Name: Township America PLSS API
Brand: Township America
Availability: InStock

Getting Started

Quick Start

Start converting legal land descriptions to GPS coordinates in under 5 minutes.

Create an Account

Get Your API Key

Generate an API key from your dashboard. Keep it secure, it's your access token.

Official SDKs Available

Install the official client for your language, full types, batch endpoints, and error handling included.

npm install townshipamerica

npm →

pip install townshipamerica

PyPI →

View on GitHub →

Make Your First Request

Use your API key to convert a legal land description:

terminal

curl "https://developer.townshipamerica.com/search/legal-location?location=14S+15E+6th+Meridian" \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key"

Code Examples

cURL

curl "https://developer.townshipamerica.com/search/legal-location?location=14S+15E+6th+Meridian" \
  -H "X-API-Key: 1234567890abcdefghij"

TypeScript SDK npm →

// npm install townshipamerica
import { TownshipClient } from 'townshipamerica'

const client = new TownshipClient({ apiKey: '1234567890abcdefghij' })
const result = await client.search('14S 15E 6th Meridian')
console.log(result.latitude, result.longitude)

Python SDK PyPI →

# pip install townshipamerica
from townshipamerica import TownshipAmerica

client = TownshipAmerica(api_key="your_api_key")
result = client.search("14S 15E 6th Meridian")
print(result.features[0].properties)

Try It Now

Live Demo

Select API

Input Type

GET/search/legal-location?location=NENE%2025%205N%2030E%20Mount%20Diablo%20Meridian

Response

Response will appear here...

Security

Authentication

All API requests require authentication using your API key.

Include your API key in the request header:

X-API-Key: your_api_key

Base URL:https://developer.townshipamerica.com

Search API

Convert Legal Description to Coordinates

Convert PLSS or Texas TXSS legal descriptions to coordinates and vice versa. Responses include survey_system: "PLSS" or "TXSS".

GET/search/legal-locationLLD → Coordinates (PLSS + Texas TXSS)

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
location	string	Required	PLSS or Texas TXSS legal land description (auto-detected) `14S 15E 6th Meridian`

Example Response

response.json

{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "features": [{
    "type": "Feature",
    "geometry": { "type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [...] },
    "properties": {
      "shape": "grid",
      "search_term": "14S 15E 6th Meridian",
      "legal_location": "14S 15E 6th Meridian",
      "unit": "Township",
      "survey_system": "PLSS",
      "county": "...", "state": "..."
    }
  }]
}

Texas TXSS example response

{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "features": [{
    "type": "Feature",
    "geometry": { "type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [...] },
    "properties": {
      "shape": "grid",
      "search_term": "A-175 Reeves County",
      "legal_location": "Abstract 175 Reeves County Texas",
      "survey_system": "TXSS",
      "abstract_no": "175",
      "county": "Reeves",
      "state": "TX"
    }
  }]
}

Convert Coordinates to Legal Description

Get the legal land description for any GPS coordinate. Returns PLSS inside PLSS states and Texas TXSS inside Texas.

GET/search/coordinatesCoordinates → LLD

Autocomplete API

Smart Suggestions

Real-time suggestions as users type PLSS or Texas TXSS descriptions.

GET/autocomplete/legal-locationPartial LLD → Suggestions

Batch API

Batch Processing

Process up to 100 PLSS or Texas TXSS locations in a single request, mixed arrays are supported.

POST/batch/legal-locationBatch LLD → Coordinates (PLSS + Texas TXSS)

POST/batch/coordinatesBatch Coordinates → LLD

Maps API

Map Tiles API

PLSS grid and Texas land survey (abstract / block / survey) overlay tiles for your mapping applications. List available layers with GET /layers.json.

Tile URL Pattern

https://maps.townshipamerica.com/{layer}/{z}/{x}/{y}.mvt?api_key=...

Layer catalog (TileJSON URLs + source-layer names):

curl "https://maps.townshipamerica.com/layers.json?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

MapLibre GL JS, Texas land surveys

map.addSource('texas-land-surveys', {
  type: 'vector',
  tiles: [
    'https://maps.townshipamerica.com/texas-land-surveys/{z}/{x}/{y}.mvt' +
    '?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY'
  ],
  minzoom: 4,
  maxzoom: 14
});

map.addLayer({
  id: 'texas-land-surveys-fill',
  type: 'fill',
  source: 'texas-land-surveys',
  'source-layer': 'texas-land-surveys',
  paint: {
    'fill-color': '#4a7c59',
    'fill-opacity': 0.15
  }
});

Available Layers

State	Grid Layers	Label Layers	source-layer
All PLSS States	`twpfirst-divisionsecond-division`	`twp_labelfirst_division_labelsecond_division_label`	`twpfirst-divisionsecond-division`
Texas (TXSS)	`texas-land-surveys`	`texas-land-surveys-labels`	`texas-land-surveys`

Legacy slug tx_otls still resolves to texas-land-surveys.

