Understanding Township Lines in the U.S. Public Land Survey System

The Grid System and Townships

Township lines intersect with range lines to create townships in the United States Public Land Survey System. Each township is a square that measures six miles on each side. This means that each township covers an area of 36 square miles, as it is six miles wide and six miles long. The townships are further subdivided into sections of one square mile each, and each section is 640 acres.

Historical Context and Purpose

The rectangular survey system was developed to facilitate the sale of public lands in the United States and still impacts land ownership patterns today. Thomas Jefferson introduced the system to address problems associated with the metes and bounds survey system, which led to irregular and unclear land divisions. As a result, much of the land in the western states, when viewed from an airplane, appears as a neat, orderly grid.