Land records · Parcel maps · October 7, 2026
League and Labor: Old Texas Land Measurements
What a league and labor is: Spanish and Mexican land units used in Texas grants. A league is about 4,428 acres and a labor about 177 acres.
League and labor Texas land refers to Spanish and Mexican land measurement units used in early Texas grants. A league, or sitio, of land is about 4,428.4 acres, intended for grazing. A labor is about 177.1 acres, intended for farming. Heads of families who settled in Mexican Texas, and some under the Republic of Texas, could receive one league and one labor, totaling about 4,605 acres. These units, along with the vara as a unit of length, still appear in Texas deeds, surveys, and land office records. This page is general land-records background, not legal advice.
Units
| Unit | Approximate size |
|---|---|
| League (sitio) | 4,428.4 acres |
| Labor | 177.1 acres |
| Vara | About 33 1/3 inches |
| League (length) | 5,000 varas |
| Labor (length) | 1,000 varas on a side |
How grants used leagues and labors
Under Mexican colonization laws, settlers received labors for farming and leagues for ranching. Empresarios like Stephen F. Austin brought settlers who received these grants. Later, Republic of Texas headright certificates also granted leagues and labors to early arrivals.
The vara
Texas surveys commonly measure in varas. The Texas vara is defined as 33 1/3 inches. Older deeds may describe distances like “1,000 varas” or areas in square varas. Converting requires care. See how to read a property survey.
Records
The Texas General Land Office holds original grant files, surveys, and maps. County deed records show later conveyances. Many Texas properties trace back to Spanish or Mexican grants or Republic patents. See what is a Spanish land grant and what is a land patent.
Abstracts and surveys
Texas land is often identified by survey name and abstract number, such as the “John Smith League, Abstract 123,” referring to the original grant.
Why it matters today
Understanding leagues, labors, and varas helps read old deeds and surveys, explain irregular boundaries, and trace title.
Example
A Texas deed describes land as “part of the James Brown League, Abstract 45,” and calls for a line “N 45 E 950 varas.” Converting 950 varas gives about 2,639 feet. The original league grant was 4,428 acres, later divided into farms.
Research tips
Search the Texas General Land Office land grant database by grantee name or abstract number, then view scanned original documents.
Converting varas and acres
To convert varas to feet, multiply by 2.7778, since one Texas vara is 33 1/3 inches. A square of 1,000 varas on each side, the size of a labor, is about 2,778 feet on each side, or roughly 177 acres. A league measures 5,000 varas on each side. Surveyors use these conversions when retracing old grants, and small differences in older vara definitions can matter in boundary work.
Spanish and Mexican land terms
Texas records may also use terms like porción, a narrow strip along a river, and sitio de ganado mayor, a league for cattle.
Bottom line
A league and labor are Spanish and Mexican land units used in early Texas grants, with a league about 4,428 acres and a labor about 177 acres. Varas measure distance. These terms still appear in Texas deeds and surveys. Explore Texas counties via the Platbookmapper map.
League and labor texas land FAQ
How big is a league of land in Texas?
About 4,428 acres.
How big is a labor?
About 177 acres.
What is a vara?
A Spanish unit of length, about 33 1/3 inches in Texas.
Why do Texas deeds mention leagues?
Many properties trace back to league grants.
Where are Texas grant records?
The Texas General Land Office.