View Rectangular Government Survey System.pdf from PLST 222 at Liberty University. The guide meridians occur every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian. The boundary of each township is 6 miles long, so a township contains 36 square miles and is described as being 6 miles square. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. Land Description Government Rectangular Survey For 2019 | Real Estate Exam Prep. Congress created it in 1785 as a more straightforward, faster and more accurate way to identify land. It will serve as the basis for surveys of government in a specified area under its jurisdiction. Where the two range lines and two township lines intersect, they form a township. How many rows in a survey of sections of a township? 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 townships are consecutively numbered by their location within the intersection of multiple range lines and township lines. The Rectangular Survey System is a means of dividing and measuring large areas of land. However, the system calculations also have to be adjusted somewhat to account for the curvature of the earth, which required the addition of Guide Meridians and Standard Parallels. [/caption]\r\n\r\nEach section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. ( the major vertical line) -37 in the U.S. Base Line The horizontal line ( the major one) Ranges Using principal meridians and baselines as points of reference, land areas are divided by two kinds of lines, township lines and range lines. You may have math questions on your real estate licensing exam related to this concept. The Rectangular Survey Method established a standard measurement and origin point for all properties to follow using a grid system. He teaches pre-licensing and continuing education courses for salespeople, brokers, and appraisers. For the real estate exam, youll need to know the two primary survey methods. As the United States grew from its original 13 colonies, a system was needed to identify who owned what land. All lands in the public domain are subject to subdivision by this rectangular system of surveys. These range lines form ranges. The section in the bottom left corner, the southwest corner, is section 36. Read Also: Government Grants For Commercial Real Estate. The first set of lines are called the principal meridians and run north and south. Government Survey Systems were originally created by the US Congress in 1785 as a way of identifying land faster and more accurately. Principal meridians run perpendicular to the earths equator, north to south. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Sign up for the newsletter to get exclusive real estate exam tips that I don't share anywhere else. 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. 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. Simply multiply 640 by or 0.25, which equals 160, then multiply 160 by 1/2 or 0.5, which equals 80. 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? As with most things, there are pros and cons of using the Rectangular Survey System. Areas smaller than full-size sections are known as government lots and are numbered and placed in fractional sections. The Rectangular Survey System is used for surveying land for sale and settling, along with the Metes and Bounds survey method. These are known as correction lines and guide meridians. The Rectangular Survey System is a method of surveying designed to divide the real property into specified plots. 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. The area includes sections (1 mile on each side), townships (6 miles on each side), and quadrangles (24 miles on each side). Accretion, Avulsion & Reliction: Definition & Effects, Extent of Ownership and Real Property: Air, Surface & Subsurface, Real Property vs. Real Estate | Concepts, Terms & Differences. As mentioned above, basically you can think of the US as a huge checkerboard, with vertical and horizontal lines splitting it up. The land can be further divided into even smaller sections by dividing the halves or quarters into smaller halves or quarters. They are often combined to create a more accurate map of property boundaries. The grid is further divided by lines that run parallel to and between the principal meridian lines, called range lines, and lines that run parallel to and between the baselines, called township lines. Additionally, the terms used in the Rectangular Survey System can have different meanings under other systems of measurement and governmental designations. Rectangular Survey System - Divides land into rectangles - The system is based on two sets of lines - Principal Meridians and Base Lines Principal Meridians - Vertical lines, crossing base line. - The system, which was adopted in 1785, is also called the U.S. System of Rectangular Surveys or the rectangular method. Range lines are equally located six miles apart, and the columns of land they create are known as ranges. The system was created by Thomas Jefferson in 1785. The township and range definition of a parcel of land, then, is its location in relation to the township and range lines. Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. In reality, because of this earth curvature issue, many sections and townships vary from their exact area measurements. Townships are subdivided into 36 one-mile- square sections. 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. Definition of "Government rectangular survey". )

