The following is a list of helpful terms:\r\n
- \r\n \t
- Quadrangles: The basic squares of land of the rectangular survey system, quadrangles (also government checks, or just checks) are 24 miles square (that means each side is 24 miles long) and are delineated by a principal meridian and a baseline. The Rectangular Survey Method established a standard measurement and origin point for all properties to follow using a grid system. They are the starting points for describing a propertys boundaries. 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 area created by the intersection of a township line and a range line is a township. 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 Surveyor General was later merged with the General Land Office, which later became a part of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management . Since nothing is perfect, some sections of land ended up being larger or smaller than they should. For the real estate exam, youll need to know the two primary survey methods. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. This process continues, creating a smaller and smaller grid that can be used to identify the specific location of any property. Simply multiply 640 by or 0.25, which equals 160, then multiply 160 by 1/2 or 0.5, which equals 80. We know that there are 640 acres in one section, and we are taking a 1/4 of a 1/2 section. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. is a way of subdividing and describing land in the United States. It is the lands boundary lines that also have terminal points and angles. 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 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. If you want to define smaller properties, we can take the southeast of section 3, which will only be 160 acres. To find the area of something we take the length times the width. For the real estate exam, youll need to know the two primary survey methods. Townships are 36 miles square, 6 miles on each side, and are located within quadrangles. 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. These are known as correction lines and guide meridians. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Township lines, which run east and west, parallel to baselines, are horizontal parallel lines that form township tiers.\r\n\r\nThink about two lines running from left to right across this page about an inch apart. )\r\n
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. [2] Using the Fifth Principal Meridian in Missouri, the description would look like this: The W 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of Section 14, Township 2 South, Range 3 West of the Fifth Principal Meridian, Missouri. Also Check: Government Help With Home Down Payment. The Rectangular Survey System is a means of dividing and measuring large areas of land. She has a Masters in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor's in English from Thomas Edison State University. Correction lines occur at every fourth township line or every 24 miles north and south of the baseline. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. The Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Government Survey System or Public Land Survey System, is a method of plotting land boundaries in the United States using a large grid made up of rectangles. -also known as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), because it was originally, used to survey federally owned blocks of land-is regulated by the, The rectangular government survey system is used in 30 western and southern states. There are 36 sections in a township, and each section contains one square mile, which is 640 acres. by six miles square (for a total area of 36 square miles or 23,040 acres). This system is also needed to divide all of the lands in the public domain which is possessed by the US federal government to benefit the American citizens. Previous to the Public Land Survey System, land was surveyed using a confusing landmark-based system called metes and bounds. Dont Miss: Small Business Loan Government Programs. He teaches pre-licensing and continuing education courses for salespeople, brokers, and appraisers. It references principal meridians and baselines designated throughout the Texas Real Estate Sales Agent Exam: Practice & Study Guide, Michigan Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Michigan Real Estate Salesperson Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Georgia Real Estate Salesperson Exam: Study Guide & Practice, West Virginia Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, West Virginia Real Estate Salesperson Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Wyoming Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, California Real Estate Salesperson Exam: Study Guide, Virginia Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Exam: Study Guide, Arizona Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Exam: Study Guide, Arizona Real Estate Broker License Exam: Study Guide, North Carolina Real Estate Broker License: Study Guide, Florida Real Estate Sales Associate Exam: Test Prep & Study Guide, Tennessee Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Tennessee Real Estate Affiliate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Maryland Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Maryland Real Estate Salesperson Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Montana Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Kentucky Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Create an account to start this course today. These townships are not the same as political subdivisions.\r\n
Each township is further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each, or 640 acres, by horizontal and vertical section lines. The following is a list of helpful terms: Correction lines and guide meridians were established to correct this problem in the government survey system. Only about half of the state in the U.S. use the rectangular survey system. The grid is divided into smaller sections known as quadrangles, townships, sections, half-sections, and quarter-sections used to describe property boundaries in most of the United States. 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. [/caption]\r\n\r\nEach section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. A simple approach to a complex concept, Jeff gives students practical guidance that can be used on any Government Rectangular Survey question. Imagine trying to draw straight lines on a rubber ball. Understand its process through the given examples. He is also a real estate investor, board gamer and homebrewer. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. D. Rectangular government survey C Jacob is a developer who purchased 78 acres and had it subdivided into halfacre lots. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. You got it: Tic tac toe. 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 numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. Baselines run parallel to the earths equator, from east to west. There is more than one type of legal description you must know for your exam. However, rivers can be moved, and trees can die, so as you can see, this method is wildly inaccurate over time. He teaches pre-licensing and continuing education courses for salespeople, brokers, and appraisers.
","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. Also Check: When Is Open Enrollment For Government Healthcare. The Rectangular Survey System is the basis for the PLSS and is used to survey all public lands in the United States. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. 27 chapters | Every fourth township line is called a correction line, and every fourth range line is called a guide meridian. Also Check: Government Regulations For Nonprofit Organizations. The system uses Metes, which are straight lines connecting two points, and Bounds, which are identifiable aspects of a property. Quadrangles have an area of 576 square miles, more or less, and are divided into 16 townships.
