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. Using those lines for references, quadrangles are formed, which are smaller squares identifiable by where they are located near the principal meridian and baseline. Monuments are also placed at quarter-section corners and at other important points, such as the corners of government lots. Which States Use the Rectangular Survey System. But the final plan included subdivision of the lands into townships, then into sections and further into aliquot parts. Surveyors also establish an east-west line from which all measurements originate. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It is known that Jefferson proposed a rectangular survey system, although his system was based on the decimal system -- townships 10 miles by 10 miles. The numbering continues directly beneath the sixth section, except that it progresses from left to right on the second tier. It is a rectangular approach to surveying the land breaking the district down to quadrangles of 24 miles. All lands in the public domain are subject to subdivision by this rectangular system of surveys. Also Check: When Is Open Enrollment For Government Healthcare. Congress created it in 1785 as a more straightforward, faster and more accurate way to identify land. The first set of lines are called the principal meridians and run north and south. The rectangular survey describes property location as fractions of sections, which are part of townships, and provide distance measurements from principal meridians, base lines and range lines. You have 80 acres in that plot of land, and that is your answer. When identifying property locations, you will always reference which principal meridian it is located near. Also known as the Rectangular Survey System, it was created by the Land Ordinance of 1785 to survey land ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Paris in 1783, following the end of the American Revolution. The legal description can be further described by indicating which directional half or quadrants of the section, as well. Principal meridians, quadrangles, townships, then sections its that easy, dont overthink it.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'realestatelicensewizard_com-leader-1','ezslot_6',691,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realestatelicensewizard_com-leader-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'realestatelicensewizard_com-leader-1','ezslot_7',691,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realestatelicensewizard_com-leader-1-0_1');.leader-1-multi-691{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}.