PLSS🇺🇸 United States
PLSS land descriptions in South Dakota
South Dakota is a PLSS state where township-and-range descriptions reference the Fifth and Sixth Principal Meridians depending on location.
What to know about South Dakota
- Eastern South Dakota is surveyed from the Fifth Principal Meridian; the Black Hills in the west use the Black Hills Meridian, and the Sixth Principal Meridian touches the southern edge.
- Because more than one meridian applies, the state name alone may not settle it — preserve any principal-meridian notation from the source record.
Example descriptions
Each opens a decoded parcel with a map, coordinates and a plain-English breakdown.
Learn the terms
Related regions
Last reviewed June 2026. General information about survey systems — not legal, title, or survey advice.
Sources: US BLM — Cadastral Survey (PLSS), BLM / GLO — Principal Meridians and Base Lines (map).