Government Survey System
Also called the rectangular survey system, a method that describes land using townships and sections measured from principal meridians and base lines.
The government survey system, or rectangular survey system, describes land by reference to a grid of principal meridians, which run north and south, and base lines, which run east and west. The grid divides land into townships, and each township into 36 sections.
A section is one mile square and contains 640 acres. Fractional parts of a section, such as the NW quarter, are used to pinpoint smaller parcels.
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- Township
A six-mile-square block of the government survey system that contains 36 sections.
- Section (640 Acres)
A one-square-mile unit of the government survey system containing 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township.
- Metes and Bounds
A legal description that starts at a point of beginning and traces directions, distances, and monuments around a parcel.
This definition is Texas real estate exam-prep education, not legal, tax, or professional advice. Verify current rules against the official source before relying on them for a real transaction. Back to the full glossary.