Metes and Bounds, PLSS Definition

Metes and bounds is the oldest land description system used in the United States, inherited from English common law. It describes a parcel by tracing its perimeter using a series of calls — each call specifying a direction (bearing), a distance, and often a physical monument or landmark. The description starts at a defined beginning point and returns to that same point, enclosing the parcel.

A typical metes-and-bounds call might read: "N 45° 30' E, 330 feet to an iron pin set in concrete; thence S 89° 15' E, 660 feet along the north line of Smith's subdivision..." The description continues until all boundary lines have been traced and the description closes back at the point of beginning.

Metes and bounds is the primary description system in the original thirteen colonies and the states formed from them: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. It is also used in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Texas, which were not part of the public domain and therefore not surveyed under PLSS. Hawaii also uses metes and bounds.

The PLSS and metes and bounds sometimes intersect. In PLSS states, irregular parcels that don't conform to the grid — such as subdivisions, urban lots, or parcels with curved boundaries — are described by metes and bounds within a section or other PLSS unit. A full description might begin with a PLSS location ("in the NE of Section 14...") and then use metes and bounds to define the exact parcel within that broader location. Understanding both systems is essential for professionals working with land records in states near the boundary of PLSS coverage, such as Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.