In the Public Land Survey System, what are the dimensions of a ¼‑section and its area?

In the Public Land Survey System, what are the dimensions of a ¼‑section and its area?

• A. 0.5 mile by 0.5 mile; 0.25 square miles or 160 acres
• B. 1 mile by 1 mile; 1 square mile
• C. 0.25 mile by 0.25 mile; 0.0625 square miles
• D. 0.75 mile by 0.75 mile; 0.56 square miles

Answer: (A)

In the Public Land Survey System, a section is one square mile, which equals 640 acres. A quarter-section is one-fourth of that area, so it covers 160 acres. Its sides are half a mile long, giving dimensions of 0.5 mile by 0.5 mile and an area of 0.25 square miles (160 acres). The other options don’t fit because they represent either a full section, a smaller fraction than a quarter, or a different square’s size entirely.

In the Public Land Survey System, a section is one square mile, which equals 640 acres. A quarter-section is one-fourth of that area, so it covers 160 acres. Its sides are half a mile long, giving dimensions of 0.5 mile by 0.5 mile and an area of 0.25 square miles (160 acres). The other options don’t fit because they represent either a full section, a smaller fraction than a quarter, or a different square’s size entirely.