Daily AncestorSection
A section is a square mile of public land (640 acres) in the federal survey; 36 sections make up one survey township.
In the federal Public Land Survey System, each survey township is divided into 36 numbered sections, each about one mile square and holding 640 acres. Sections were then split into halves and quarters for sale.
A legal description like SW 1/4 of Sec. 14, T6N, R3W reads from the smallest part to the largest: the quarter, the section, the township and the range.
As seen in a recordLand description in a federal patent
the SW 1/4 of Section 14, Township 6 North, Range 3 West
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Section." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/section. Last checked 2026-10-01.