property

township

In the rectangular survey system, a square unit of land about six miles on each side, containing 36 square miles. Each township is divided into 36 sections of one square mile (640 acres) each, numbered in a back-and-forth pattern starting at the northeast corner. Townships are located by township lines (tiers) and range lines relative to a principal meridian and base line.

Exam tip: Expect math: a township is 36 sections, and each section is 640 acres, so a township is 23,040 acres. Township lines run east-west; range lines run north-south.
Example: A parcel described as being in Township 2 North, Range 3 West lies in the second tier north of the base line and the third range west of the meridian.

1. Under the government (rectangular) survey system, a standard township is:

Answer & explanation

Answer: B. Townships are 6 x 6 miles (36 square miles) divided into 36 one-square-mile sections of 640 acres, numbered from section 1 in the northeast corner.

Related terms & state variants

base line principal meridian range rectangular survey system section

Sources

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Last verified: 2026-10-23