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. Previous to the Public Land Survey System, land was surveyed using a confusing landmark-based system called metes and bounds. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. Definition of "Rectangular survey". When identifying property locations, you will always reference which principal meridian it is located near. Real Estate License Wizard2009 MacKenzie WaySuite 100Cranberry Twp, PA 16066Phone: (412) 212-3240Email: info [at] realestatelicensewizard.com. These divisions mean just that. 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 Rectangular Survey System is a grid system of townships and sections that is used to divide the land into manageable units. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Jeff Davis with American Realty Academy, covering the infamous Government Rectangular Survey. - The system, which was adopted in 1785, is also called the U.S. System of Rectangular Surveys or the rectangular method. For example,Lot _ Block _ of Subdivision __ in the County of ______, State of ______________. A government check represents an area that measures 576 square miles. The Rectangular Survey System is a means of dividing and measuring large areas of land. Simply multiply 640 by or 0.25, which equals 160, then multiply 160 by 1/2 or 0.5, which equals 80. If you want to define smaller properties, we can take the southeast of section 3, which will only be 160 acres. 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. Furthermore, how well individual surveying parties actually met the requirements or recommendations at the time, also varied. Concepts will include principal meridians, the PLSS, and how sections of a township are. As with most things, there are pros and cons of using the Rectangular Survey System. 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 first sets of lines respectively are called principal meridians, which run north and south, and baselines, which run east and west. The smallest division in this system is usually 10-acre quarters. The following is a list of helpful terms: Correction lines and guide meridians were established to correct this problem in the government survey system. The Surveyor General was later merged with the General Land Office, which later became a part of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management . 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. Correction lines occur at every fourth township line or every 24 miles north and south of the baseline. The section in the uppermost northeast corner of a township is section 1. 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. 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. (The figure below shows a variety of divisions in a quarter section.). [/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. In other words, after section number 6, it drops down to 7 on the next tier then goes left to right to number 12. What Is Chattel in Real Estate and Property? Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. In addition to the principal meridians and baselines, the land is further divided by range lines, which run north and south. Those states are: An error occurred trying to load this video. . 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. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Of course. 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. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. In reality, because of this earth curvature issue, many sections and townships vary from their exact area measurements. The lines are spaced 24 miles apart, creating squares that are around 576 square miles. Rectangular Government Survey. Halves are 320 acres, and quarters are each 160 acres. Running east to west every six miles between the baselines are the township lines. The system uses Metes, which are straight lines connecting two points, and Bounds, which are identifiable aspects of a property. . 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. Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. Think about two more lines running up and down the page on top of the first two lines, also about an inch apart. Create your account. You got it: Tic tac toe. You may have math questions on your real estate licensing exam related to this concept. It was originally proposed by President Thomas Jefferson and is sometimes referred to as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). The system was created by Thomas Jefferson in 1785. 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\"]\"real Sections can be divided in a variety of ways, including quarters and smaller sections. 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. We know that there are 640 acres in one section, and we are taking a 1/4 of a 1/2 section. They are the starting points for describing a propertys boundaries. 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. As we mentioned earlier, two primary survey methods are used in the United States, the Metes and Bounds System, and the Rectangular Survey System. Which States Use the Rectangular Survey System. ","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. The guide meridians occur every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian. [/caption]\r\n\r\nEach section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. 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. Using principal meridians and baselines as points of reference, land areas are divided by two kinds of lines, township lines and range lines. Range lines are equally located six miles apart, and the columns of land they create are known as ranges. There are two separate and distinct systems of land surveys in the United States: System of metes and bounds in which each parcel of land is . How Do You Use the Rectangular Survey System? The earliest land surveys in Minnesota were conducted under the jurisdiction of the Surveyor General of Iowa and Wisconsin, headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa. Now known as the Public Land Survey System, this system divided the western lands into grid-shaped townships and sections. These surveys, completed between 1848 and May 1857 were primarily on land located between the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers or in the southeastern corner of Minnesota. Land Description Government Rectangular Survey For 2019 | Real Estate Exam Prep. Dont Miss: Can The Government Help Me With Rent. This system created a checkerboard of identical squares using longitude lines and latitude lines . Way in which the U.S. government uses to subdivide public land. 