The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is a way of subdividing and describing land in the United States. PLSS surveys, which are available for portions of land in 30 southern and western states, are made by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The PLSS typically divides land into 6-mile-square townships. Townships are subdivided into 36 one-mile-square sections. Sections can be further subdivided into quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, or irregular government lots. PLSS was created to divide parcels of public land; it is not useful for the accurate location of points and should not be confused with coordinate systems like latitude/longitude, UTM, or the State Plane Coordinate System.
For states that have Public Land Surveys:
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Almost all historical topographic maps (1884-2006) include PLSS tic marks or gridlines.
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US Topo maps published 2009-2012 do not include any PLSS data.
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US Topo maps published 2013-present have a Public Land Survey System layer that can be turned on and off.
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The National Map Viewer displays "BLM Public Land Survey System (PLSS)". Use the "Add Data" tool at the top of the map.
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For GIS users, PLSS data layers are available through the BLM’s REST service endpoint. An online table shows PLSS Cadastral National Spatial Data Infrastructure (CadNSDI) data set availability.
Learn more:
Related Content
Are the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) section lines on US Topo maps a legal record?
US Topo maps are not legal documents and the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) representation is not legally authoritative. The sections, townships, and ranges of the PLSS that are shown on US Topo maps are derived from GIS data from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in cooperation with the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). Learn more: FGDC Cadastral Subcommittee (information and links)...
Why are there no power lines, pipelines, libraries, trails, etc. on US Topo maps?
The original USGS 7.5-minute (1:24,000 scale) Historical Topographic Maps (produced 1945-1992) included feature classes that are not yet shown on US Topo maps (produced 2009-present). Examples include pipelines, power lines, survey markers, many types of boundaries, and many types of buildings. The USGS no longer does field verification or other primary data collection for these feature classes...
Where can I find a list of URLs for The National Map services?
See The National Map Services for a complete list of map service URLs. That includes available REST, WMS, WMTS (cached base maps only), WFS, WCS, and other service links. Learn more: Training videos for The National Map Products and Services The National Map Applications
How can I submit a question or report issues regarding The National Map products and services?
Submit questions about The National Map products or report issues to The National Map service desk at: tnm_help@usgs.gov
Related Content
- FAQ
Are the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) section lines on US Topo maps a legal record?
US Topo maps are not legal documents and the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) representation is not legally authoritative. The sections, townships, and ranges of the PLSS that are shown on US Topo maps are derived from GIS data from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in cooperation with the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). Learn more: FGDC Cadastral Subcommittee (information and links)...
Why are there no power lines, pipelines, libraries, trails, etc. on US Topo maps?
The original USGS 7.5-minute (1:24,000 scale) Historical Topographic Maps (produced 1945-1992) included feature classes that are not yet shown on US Topo maps (produced 2009-present). Examples include pipelines, power lines, survey markers, many types of boundaries, and many types of buildings. The USGS no longer does field verification or other primary data collection for these feature classes...
Where can I find a list of URLs for The National Map services?
See The National Map Services for a complete list of map service URLs. That includes available REST, WMS, WMTS (cached base maps only), WFS, WCS, and other service links. Learn more: Training videos for The National Map Products and Services The National Map Applications
How can I submit a question or report issues regarding The National Map products and services?
Submit questions about The National Map products or report issues to The National Map service desk at: tnm_help@usgs.gov
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