Quartersections

A quartersection is a unit of land measurement used in the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) of the United States. It represents one-quarter of a section. A standard section in the PLSS is a square mile, containing 640 acres. Therefore, a quartersection contains 160 acres.

Quartersections are themselves typically square in shape, measuring approximately 2,640 feet on each side. They are located within a larger township, which is composed of 36 sections. Within a section, quartersections are identified by their position relative to the center of the section, such as the northeast quartersection, northwest quartersection, southeast quartersection, and southwest quartersection. These divisions are fundamental for land description, ownership, and management in many parts of the United States, particularly in the western and midwestern states where the PLSS was implemented. The concept of the quartersection is crucial for understanding property boundaries and land division in these regions.