Township
In the PLSS, a row of sections running east-west, numbered north or south from a baseline, forming a 6-mile by 6-mile area containing 36 sections.
Detailed Definition
In the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), a township has two meanings: (1) a row of sections running east-west, numbered north or south from a baseline, and (2) the specific 6-mile by 6-mile area defined by the intersection of a township row and a range column, containing 36 sections.
Township as a row: - Rows are numbered sequentially north and south from a baseline - Township 1 North (T1N) is the first row north of the baseline - Township 1 South (T1S) is the first row south of the baseline - Each township row is approximately 6 miles from north to south
Township as an area: - A township is a 6-mile by 6-mile area (approximately 36 square miles) - Contains 36 sections, each approximately 1 mile square (640 acres) - Sections are numbered 1-36 in a serpentine pattern starting from the northeast corner - Total area is approximately 23,040 acres (36 sections x 640 acres)
Township notation: - "T3N" means Township 3 North of the baseline - "T7S" means Township 7 South of the baseline - Combined with range: "T3N, R5W" identifies a specific township
Section numbering within a township: Sections are numbered in a serpentine (back-and-forth) pattern: - Row 1 (top): 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (east to west, then wraps) - Row 2: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (west to east) - Continuing to Section 36 in the southeast corner
Townships are the fundamental organizational unit of the PLSS.
Related Terms
PLSS
The Public Land Survey System, a method of subdividing and describing land in the United States using townships, ranges, and sections.
Township, Range, and Section
The hierarchical land description system within PLSS, identifying land by its position relative to principal meridians and base lines.
Base Line
An east-west reference line running through an initial point, from which townships are numbered north and south.
Range
In the PLSS, a column of townships running north-south, numbered east or west from a principal meridian.
Section
A one-square-mile (640-acre) unit of land within a PLSS township, numbered 1-36 in a serpentine pattern.