How Many Acres Is A Section Of Land

Locating features Using the United claims Public land Survey mechanism (Township and Range) and also Google EarthTM

	Section: The straightforward unit the the system, a square piece of soil one mile by one mile include 640 acres. You are watching: How many acres is a section of land
	Township: 36 sections i ordered it in a 6 by 6 square, measuring 6 mile by 6 miles. Sections space numbered beginning with the northeast-most ar (#1), proceeding west come 6, then south along the west leaf of the township and to the east (#36 is in the SE corner).
	Range: Assigned come a township through measuring east or west that a primary Meridian
	Range Lines: The phibìc to south lines which note township boundaries.
	Township Lines: The eastern to west present which note township boundaries.
	Principal Meridian: The reference or beginning allude for measuring eastern or west ranges. Map the meridians & basic lines native the BLM yellowcomic.com server
	Base line: reference or beginning suggest for measuring phibìc or southern townships.

Understanding floor Descriptions We"ll start with the biggest grouping, the township. The place of a particular township is given using the hatchet of "township and range". The township is called in referral to a primary Meridian and also a Baseline. Right here is one example, T.2N., R.1E. The T.2N. Refers to Township 2 north (of the Baseline), and the R.1E. Refers to range 1 east (of the major Meridian).

Next, each township is separated into 36 sections. Each section is one mile square and also contains 640 acres. The sections space numbered native 1 come 36 in the order displayed in the graph to the left (see the yellow squares which present a "complete" township). The various other colored squares stand for "incomplete" townships.

Within each section, the floor is described as fifty percent and 4 minutes 1 sections. A one-sixteenth division is referred to as a quarter of a quarter, together in the NW1/4 the the NW1/4. The descriptions are review from the smallest division to the largest.

ONE ar = 640 acre

A ar is likewise broken down right into acres. Sample descriptions space in the ( )s.

A complete section consists of 640 Acres.
	A fifty percent section (S1/2) contains 320 Acres.
	A quarter section (NE1/4) has 160 Acres.
	An eighth section (N1/2 the NW1/4) includes 80 Acres.
	A sixteen ar (SW1/4 the NW1/4) consists of 40 Acres.

Locating a location Using USPLS land Descriptions A land description generally starts through the smallest part of the description and also proceeds come the biggest definition. Because that example, NW1/4 that NE1/4 of section 8, T.2N., R.1E. Would certainly be the northwest 4 minutes 1 of the northeast quarter of section 8 in township 3 phibìc and selection 2 east. To locate a attribute on the landscape utilizing a land description, you should work indigenous the largest component to the smallest part.

Step 1 As pointed out above, to find a function of interest, girlfriend should find the largest component using the township and selection supplied in the description first. In this case T.2N., R.1E. Psychic the T.2N. Describes Township 2 north (of the Baseline), and also the R.1E. Advert to variety 1 east (of the major Meridian). Step 2 after ~ you have located the correct township, you will certainly next need to find the correct section within that township. Using the instance given above the land summary states section 8, T.2N., R.1E. Therefore you would look in the township uncovered in action 1 for ar 8.

Step 3 currently that you have located the correct ar you require to find where in this section your land function is located. Our instance says NW1/4 the NE1/4 of section 8, T.2N., R.1E. So you would first look in section 8 because that the NE1/4 that the ar (shown together orange in the chart to the left.) ~ locating the NE1/4 of the section your last step will it is in to uncover the NW1/4 of the NE1/4 (shown in aqua in the chart to the left.) The well is normally located at or near the facility of the critical unit given.

Let"s watch at an example using Google EarthTM in Arizona

The image below shows the townships bordering the intersection the the principal Meridian and also the Baseline (the township through Avondale and Tolleson to add the two directly south of them) in the State that Arizona. Of theseTownships, the ones labeling T. 1 N. Are in a place one township phibìc of Baseline (which is Baseline Road) and those labeling T. 1 S. Are one township to the south. Selection values labeled with a "W" room one township west the the primary Meridian and those v an "E" are one come the east. I have also significant the center of township T. 1 S., R. 2 W. (one township southern of Baseline and two townships west the the major Meridian). We will zoom in ~ above the township comprise Tolleson in the next image below.

Next we check out the township T. 1 N., R. 1 E. Together with the 36 sections that makeup the township itself. Note the numbering system. Section 1 is in the excessive NE corner of the township and we number them moving west. Drop down a row and continue numbering moving east. Store numbering in this fashion until we reach the last section, number 36, discovered in the excessive SE corner of the township. In an exercise, you are asked to determine if there are any type of "complete" congressional townships. To identify this, you need to see all 36 sections in your totality because that the entire township numbered as presented below. If any part of a section or part is missing, then the township is not complete.

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Now, let"s look in ~ the Glendale Quadrangle with the township overlays displayed. The orange borders are the outlines of the townships and also the purple boundaries are the outlines because that the individual sections. Space there any type of complete townships top top the Glendale Quadrangle? Look at it prior to you review the answer...No, over there aren"t any kind of complete townships. How many incomplete townships are there? counting them before you read the answer...There are 4 incomplete townships ~ above the Glendale map. As soon as you need to do this on the Folsom, NM quadrangle, girlfriend will need to survey (carefully look over) the map and determine if over there is a complete township top top the map. Given the dimension of a township loved one to a 1:24,000 map (scale of Folsom, NM quad is the exact same as the for Glendale below), it is unlikely that there would certainly be more than one finish congressional township on the map area. As soon as you"ve excellent that, you must count how many incomplete townships over there are. Be mindful that you do not count the sections. Township T. 3 N., R. 1 E. Is highlighed through a more thickness orange rundown (upper left township). Any kind of object of interest (school, house, business, etc) within this crate would have a USPLS designation of T. 3 N., R. 1 E. The City that Glendale would certainly be in T. 2 N., R. 2 E. To check out the divisions in between the townships, we need to zoom in come the edges of the map area and also look for the red text. The image listed below this big map reflects an enlargement of such a department along the top edge of the map (where the orange township boundary intersects the map edge). See listed below where the orange line separates R. 1 E. Indigenous R. 2 E.