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\" Townships are divided into 36 sections numbered consecutively. You need to know what these lines are called and how they intersect for your real estate license exam. The sections are number 1 through 36 starting in the NE corner of the section continuing west along the top row. Remember, a township is 6 miles by 6 miles. 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. The townships are consecutively numbered by their location within the intersection of multiple range lines and township lines. Only about half of the state in the U.S. use the rectangular survey system. How Do Metes and Bounds Differ From the Rectangular Survey System? 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. Manage Settings It references principal meridians and baselines designated throughout the You got it: Tic tac toe. He is also a real estate investor, board gamer and homebrewer. We have Quarter sections, Half sections, township sections, townships, quadrangles, and principal meridians with baselines. This indicates that the property is between the baseline and the first township line to the north and between the first and second range lines to the east of the fifth principal meridian. Following the passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, the Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory platted lands in the Northwest Territory. Standard Parallels are also called as correction lines for the meridians to compensate for the curvature of the earth. This is not merely the address of the property but is a legal description. Ian is a 3D printing and digital design entrepreneur with over five years of professional experience. Sections also are numbered consecutively. Discover what the Rectangular Survey System is, where it is usually used, and its main purpose. Surveyors also establish an east-west line from which all measurements originate. View Rectangular Government Survey System.pdf from PLST 222 at Liberty University. 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\"]\"quarter A quarter section can be split into smaller parts. Since townships are six miles north to south and six miles east to west, each township is 36 square miles. That means it is 3 townships north of the baseline and 5 townships east of the principal meridian. It isn't used by East Coast states except, Florida, and it also isn't used by Texas. There is more than one type of legal description you must know for your exam. The system was further modified to facilitate the transfer of large quantities of government-owned western lands to . It is known that Jefferson proposed a rectangular survey system, although his system was based on the decimal system -- townships 10 miles by 10 miles. The rectangular survey system is comprised of principal meridian lines that cover most states in the US, running north to south and baselines running east to west. Marketable Title Overview & Importance | What is a Marketable Title? The Rectangular Survey Method established a standard measurement and origin point for all properties to follow using a grid system. Were not done yet. Definition of "Government rectangular survey". Now, 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. It is considered as one of the most significant subdividing of the United States mainland. When identifying property locations, you will always reference which principal meridian it is located near. Types of Tenancy in Real Estate | Overview, Leases & Examples, Lien Theory State vs. Because of the curvature of the earth, correction lines and guide meridians are used to compensate. succeed. So, in the example above, Township 4 South would be T4S. Surveyed land was sold by the government, providing important revenue for the cash-starved nation. by six miles square (for a total area of 36 square miles or 23,040 acres). These tools will help you assess your knowledge of concepts pertaining to the Rectangular Survey System. 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 range lines run north and south parallel to the principal meridians. 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. The Lot and Block System has a map showing lot dimensions approved by the Board of County Commissioners. The system uses Metes, which are straight lines connecting two points, and Bounds, which are identifiable aspects of a property. Livable, Rentable & Usable Area: Definition & Examples. That means it is 3 townships north of the baseline and 5 townships east of the principal meridian. Every fourth township line is called a correction line, and every fourth range line is called a guide meridian. The lines are spaced 24 miles apart, creating squares that are around 576 square miles. Imagine trying to draw straight lines on a rubber ball. The rectangular survey or government survey describes land by reference to a. It is a rectangular approach to surveying the land breaking the district down to quadrangles of 24 miles. Think about two lines running from left to right across this page about an inch apart. Government Survey System or Public Land Survey System functions just like a mailing label on an envelope. Sections can be further divided into halves and quarters. In other words, after section number 6, it drops down to 7 on the next tier then goes left to right to number 12. Doing the math, its 1/2 1/4 640 = 80 acres. Accretion, Avulsion & Reliction: Definition & Effects, Extent of Ownership and Real Property: Air, Surface & Subsurface, Real Property vs. Real Estate | Concepts, Terms & Differences. 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. The area created by the intersection of a township line and a range line is a township. The range lines run north and south parallel to the principal meridians. 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. 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 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. Metes and bounds were used as the primary survey method before 1785 and were fairly inaccurate, especially before GPS technology. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. However, rivers can be moved, and trees can die, so as you can see, this method is wildly inaccurate over time. Township lines run east and west and are also found six miles apart. 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\"]\"quarter A quarter section can be split into smaller parts.