Tools
A township-and-range description narrows a broad survey framework into smaller named divisions. This guide uses an original diagram, not a present property or boundary map.
Read the full description#
“Township 2 South, Range 3 East, Humboldt Meridian” names a survey township relative to the Humboldt system’s baseline and principal meridian. T2S is an abbreviation for Township 2 South; R3E abbreviates Range 3 East. The directions and meridian name are part of the reference, not optional decoration.
A section number identifies one division within a township. In a regular township the sections are numbered 1 through 36 in a back-and-forth arrangement. The example below highlights Section 27 to teach the notation. It does not claim that an entire road, address, or property occupies that section. BLM land-description guide.
Explore a schematic township#
Select a section to see its number. All cells are equal squares for teaching purposes. The illustration has no coordinates, terrain, road alignment, parcel geometry, or survey authority.
Section 27 is the example selection. Township 2 South, Range 3 East, Humboldt Meridian.
Compare with the cataloged 1876 township plat or return to the Humboldt Meridian research center. The plat is a township-level source; selecting a diagram cell does not imply the library has a separate record for that section.
Quarter sections and quarter-quarter sections#
Aliquot parts subdivide an area using fractions. A quarter section is one quarter of a section. A quarter-quarter section is one quarter of a quarter. Directional names, such as northeast and southwest, describe which subdivision is meant.
Original educational illustration; not an actual survey subdivision.
In the regular model, a section is nominally 640 acres, a quarter 160 acres, and a quarter-quarter 40 acres. Actual survey returns may include irregular or fractional areas. The survey publications gateway points to the instructions and glossary used for more precise study.
A practical reading order#
- Identify the named meridian and baseline system.
- Retain the township number and north/south direction.
- Retain the range number and east/west direction.
- Identify the section number.
- Read any fractional subdivision as part of the complete description.
- Consult the actual plat and field notes for the historical record.
The survey-to-GIS guide explains why this notation, a scanned plat, and an online map are different kinds of information. Use the historic maps library to find the documents already cataloged here.
Last materially updated and reviewed: 8 September 2026.