United States legal land description guides

New Mexico is a Public Land Survey System state. Township-and-range descriptions here are referenced to the New Mexico Principal Meridian and its baseline.

Arizona is a PLSS state. Township-and-range descriptions are referenced to the Gila and Salt River Meridian.

California is a PLSS state surveyed from three principal meridians: Mount Diablo, San Bernardino, and Humboldt. The governing meridian matters because the same township and range repeat off each.

Colorado is a PLSS state surveyed primarily from the Sixth Principal Meridian, with the New Mexico and Ute meridians covering parts of the south and west.

Montana is a PLSS state. Its township-and-range grid references the Montana Principal Meridian.

Wyoming is a PLSS state surveyed mainly from the Sixth Principal Meridian, with the Wind River Meridian covering part of the Wind River Reservation.

Oregon is a PLSS state surveyed from the Willamette Meridian, which it shares with Washington.

Washington is a PLSS state surveyed from the Willamette Meridian, shared with Oregon.

Nevada is a PLSS state surveyed from the Mount Diablo Meridian, the same principal meridian used across much of California.

Utah is a PLSS state surveyed primarily from the Salt Lake Meridian and its baseline.

North Dakota is a PLSS state surveyed from the Fifth Principal Meridian, with land descriptions built from township, range and section.

Kansas is a PLSS state surveyed mainly from the Sixth Principal Meridian, which also governs large parts of the central Plains.

Idaho is a PLSS state surveyed from the Boise Meridian, with township-and-range descriptions common in land, mineral and resource records.

Oklahoma is a PLSS state surveyed mainly from the Indian Meridian, with oil-and-gas descriptions built from section, township and range.

South Dakota is a PLSS state where township-and-range descriptions reference the Fifth and Sixth Principal Meridians depending on location.

Nebraska is a PLSS state surveyed from the Sixth Principal Meridian, using section, township and range descriptions across the state.

Texas never adopted the PLSS. As a former independent republic it kept the General Land Office (GLO) survey system. Land is tied to an original survey and abstract number within a county, with a separate block/section style in the Panhandle.

Harris County (Houston) uses the Texas GLO abstract system. Parcels are identified by an abstract number and the original survey name within the county.

Lubbock County sits in the Texas Panhandle, where the GLO grid uses a block-and-section style rather than abstract names.

Midland County land records use Texas GLO survey descriptions, including block, section and survey references common in Permian Basin land work.

Reeves County land descriptions use Texas GLO survey patterns, with block, section, survey and abstract details appearing across West Texas records.