PLSS
PLSS
The Public Land Survey System, a method of subdividing and describing land in the United States using townships, ranges, and sections.
Detailed Definition
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the surveying method developed and used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling. It is based on principal meridians and base lines from which the land is divided into 6-mile square townships.
- Township: A 6-mile by 6-mile square containing 36 sections
- Range: Columns of townships numbered east or west from a principal meridian
- Section: A 1-mile by 1-mile square (640 acres) within a township
- Aliquot Parts: Subdivisions of sections (quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, etc.)
The PLSS covers approximately 30 states, primarily west of the Mississippi River. It is fundamental to land descriptions for mining claims, oil and gas leases, and property ownership.