Public Land Survey System (PLSS)

The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the standardized method used to divide and describe land across much of the United States, especially in the Midwest and western states where most rural land is located.

What is the PLSS?

Developed in the late 1700s, the PLSS (also called the Township and Range System) organizes land into a grid for consistent identification and transfer of property.

How It Works

  • Townships – 6×6 mile squares (36 square miles)
  • Ranges – Columns east or west of a principal meridian
  • Sections – Each township has 36 sections, each 640 acres

Sections can be subdivided into smaller parcels (160 acres, 40 acres, and more), allowing precise legal descriptions.

Where It Is Used

  • Covers most land west of the original colonies
  • Common in states like Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado
  • Estimated to cover about 60–70% of U.S. land

Where It Is Not Used

  • The original 13 states and much of the Eastern U.S.
  • Texas and some other states with prior survey systems

These areas typically use irregular metes and bounds descriptions.

Why It Matters

  • Provides clear, grid-based legal descriptions
  • Essential for locating rural land without addresses
  • Simplifies buying and verifying land in western states

Tip: In non-PLSS states, county GIS maps are usually the best way to locate property.

Find Location (from Legal Description) Using this System


Find Legal Description (from Map) Using this System