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PLSS🇺🇸 United States

PLSS land descriptions in North Dakota

North Dakota is a PLSS state surveyed from the Fifth Principal Meridian, with land descriptions built from township, range and section.

System
PLSS
Principal meridian
Fifth Principal Meridian
Routes to
Township America

What to know about North Dakota

  • North Dakota township numbers are typically high because they count north from the Fifth Principal baseline.
  • Oil-and-gas descriptions in the Bakken often rely on compact section-township-range shorthand.

Example descriptions

Each opens a decoded parcel with a map, coordinates and a plain-English breakdown.

Learn the terms

Related regions

Last reviewed June 2026. General information about survey systems — not legal, title, or survey advice.

Sources: US BLM — Cadastral Survey (PLSS), BLM / GLO — Principal Meridians and Base Lines (map).

Decode North Dakota land for free
Paste a description into the decoder, or open the interactive maps and tools in Township America.