Land records · Parcel maps · October 6, 2026
How Are Sections Numbered in a Township? 1 to 36
How are sections numbered in a township? From 1 in the northeast corner to 36 in the southeast, in a back-and-forth pattern. Diagram, quirks, and examples.
How are sections numbered in a township? In the Public Land Survey System, a standard township holds 36 sections numbered 1 through 36. Numbering starts with Section 1 in the northeast corner, runs west across the top row to Section 6, drops to the next row and runs east from 7 to 12, and keeps snaking back and forth until Section 36 in the southeast corner. The back-and-forth pattern is sometimes called boustrophedon, after how an ox plows a field. This page is general land-records background, not legal advice.
The standard layout
| Row | West → East |
|---|---|
| 1 | 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 |
| 2 | 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 |
| 3 | 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13 |
| 4 | 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| 5 | 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25 |
| 6 | 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 |
Each section is nominally one mile square, or 640 acres.
Why the pattern matters
Adjacent section numbers always share a side, which made it easier for surveyors and land offices to track parcels. It also means you can estimate where a section sits in a township from its number alone: Section 16 is near the center-west, Section 36 at the southeast corner.
Sections set aside for schools
Many states received Section 16, and in some states Section 36 or additional sections, for public schools. That is why you may see “state school land” around those numbers on older maps.
Irregular sections
The earth’s curvature, survey errors, and water bodies mean not every section is a perfect 640 acres. Sections along the north and west edges of a township absorb most of the adjustments and are often fractional, with numbered government lots instead of full quarters. See what is a fractional section and government lots.
Reading a full description
A legal description might read “SW 1/4 of Section 22, Township 3 North, Range 5 West, 6th Principal Meridian.” Locate the township and range first, then the section within it, then the quarter. Our township and range guide walks through it.
States without sections
The original 13 colonies, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and some other areas do not use the PLSS. They rely on metes and bounds or their own systems.
Quarters and sixteenths inside a section
Once you have the section, legal descriptions divide it further. A section splits into four quarters of about 160 acres, named by direction: NE 1/4, NW 1/4, SW 1/4, and SE 1/4. Each quarter splits again into quarter-quarters of about 40 acres, written like “NE 1/4 of the SW 1/4.” Read these from the end backward: find the SW quarter first, then its NE quarter. See what is a fractional section for how the edges differ.
Finding a section on a county map
Most county GIS viewers can display a PLSS layer that labels townships, ranges, and section numbers. Turn it on, zoom to the area, and the section numbers appear in each square. Some viewers let you search by township, range, and section directly. Printed plat books for rural counties usually show section numbers and owner names together, which is often the quickest way to orient yourself before you read a deed.
Bottom line
Sections in a standard township are numbered 1 to 36, starting at the northeast corner and snaking west and east row by row to the southeast corner. Adjacent numbers touch, and edge sections are often irregular. Use the number to find the section, then the quarter, in a rural legal description. Explore county maps via the Platbookmapper map.
How are sections numbered in a township FAQ
Where is Section 1 in a township?
In the northeast corner.
Where is Section 36?
In the southeast corner.
Why are sections numbered back and forth?
The snaking pattern keeps consecutive sections adjacent, which simplified records.
How big is a section?
Nominally one mile square, or 640 acres, though many vary.
Do all states use section numbers?
No. Only Public Land Survey System states; the original colonies and Texas, for example, do not.