quartersection

A quartersection is a unit of land measurement commonly used in the Dominion Land Survey system in Western Canada and in the Public Land Survey System in the United States. It represents one-quarter of a section of land. A standard section is a square mile, which contains 640 acres. Therefore, a quartersection contains 160 acres.

In the context of land surveying, a section is divided into four quartersections. Each quartersection is typically a square measuring 40 chains on each side, where a chain is a unit of length equal to 66 feet. This results in an area of 160 acres. The quartersections are usually designated by their position within the section, such as the northeast quartersection, northwest quartersection, southeast quartersection, and southwest quartersection.

The quartersection is a fundamental subdivision of land in these survey systems and is often the smallest unit for land ownership and sale. It provides a convenient and standardized way to describe and manage property parcels. Understanding the quartersection is important for anyone involved in land transactions, agriculture, or property development in regions that utilize these survey systems. The 160-acre size has historically been significant for homesteading and agricultural land division in many parts of North America.