Identify the PLSS Location

• 1). Find the principle meridian and baseline for the location. The latitude for the initial point is where you start your calculations to find the latitude of a particular sector. Other data is given in "TRS"--township, range, and section, defined below.
  
  
• 2). Identify the township. Townships are named based on the intersection of the prime meridian and the baseline. PLSS divides land into squares called townships with six-mile sides totaling 36 square miles of land. Each township is identified with a township and range designation. The townships numbered "1" are the four townships immediately north and south of the initial point. They are designated "T1N" for the two townships north of the initial point and "T1S" for the two townships beneath the initial point. The "range" designates the east/west location of a township. For the four townships clustered around the initial point, the northeast township (T1N) is also designated "R1E." Moving straight east, the next township is designated "T1N, R2E" and so on due east. The first northwest township is designated "T1N, R1W." For practical considerations, the range of the township is not relevant to latitude because latitude does not change east to west.
  
  
• 3). Calculate the latitude of the northern border of your township. Latitude changes evenly from north to south, so start by calculating how many miles away from the baseline the township's northern border lies. For "N" designated townships, multiply the "N#" by six miles. For instance, the "N1" northern borders are six miles above the baseline. N6 borders are 36 miles above baseline. For "S" designated townships, the borders are ("S#" -1) times six. In other words, the S1 townships' northern borders lie on the baseline (0 miles), S2 townships' northern borders are six miles south, and so on. Record the number of miles north or south of the northern border the township lies.
  
  
• 4). Identify the section (one of 36 in each township) to identify the latitude. The sections are numbered from top right (northeastern corner section) to the west, 1,2,3,4,5,6. Numbering continues in the section below #6 and continues east, 7,8,9,10,11,12. For simplicity, calculate the center latitude for your section. For latitude, it is only important that the centers of sections 1 through 6 all lie 1/2 mile south of the northern border of the township. For the other townships:
  7 through 12 are 1 1/2 miles south
  13 through 18 are 2 1/2 miles south
  19 through 24 are 3 1/2 miles south
  25 through 30 are 4 1/2 miles south
  31 through 36 are 5 1/2 miles south
  
  
• 5). Calculate the number of miles each township is north or south of the baseline. For northern townships ("N"-designated), use the number of miles recorded in Step 4 and subtract the miles for your section determined in Step 5. For southern townships ("S"-designated), add the number of miles determined in Step 5.
  
  
• 6). Convert miles to latitude. Nautical miles are the basis of latitude, and 60 nautical miles make up one degree of latitude. Each nautical mile makes up one minute of latitude. Statute miles (the standard for PLSS) are about 1.15 miles per minute of latitude. Take the distance in miles and divide by 1.15. This is the number of minutes north or south of the baseline for your section. Add the minutes to baseline latitude for "N"-designated township sections. Subtract the minutes from baseline latitude for "S"-designated township sections.