PLSS

Township, Range, and Section

The hierarchical land description system within PLSS, identifying land by its position relative to principal meridians and base lines.

Detailed Definition

Township, Range, and Section (TRS) is the standard method of describing land location within the Public Land Survey System (PLSS).

Township (T): Identifies the horizontal row of 6-mile squares, numbered north or south from a base line (e.g., T3N = Township 3 North)
Range (R): Identifies the vertical column of 6-mile squares, numbered east or west from a principal meridian (e.g., R5W = Range 5 West)
Section (Sec): Identifies one of 36 one-mile-square divisions within a township, numbered 1-36

Example: "NE/4 of Section 15, T3N, R5W" describes the northeast quarter of Section 15 in Township 3 North, Range 5 West.

This system is essential for mining claims, oil and gas leases, and all land transactions on public lands.

The Public Land Survey System, a method of subdividing and describing land in the United States using townships, ranges, and sections.

The formal written description of a parcel of land that uniquely identifies its location and boundaries for legal purposes.

In the PLSS, a column of townships running north-south, numbered east or west from a principal meridian.

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.

A one-square-mile (640-acre) unit of land within a PLSS township, numbered 1-36 in a serpentine pattern.

A 160-acre subdivision of a section, identified by compass direction (NE, NW, SE, SW), which can be further subdivided into 40-acre parcels.

In the PLSS, an irregular fractional subdivision of a section, typically found along township edges where sections are not perfectly square.