AI Agent for QGIS
Ask AI Agent in QGIS to load the township and section grid next to your leases and wells.
Free plan, no credit card.
AI AgentFrequently asked questions
How do I read section, township and range?
Read the description from the smallest part to the largest: SESE Sec 33 T12N R3W, Indian Meridian is the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 33, in the township 12 rows north of the baseline and the range 3 columns west of the Indian Meridian.
How are sections numbered in a township?
A township holds 36 sections of about one square mile, numbered like a snake: 1 to 6 from east to west along the top row, 7 to 12 back from west to east, and so on down to 36 in the southeast corner.
Which states use the PLSS?
30 states, most of the land west and north of Ohio, plus Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana. Texas, Hawaii, the original 13 colonies and the states made from them, such as Kentucky and Tennessee, use metes and bounds or their own surveys.
Can I look up a list of wells or parcels at once?
Yes, for free: open Look up a list, paste up to 500 rows of name, latitude and longitude or legal descriptions, and download the results as a CSV or KML.
About this tool
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) divides 30 US states into townships of about 6 by 6 miles, counted north or south of a baseline and east or west of a principal meridian, and each township into 36 sections of about one square mile. This finder reads the Bureau of Land Management's national PLSS survey (CadNSDI). Search an address, type coordinates in any format, use your location or click the map to get the state, principal meridian, township, range, section and, where the BLM holds them, the quarter, quarter-quarter or government lot, with the legal description in its usual short form. Type a description such as T4S R68W Sec 3 6th PM to find the section on the map. Download the section or its township's sections as GeoJSON, KML or Shapefile, or paste a list of up to 500 points or descriptions and get a CSV back.
How it works
- Search an address or coordinates, type a legal description, press My location, or click the map.
- Read the section, township, range and meridian, and copy the legal description.
- Download the section or its township as GeoJSON, KML or Shapefile, or look up a list and download a CSV.
Where the survey comes from
Sections, townships and their lines come from the Bureau of Land Management's national PLSS dataset (CadNSDI), public domain, asked live through our server. Quarter-quarters and government lots appear where the BLM has mapped them. It locates land; it does not replace a survey or a deed.