Math & Measurement

Section (640 Acres)

A one-square-mile unit of the government survey system containing 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township.

A section is a unit of the rectangular (government) survey system. It is one mile square and contains 640 acres. A township is six miles square and holds 36 sections. One acre contains 43,560 square feet.

Legal description math relies on these numbers. To find the acreage of a fractional description, multiply the fractions and apply them to 640.

On the exam

Memorize the anchors: 640 acres per section, 36 sections per township, 43,560 square feet per acre.

Worked example

The SE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of a section is 1/4 times 1/4 times 640, which equals 40 acres.

Exam trap

Work the fractions of a description from right to left and multiply them all. Applying only the last fraction is the common error.

Tested in

Property Characteristics (9% of the exam)

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Related terms

Loan-to-Value Ratio (LTV)
The ratio of the loan amount to the property value, used to size a loan and to decide whether PMI applies.

Sources

Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook

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.