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. Ian is a 3D printing and digital design entrepreneur with over five years of professional experience. Township lines run east and west and are also found six miles apart. It is a rectangular approach to surveying the land breaking the district down to quadrangles of 24 miles. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Land is designated as either a base line (East-West) or principal meridian line (North-South). After the Revolutionary War ended, the United States Government needed a way to describe lands in the West to insure locating and selling. 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. Townships are identified based on their location to the point of origin where the principal meridian line meets the baseline. 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. 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. I feel like its a lifeline. The strips of land they form are known as township tiers. Also known as the rectangular survey system or public land survey system, the government survey system refers to a federal land survey system that uses (north and south lines) meridians and (east and west lines) base lines. 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. Its worth noting; quadrangles are not used when identifying land with the rectangular survey method, only the principal meridians, baselines, and townships and sections. These divisions mean just that. Metes and bounds were used as the primary survey method before 1785 and were fairly inaccurate, especially before GPS technology. Records kept by the surveyors during the execution of the work varied over time. . Other survey systems include the metes and bounds system and the lot and block system. It was originally proposed by President Thomas Jefferson and is sometimes referred to as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). True of False - When land is mapped on the rectangular survey system, you locate the parcel by reading the directions from left to right. Township locations are identified by tier or township lines and ranges. The guide meridians occur every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian. Concepts will include principal meridians, the PLSS, and how sections of a township are. Principal meridians run perpendicular to the earths equator, north to south. You need to know what these lines are called and how they intersect for your real estate license exam. Prior to the land ordinance of 1785 and the Rectangular Survey System, the state lands state which would be the 13 colonies, surveyed their land with meets and bound system. Land is designated as either a base line (East-West) or principal meridian line (North-South). is a way of subdividing and describing land in the United States. Section information is added to the property description as such: Missouri, Fifth Principal Meridian, T5S, R4W, sec 24. Easement Appurtenant Features & Examples | What is an Easement in Real Estate? )\r\nThe description probably would include the state and county in which the property is located and use abbreviations. Township lines run parallel to the baseline, from east to west, defining how far north and south of the baseline a township is located. There are several advantages of the rectangular land survey system. 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. These range lines form ranges. 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. 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. Guide meridians run true north, and the intersecting correction line is shorter than a township line. For example, a piece of land could be identified as the southeast quarter of section 18 of a township, which would be 160 acres. 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. Some data is missing in this version that is included in the old version. Constructive Notice in Real Estate Overview & Law | What is Constructive Notice? The Rectangular Survey Method established a standard measurement and origin point for all properties to follow using a grid system. The system is used to divide public lands into townships, sections, halves, and quarters. 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. Using principal meridians and baselines as points of reference, land areas are divided by two kinds of lines, township lines and range lines. Halves are 320 acres, and quarters are each 160 acres. The earths curvature led to the creation of additional lines called Guide Meridians that is perpendicular to the baseline. The Rectangular Survey System was established in 1785 to identify, divide, and measure land, creating boundary lines for property owners. Guide meridians run north to south, parallel with principal meridians. Now known as the Public Land Survey System, this system divided the western lands into grid-shaped townships and sections. The largest grid comprises of two types of lines, principal meridians, and baselines. 276 lessons There are 16 townships in each quadrangle. The Surveyor General was later merged with the General Land Office, which later became a part of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management . 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 Rectangular Survey System is a method of surveying designed to divide the real property into specified plots. Metes & Bounds System in Real Estate | Metes & Bounds Survey Examples & Legal Description. A mailing label lists your name, street address, city, state, and country. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. Create your account. ","blurb":"","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 may be asked to identify sections in the Rectangular Survey System, so remember the order from specific to general. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. Each half or quarter section can be further subdivided into halves and quarters. Baselines run parallel to the earths equator, from east to west. The township is the basic unit of measurement in the rectangular survey system. Understand its process through the given examples. Of course. It is extended north from the Base Line and runs at 24 miles east and west from the principal meridian. 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. It is a rectangular approach to surveying the land breaking the district down to quadrangles of 24 miles. The land is then further divided into quadrangles. 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. The PLSS is actually a series of surveys that divide land into townships that are six miles. Standard parallels run east to west along with the baseline. Imagine trying to draw straight lines on a rubber ball. The Base Line in United States Rectangular Survey System meets its principal meridian at the point of origin, or initial point, for the survey of the land. Townships have an area of 36 square miles, more or less, and are each further divided into 36 sections.\r\n \t