Blog · September 27, 2026
What Is the Public Land Survey System
The Public Land Survey System divided much of the United States into townships and sections, outside the original colonial states.
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Townships are about six miles square, split into 36 sections of about 640 acres. Deeds in those states often cite section, township, and range.
On the recorded sheet
Plats of subdivision sit inside that grid. The lot is the small piece. The section is the frame.
The mix-up to avoid
Eastern states that were settled earlier often have no section grid. Their parcels are metes and bounds from the start. Platbookmapper's state pages follow the local pattern rather than forcing a grid.
Find the county map
The county GIS map is the practical place to start. Find it from the Platbookmapper directory, then treat the recorded plat and deed as the documents behind the picture.
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey.