Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. The rectangular survey or government survey describes Townships, Sections, and the Government Survey System Explained - The system, which was adopted in 1785, is also called the U.S. System of Rectangular Surveys or the rectangular method. Dont Miss: Can The Government Help Me With Rent. PLSS The Public Land Survey System is a way of subdividing and describing land in the United States. as starting points. {"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"articleState":{"article":{"headers":{"creationTime":"2020-12-02T18:41:21+00:00","modifiedTime":"2021-03-11T20:17:19+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:17:55+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Study Skills & Test Prep","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33772"},"slug":"study-skills-test-prep","categoryId":33772},{"name":"Real Estate Licensure Exam","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33793"},"slug":"real-estate-licensure-exam","categoryId":33793}],"title":"Real Estate License Exam: The Rectangular Survey System","strippedTitle":"real estate license exam: the rectangular survey system","slug":"real-estate-license-exam-the-rectangular-survey-system","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn about the rectangular survey system and how land is broken up into quadrangles, sections, and townships in the United States. The squares created by range and township lines are known as townships and are identified by their location from the baseline and principal meridian lines. government survey method - Commercial Real Estate Rectangular Survey - The Indiana History Blog 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. These principal meridian lines are named or numbered to identify their location. Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. That means it is 3 townships north of the baseline and 5 townships east of the principal meridian. The implementation of the system begins with the identification of the reference lines: the east-west line called the Base Line and the north-south line is also known for the name principal meridian. The legal description includes the state name, the meridian name, the township and range directions, and usually the section number. Accretion, Avulsion & Reliction: Definition & Effects, Extent of Ownership and Real Property: Air, Surface & Subsurface, Real Property vs. Real Estate | Concepts, Terms & Differences. 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. Correction lines occur at every fourth township line or every 24 miles north and south of the baseline. 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. This system, sometimes called the Public Land Survey System, was created in 1785 to plat or divide real property into squares and rectangles for sale and settling. Following the passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, the Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory platted lands in the Northwest Territory. 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. Because the rectangular or government survey system was instituted when the United States was a new country, it was used to describe most of the land west of the original 13 colonies, so most of you are likely to see some questions about this system.\r\n\r\nLongitude and latitude are imaginary lines that divide the earth through the north and south poles (longitude) and run parallel with the equator (latitude). lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Those states are: An error occurred trying to load this video. The range lines run north and south parallel to the principal meridians. Rectangular Survey System - Real Estate Exam Ninja 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. [/caption]\r\n\r\nA full rectangular survey system property description might read:\r\n

The SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Section 6, Township 4 South, Range 5, East of the Third Principal Meridian. The smallest division in this system is usually 10-acre quarters. What Is Chattel in Real Estate and Property? The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. You can think of this system as a gigantic checkerboard, as it has a bunch of intersecting lines that form squares into a grid. Of course, this still makes up a lot of land, so townships are further divided into sections. The description is abbreviated as T1N, R2E. Simply multiply 640 by or 0.25, which equals 160, then multiply 160 by 1/2 or 0.5, which equals 80. The Rectangular Survey Method established a standard measurement and origin point for all properties to follow using a grid system. Learn the basic methodology, and real-world adjustments. 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. Youre so square more or less The rectangular survey system 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. For example, you would say it is in township 3 north, range 5 east to identify a property. Half sections have an area of 320 acres. Chapter 1: Rectangular Survey System Flashcards | Quizlet Same as term government rectangular survey: Way in which the U.S. government uses to subdivide public land. Rectangular Survey System - Real Estate - Women's Business Center The section in the bottom left corner, the southwest corner, is section 36. The first is the Metes and Bounds surveythe second is the Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Government Survey System or Public Lands Survey System. 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. What Is the Rectangular Survey System Used For? Guide meridians run true north, and the intersecting correction line is shorter than a township line. Each half or quarter section can be further subdivided into halves and quarters. The Rectangular Survey System is the basis for the PLSS and is used to survey all public lands in the United States. Imagine trying to draw straight lines on a rubber ball. The numbering continues in this manner like a snake, until ending in the far southeast corner with section 36. Townships are 36 miles square, 6 miles on each side, and are located within quadrangles. 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. Section information is added to the property description as such: Missouri, Fifth Principal Meridian, T5S, R4W, sec 24. The sections are number 1 through 36 starting in the NE corner of the section continuing west along the top row. The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. | 16 So, in the example above, Township 4 South would be T4S. 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). Baselines run parallel to the earths equator, from east to west. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. 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? [2] 276 lessons 1 Square mile is equal to 640 acres. 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. The system is based on the principle of surveying the land from a fixed point, called a baseline, and . The guide meridians occur every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian. The system is used to divide public lands into townships, sections, halves, and quarters. For example, a piece of property that is located one township north of a baseline and two townships east of the fifth principal meridian in the state of Missouri would be identified as Missouri, Fifth Principal Meridian, Township 1 North, Range 2 East. Read Also: Government Grants For Commercial Real Estate. A rectangular survey is read based on the state and meridian line and the property's location, directionally, to that line. The second row down continues being numbered west to east or left to right. Township locations are identified by tier or township lines and ranges. Rectangular Survey System: Definition & Uses - Study.com The system is also relatively easy to understand, as it is basically a single grid laid over the land. The line intersections have established a large grid that controls the subdivision of grids to smaller ones. Dummies has always stood for taking on complex concepts and making them easy to understand. Sections also are numbered consecutively. It is also known as the rectangular survey system and geodetic survey system. When identifying property locations, you will always reference which principal meridian it is located near. The first sets of lines respectively are called principal meridians, which run north and south, and baselines, which run east and west. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9566"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/282532"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"

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