies has always stood for taking on complex concepts and making them easy to understand. The government rectangular survey method is a legal description for land. The second set of lines are called baselines and run east and west. Just imagine you are to layout an area of land based on the geography, the meets, and bound system will show you the visible marks of the land. Think about two more lines running up and down the page on top of the first two lines, also about an inch apart. Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. Since townships are six miles north to south and six miles east to west, each township is 36 square miles. We have Quarter sections, Half sections, township sections, townships, quadrangles, and principal meridians with baselines. The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. The Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) or the Government Survey System, is a way of measuring and establishing boundary lines for large areas of land. 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. View Rectangular Government Survey System.pdf from PLST 222 at Liberty University. A full rectangular survey system property description might read: By entering your email address and clicking the Submit button, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Dummies.com, which may include marketing promotions, news and updates.