Free Surveying Tool
Aliquot Part Calculator
Visualize PLSS sectionalized land descriptions. Click to select quarters and halves, build complex nested descriptions, and see exactly where they fall in a section.
Click "Start Selecting" to begin
Selection
Parse from Text
Reads smallest → largest. Accepts 1/4, ¼, "quarter", "NE", "northeast", etc.
How to Use
Three ways to build an aliquot description.
Click the diagram
Press "Start Selecting," then click directly on the section diagram to choose a region. Hover to preview before you click.
Use the buttons
Switch between Quarter (¼) and Half (½) mode, then tap direction buttons. Hit "Accept" to lock in the selection, or "Back" to undo a step.
Paste a description
Type or paste any aliquot description into the text box and hit "Plot It." Supports 1/4, ¼, "quarter," and spelled-out directions.
Common Aliquot Descriptions
Descriptions read smallest to largest. A standard section is 640 acres (1 square mile).
| Description | Acres | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| NE1/4 | 160 | One quarter of a section |
| N1/2 of the NE1/4 | 80 | Half of a quarter |
| SW1/4 of the NE1/4 | 40 | Quarter of a quarter (forty) |
| N1/2 of the SW1/4 of the NE1/4 | 20 | Half of a forty |
| NE1/4 of the SW1/4 of the NE1/4 | 10 | Quarter of a twenty |
| Full Section | 640 | One square mile |
About PLSS Aliquot Parts
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the federal land survey grid covering most of the western United States. Land descriptions using PLSS are the primary method for identifying parcels in survey work across roughly 30 states.
The Section
A section is 1 square mile — 640 acres. Sections are numbered 1–36 within a township. Section 1 is the northeast corner; numbering snakes across the township to Section 36 in the southeast.
Quarters
Each section is divided into four quarter sections (NE¼, NW¼, SE¼, SW¼), each 160 acres. These are the most common unit in deed descriptions.
Nested Descriptions
Quarter sections can be further divided recursively. "SW¼ of the NE¼" (40 acres) is read smallest to largest — you take the NE¼ first, then the SW¼ of that.
Halves
A section can also be split into halves: N½, S½, E½, W½ (320 acres each). Halves are often combined with quarters: "N½ of the NE¼" = 80 acres.
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