Other survey systems include the metes and bounds system and the lot and block system. 1 Square mile is equal to 640 acres. Sections can be further subdivided into quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, or irregular government lots. The government survey system divides the country into a huge grid using principal meridians that run north to south and baselines that run east to west. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 (The figure below shows a variety of divisions in a quarter section. 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. There may also be questions about how much land is in a specific plot or section. -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. It is primarily used throughout the United States with the exception of the thirteen colonies, which was surveyed by the metes and bound method . lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. These range lines form ranges. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. According to historian Matthew Dennis, this rectangular survey system allowed the leaders of the young government to apply their "nationalistic, scientific, and engineering mentality in transforming the continental landscape of North America, reconceptualizing its space, subduing and organizing it, and distributing it to white yeoman farmers in The real estate exam probably wont ask you what states use the Metes and Bounds system or the Rectangular Survey System, but they may ask you which system your state uses. Government Survey System or Public Land Survey System functions just like a mailing label on an envelope. 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. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. These surveys, completed between 1848 and May 1857 were primarily on land located between the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers or in the southeastern corner of Minnesota. You got it: Tic tac toe. For example, a Bound could be a road, tree, river, or large rock. The rectangular survey system was enacted by the Land Ordinance Act of 1785. The Lot and Block System has a map showing lot dimensions approved by the Board of County Commissioners. Accretion, Avulsion & Reliction: Definition & Effects, Extent of Ownership and Real Property: Air, Surface & Subsurface, Real Property vs. Real Estate | Concepts, Terms & Differences. 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 principal meridian lines are named or numbered to identify their location. You can drill down by clicking on the land map, but you need to click the calc button to get the latitude and longitude. This version has a more visual interface, which was optimized to explore the dataset. The PLSS typically divides land into 6-mile-square townships. The guide meridians occur every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Only about half of the states in the United States still use the Rectangular Survey System. The Base Line in United States Rectangular Survey System meets its principal meridian at the point of origin, or initial point, for the survey of the land. Areas smaller than full-size sections are known as government lots and are numbered and placed in fractional sections. From this initial . You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. [/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 system is based on the principle of surveying the land from a fixed point, called a baseline, and . Principal meridians run perpendicular to the earths equator, north to south. The Public Land Survey System is the surveying method developed and used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling. After the Revolutionary War ended, the United States Government needed a way to describe lands in the West to insure locating and selling. . That could be further divided into quarters, such as the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 18 of a township would be 40 acres. Doing the math, its 1/2 1/4 640 = 80 acres. A government check represents an area that measures 576 square miles. Marketable Title Overview & Importance | What is a Marketable Title? Doing the math, its 1/2 1/4 640 = 80 acres.

\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274746\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"] A quarter section can be split into smaller parts. How Do You Use the Rectangular Survey System? Think about two more lines running up and down the page on top of the first two lines, also about an inch apart. 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. Townships have an area of 36 square miles, more or less, and are each further divided into 36 sections.\r\n \t

Sections: The divisions of a township, sections, are one mile square and have an area of one square mile, or 640 acres. You need to know what these lines are called and how they intersect for your real estate license exam. \"https://sb\" : \"http://b\") + \".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\";el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);})();\r\n","enabled":true},{"pages":["all"],"location":"footer","script":"\r\n

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