\r\n \t - Townships: The divisions of a quadrangle, townships, are six miles square (six miles on each side) and are delineated by township lines. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 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. flashcard sets. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. You may be asked to identify sections in the Rectangular Survey System, so remember the order from specific to general. 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. 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. In reality, because of this earth curvature issue, many sections and townships vary from their exact area measurements. The Rectangular Survey System is a grid system of townships and sections that is used to divide the land into manageable units. It isn't used by East Coast states except, Florida, and it also isn't used by Texas. The roads in a lot of communities in the U.S. run along survey Base Lines as well just like in Arkansas, especially in Little Rock, the baseline road follows the baseline used by the Louisiana Purchase surveyors. The township and range definition of a parcel of land, then, is its location in relation to the township and range lines. Police Power in Real Estate Significance & Examples | What is Police Power? A system of fractional sections and government lots are parts of standard practice to account for these discrepancies.\r\n\r\nSo how does the system describe land? How Do You Use the Rectangular Survey System? 2021 KnowYourGovernment.netContact us: [emailprotected], Introduction to administration of Web Survey System Part 2, Estimating a weighted average CSR2 in Iowa using the USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey, How To Find Lost Money From The Government, What Is The Interest Rate On Government Student Loans, Local Government Federal Credit Union App, When Is Open Enrollment For Government Healthcare, Government Grants For Commercial Real Estate, Government Regulations For Nonprofit Organizations, Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory, Energy Efficient Windows Government Grants, Mortgage Loans For Federal Government Employees, Free Government Foreclosure Listings With Pictures. [/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. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. Government Survey Systems were originally created by the US Congress in 1785 as a way of identifying land faster and more accurately. 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. These divisions mean just that. Manage Settings Because the rectangular or government survey system was instituted when the United States was a brand-new country, it was used to describe most of the land west of the original 13 . The land is then further divided into quadrangles. The area created by the intersection of a township line and a range line is a township. Guide meridians run north to south, parallel with principal meridians. So, you can refer to the south (S) 1/2 of the northwest (NW) 1/4 of a section in a township, for example. Those states are: An error occurred trying to load this video. The rectangular survey or government survey describes. The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. All township locations are defined by referencing how from they are from the principal meridian and baseline. In other words, after section number 6, it drops down to 7 on the next tier then goes left to right to number 12. So, there can be the north, south, east, or west half section.
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![\"quarter](\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/real-estate-exam-quarter-section.jpg\")
A quarter section can be split into smaller parts. It uses the 37 principal meridian lines that run north to south across the U.S. and baselines that run east to west. The township is the basic unit of measurement in the rectangular survey system. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. We know that there are 640 acres in one section, and we are taking a 1/4 of a 1/2 section. 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. {"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"articleState":{"article":{"headers":{"creationTime":"2020-12-02T18:41:21+00:00","modifiedTime":"2021-03-11T20:17:19+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:17:55+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Study Skills & Test Prep","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33772"},"slug":"study-skills-test-prep","categoryId":33772},{"name":"Real Estate Licensure Exam","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33793"},"slug":"real-estate-licensure-exam","categoryId":33793}],"title":"Real Estate License Exam: The Rectangular Survey System","strippedTitle":"real estate license exam: the rectangular survey system","slug":"real-estate-license-exam-the-rectangular-survey-system","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn about the rectangular survey system and how land is broken up into quadrangles, sections, and townships in the United States. We have Quarter sections, Half sections, township sections, townships, quadrangles, and principal meridians with baselines. Rectangular Government Survey System The rectangular government survey system -also known as the Public Land Survey Each section is numbered, starting at the top right corner and going back and forth, left to right, in a serpentine pattern. The range and township lines create a 36-square-mile area called a township. There are 37 principal meridians in the national survey, which are referred to when. These townships are not the same as political subdivisions. 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. After six years of aircrew service in the Air Force, he earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix following a BS from the University of Maryland. Jeff Davis with American Realty Academy, covering the infamous Government Rectangular Survey. These divisions mean just that. Townships are further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each. The land is then further divided into quadrangles. The guide meridians occur every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian. The townships are consecutively numbered by their location within the intersection of multiple range lines and township lines. Originally proposed by Thomas Jefferson, the PLSS began shortly after the Revolutionary War, when the Federal government became responsible for large areas west of the thirteen original colonies. A Metes and Bounds survey may read something like commencing from the large apple tree 1 mile to the north, west along the river bed. However, rivers can be moved, and trees can die, so as you can see, this method is wildly inaccurate over time. You can think of this system as a gigantic checkerboard, as it has a bunch of intersecting lines that form squares into a grid. 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. They are the starting points for describing a propertys boundaries. a rectangular system of land survey that divides a district into 24-square mile quadrangles from the meridian (north-south line) and the baseline (east-west line); the tracts are divided into 6-mile-square parts called townships, which are in turn divided into 36 tracts, each 1 mile square, called sections. The legal description includes the state name, the meridian name, the township and range directions, and usually the section number. The townships are consecutively numbered by their location within the intersection of multiple range lines and township lines. Townships are subdivided into 36 one-mile- square sections. 1. Section 1 within any township is always located at the upper right or northeast corner of the township. The boundary of each township is 6 miles long, so a township contains 36 square miles and is described as being 6 miles square. Remember, there are 36 square miles in a township, and each section is 1 square mile. ","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"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. From this initial . These sections are referred to as fractional sections. . It will serve as the basis for surveys of government in a specified area under its jurisdiction. Dont Miss: American Government A Brief Introduction. 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