MCP Server

AI Agent Integration

Connect Claude Desktop, Cursor, Continue, or Cline directly to the PLSS API using the Model Context Protocol. Let AI agents convert legal land descriptions, look up coordinates, and export GeoJSON boundaries with your Township America API key.

The MCP server uses a standalone Township America API key from your dashboard. Business unlocks MCP access; quota and rate limits follow your API subscription tier (Build / Scale / Enterprise).

Available Tools (6)

Tool	Description
`plss_to_coordinates`	Convert a PLSS legal land description to GPS coordinates
`coordinates_to_plss`	Find the PLSS description for GPS coordinates
`plss_to_geojson`	Get the GeoJSON boundary polygon for a PLSS description
`validate_description`	Validate and normalize a PLSS description (local, no API call)
`batch_convert`	Convert up to 1,000 PLSS descriptions in one request

Prerequisites

, A standalone Township America API key (Build / Scale / Enterprise) from your dashboard. Business unlocks MCP server access.
, Node.js 22+ (for npx)

Connect from Claude Desktop

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Linux):

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "townshipamerica": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@townshipamerica/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "TA_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace your_api_key_here with your Township America API key. Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

Connect from Cursor

Open Cursor Settings → MCP, or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "townshipamerica": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@townshipamerica/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "TA_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Connect from Continue

Add to ~/.continue/config.json:

config.json

{
  "experimental": {
    "modelContextProtocolServers": [
      {
        "transport": {
          "type": "stdio",
          "command": "npx",
          "args": ["-y", "@townshipamerica/mcp-server"],
          "env": {
            "TA_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Connect from Cline

Open Cline settings, navigate to MCP Servers, and add:

cline_mcp_settings.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "townshipamerica": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@townshipamerica/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "TA_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

"TA_API_KEY environment variable is not set"

Add TA_API_KEY to the env block in your MCP config file, not as a shell environment variable. The MCP host passes env vars from the config.

"Quota exceeded" error

Your quota depends on your standalone API tier. Build = 1,000 calls/month per endpoint; Scale and Enterprise go higher. Upgrade at /app/api or wait for the monthly reset.

Server not appearing in your AI assistant

Restart the AI assistant after editing the config file. Verify your config is valid JSON. Run npx @townshipamerica/mcp-server in a terminal with TA_API_KEY set to check for startup errors.

Tool returns "Not found" for a valid description

PLSS covers 30 US states. Texas uses the TXSS survey system (abstract, block, and survey descriptions) and is fully supported. Alaska, Hawaii, and some eastern states may not resolve. Use the validate_description MCP tool to check your format.

TypeScript source Python source About MCP

Reference

Error Codes

Code	Status	Description
400	Bad Request	Invalid legal land description
401	Unauthorized	Missing or invalid API key
429	Too Many Requests	Rate limit exceeded
500	Server Error	Internal error — try again

Rate Limits

Rate limits vary by plan tier.

Build

1 req/sec

1,000 req/month

Scale

5 req/sec

10,000 req/month

Enterprise

25 req/sec

100,000 req/month

OpenAPI Specification

Download our OpenAPI 3.0 specification for code generation, testing, and documentation.

openapi.yaml

OpenAPI 3.0 · YAML format

Download View Raw

Use with popular tools

Swagger UI Postman Insomnia OpenAPI Generator

Plans

API Pricing

Simple, predictable pricing.

Monthly

Annual Save 2 months

Build

For development & testing

$20 /month

1,000 requests/mo
$0.02/request
1/sec rate limit
Unlimited API keys

Scale

For production apps

$100 /month

10,000 requests/mo
$0.01/request
5/sec rate limit
Unlimited API keys

Enterprise

For high-volume needs

$500 /month

100,000 requests/mo
$0.005/request
25/sec rate limit
Unlimited API keys

Need higher volume? Contact us for enterprise solutions.

Legal Land Description API for Developers

Quick Start

Create an Account

Get Your API Key

Official SDKs Available

Make Your First Request

Code Examples

Try It Now

Authentication

Convert Legal Description to Coordinates

Parameters

Example Response

Texas TXSS example response

Convert Coordinates to Legal Description

Smart Suggestions

Batch Processing

Map Tiles API

Tile URL Pattern

MapLibre GL JS, Texas land surveys

Available Layers

AI Agent Integration

Available Tools (6)

Prerequisites

Connect from Claude Desktop

Connect from Cursor

Connect from Continue

Connect from Cline

Troubleshooting

"TA_API_KEY environment variable is not set"

"Quota exceeded" error

Server not appearing in your AI assistant

Tool returns "Not found" for a valid description

Error Codes

Rate Limits

Build

Scale

Enterprise

OpenAPI Specification

openapi.yaml

Use with popular tools

API Pricing

Build

Scale

Enterprise

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free PLSS API?

How accurate is the PLSS geocoding?

Can I batch convert PLSS descriptions via API?

What response formats are supported?

Ready to convert legal land descriptions programmatically?