How to Convert Legal Land Description to GPS Coordinates

To convert a legal land description to GPS coordinates, enter your PLSS description (e.g., NE 14-5N-3W Sixth Principal Meridian) into Township America's search box and press enter. The tool instantly returns latitude/longitude coordinates, displays the location on a map, and provides the option to export results in CSV, KML, or other formats.

Township America's intelligent search box enables you to locate millions of places across the United States using legal land descriptions, addresses, or geographic coordinates. It supports the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), geographic coordinates, and addresses. Visit our about page to learn more about the supported search queries.

Using the search box

The search box is the primary tool for finding locations on the map. It is located in the left panel on desktop or in a bottom drawer on mobile devices.

To search:

1. Click the search box and type your search query
2. As you type, suggestions appear based on your input
3. Select a suggestion or press Enter to search

Search results appear both on the map and in the left panel. Each result displays the legal land description, geographic coordinates, and state.

Search result actions

Each search result card includes action buttons:

• View: Zoom to the location on the map
• Save: Add the location to Quick Saves or a Project
• Directions: Get turn-by-turn directions to this location

Click the result card to see additional details and the location's polygon boundary on the map.

Searching by legal land description

Township America supports the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), the standard survey system used across 30 US states.

Inputting a complete legal land description isn't mandatory; a partial description will also prompt suggestions. Choose a suggestion or press Enter to search with your input. Separate components of a legal land description with spaces, hyphens, or both (e.g., NE 14 5N 3W Sixth PM, NE-14-5N-3W-Sixth-PM).

State-specific examples

Colorado and Kansas (Sixth Principal Meridian)

The Sixth Principal Meridian covers Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Examples of valid search formats:

• Section-Township-Range-Meridian: 14-5N-3W Sixth PM
• Quarter Section: NE 14 5N 3W Sixth Principal Meridian

Montana (Montana Principal Meridian)

Montana uses its own principal meridian. Example format:

• Quarter Section: SW 22 12N 7W Montana Principal Meridian

North Dakota (Fifth Principal Meridian)

North Dakota uses the Fifth Principal Meridian:

• Section-Township-Range: 8 100N 52W Fifth PM
• Quarter Section: NW 36 4N 5E Fifth Principal Meridian

Searching by geographic coordinates

Find locations using geographic coordinates such as GPS coordinates in formats like decimal degrees (e.g., 39.739236, -104.990251) and degree minute seconds (e.g., 39°44'21.2"N 104°59'24.9"W). The order of latitude and longitude is interchangeable, so both 39.739236, -104.990251 and -104.990251, 39.739236 are valid.

Searching by place names, addresses, or zip codes

To locate places and addresses, enter the name of a place, an address, or a zip code. The search box offers a list of suggestions as you type. Select a suggestion or press Enter to search with your current input.

Searching by clicking on the map

Find legal land descriptions, geographic coordinates, and addresses by clicking directly on the map. Select the Click to search button in the search panel, then click on your desired location. The results appear on the map and in the left panel.

Saving search results

Save locations from search results for future reference:

1. Click the Save button on the search result card
2. Choose Quick Saves or select a specific Project
3. Add optional notes and categories

See the Projects guide for more about organizing saved locations.

Downloading search results

Download search results in various formats. Click the download button at the top of the results panel and select your preferred format:

• PDF: Formatted report (Pro and Business)
• CSV: For spreadsheet applications (Business)
• KML: For Google Earth (Business)
• Shapefile: For GIS software (Business)
• GeoJSON: For web mapping (Business)
• DXF: For CAD applications (Business)

Need to convert many locations at once? Check out our batch conversion guide to process thousands of records simultaneously.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert a legal land description to GPS coordinates?

Enter your legal land description (e.g., NE 14-5N-3W Sixth Principal Meridian) into the Township America search box. The tool instantly converts it to GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) and displays the location on the map. You can then copy the coordinates or download them in various formats.

What legal land description formats are supported?

Township America supports the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) used across 30 US states. Enter descriptions at any level: township-range, section, quarter section, or quarter-quarter section.

Can I convert GPS coordinates to a legal land description?

Yes. Enter GPS coordinates in decimal degrees (39.739236, -104.990251) or degrees-minutes-seconds format (39°44'21.2"N 104°59'24.9"W) to find the corresponding legal land description.

Is Township America free to use?

Township America offers three plans: Starter ($10/month) with 100 searches, Pro ($20/month) with unlimited searches and PDF export, and Business ($40/month per user) with team management and all export formats. Visit our pricing page for details.

What file formats can I download results in?

Pro plans support PDF export. Business plans add CSV, KML, Shapefile, GeoJSON, and DXF formats. Starter plans do not include export options.

How accurate is the legal land description lookup?

Township America uses official survey grid data to provide accurate legal land descriptions. The tool covers all 30 PLSS states with survey grid systems, including the latest updates to grid boundaries.