[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"learn-meridian-sixth-principal-meridian":3,"learn-meridian-related-sixth-principal-meridian":345},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"converterLink":247,"createdAt":318,"cta":319,"description":321,"draft":322,"extension":323,"icon":324,"industry":324,"keywords":325,"meridian":336,"meta":337,"navigation":338,"path":339,"relatedPages":340,"section":341,"seo":342,"state":324,"stem":343,"updatedAt":318,"__hash__":344},"learn\u002Flearn\u002Fmeridians\u002Fsixth-principal-meridian.md","Sixth Principal Meridian — PLSS Legal Land Descriptions",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":301},"minimark",[9,13,23,28,41,44,48,53,56,68,72,75,79,92,99,103,106,112,116,119,123,126,145,148,168,171,186,190,193,199,210,216,222,226,234,242,262,266,272,278,284,295],[10,11,5],"h1",{"id":12},"sixth-principal-meridian-plss-legal-land-descriptions",[14,15,16,17,22],"p",{},"The Sixth Principal Meridian is the reference line for ",[18,19,21],"a",{"href":20},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary\u002Fprincipal-meridian","Public Land Survey System"," surveys across Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. By land area, it covers more of the continental United States than any other single principal meridian. If you work with legal land descriptions anywhere in the Great Plains or northern Rockies, you will encounter the Sixth Principal Meridian on nearly every document.",[24,25,27],"h2",{"id":26},"initial-point-and-grid-origin","Initial Point and Grid Origin",[14,29,30,31,35,36,40],{},"The Sixth Principal Meridian originates at an initial point in north-central Kansas, at approximately 40°00' North latitude, 97°22' West longitude — near the Kansas-Nebraska border. The meridian line runs due north and south from this origin. The associated Sixth Principal Baseline runs east-west. Every ",[18,32,34],{"href":33},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary\u002Ftownship","township",", range, and ",[18,37,39],{"href":38},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary\u002Fsection","section"," in all five covered states is measured north, south, east, or west from this point.",[14,42,43],{},"The initial point was established in 1855 under General Land Office Surveyor General John Calhoun. Federal survey crews extended the grid outward over the following four decades, eventually reaching the Rocky Mountain foothills in Colorado and the high plains of Wyoming and South Dakota. The result is an unbroken rectangular grid covering roughly 500 million acres.",[24,45,47],{"id":46},"states-covered-by-the-sixth-principal-meridian","States Covered by the Sixth Principal Meridian",[49,50,52],"h3",{"id":51},"kansas","Kansas",[14,54,55],{},"Kansas is entirely surveyed under the Sixth Principal Meridian. Every legal land description in the state — oil and gas leases in the Hugoton Gas Area, wheat farm parcels in the central plains, feedlot tracts in the southwest, and mineral rights conveyances throughout — references this meridian. Kansas has no competing meridian: if you have a Kansas legal description, it is 6th PM.",[14,57,58,59,63,64,67],{},"A typical Kansas section-level description: ",[60,61,62],"strong",{},"Sec 14, T5N, R3W, 6th PM"," — Section 14, Township 5 North, Range 3 West. An aliquot part description for a 40-acre tract: ",[60,65,66],{},"NENE Sec 22, T5N, R3W, 6th PM",".",[49,69,71],{"id":70},"nebraska","Nebraska",[14,73,74],{},"Nebraska falls entirely within the Sixth Principal Meridian survey. The state's agricultural economy depends on PLSS descriptions for USDA FSA program enrollment, crop insurance filings, irrigation district administration, and rural real estate transactions. Corn, soybean, and beef production regions across the Platte River Valley and the Sandhills all carry descriptions tied to the Sixth Principal.",[49,76,78],{"id":77},"colorado","Colorado",[14,80,81,82,86,87,91],{},"The eastern plains of Colorado — including the Denver-Julesburg Basin oil and gas fields and agricultural land east of the Front Range — are surveyed under the Sixth Principal Meridian. The western portions of the state use other meridians: the ",[18,83,85],{"href":84},"\u002Flearn\u002Fmeridians\u002Fnew-mexico-principal-meridian","New Mexico Principal Meridian"," covers the southern mountain counties, and the Ute Meridian covers the western slope. See the ",[18,88,90],{"href":89},"\u002Flearn\u002Fstates\u002Fcolorado","Colorado PLSS guide"," for a county-by-county breakdown.",[14,93,94,95,98],{},"This multi-meridian structure matters for Colorado specifically. Two parcels with identical township, range, and section numbers but different meridians can be many miles apart. A description in Elbert County reads: ",[60,96,97],{},"SENE Sec 22, T3S, R68W, 6th PM",". A description in Costilla County for the same numeric address would reference the New Mexico Principal Meridian and land in entirely different terrain.",[49,100,102],{"id":101},"wyoming","Wyoming",[14,104,105],{},"Most of Wyoming is surveyed from the Sixth Principal Meridian. The state's energy sector — coal, oil, natural gas, and trona mining — generates thousands of PLSS legal descriptions per year through BLM drilling permits, lease filings, and right-of-way applications. Applications for Permit to Drill filed with the BLM Wyoming State Office require an exact PLSS location tied to the correct meridian. A transposed range number delays approval; an incorrect meridian can route the application to the wrong field office entirely.",[14,107,108,109,67],{},"A Wyoming section description in the Powder River Basin: ",[60,110,111],{},"Sec 6, T44N, R75W, 6th PM",[49,113,115],{"id":114},"south-dakota","South Dakota",[14,117,118],{},"Most of South Dakota uses the Sixth Principal Meridian. The exception is the Black Hills region, which falls under the Black Hills Meridian. Agricultural operations, tribal land management on reservation boundaries, and hunting and grazing lease descriptions across the central and eastern parts of the state all reference the Sixth Principal. FSA county offices in South Dakota process USDA enrollment filings tied to quarter-section descriptions with the 6th PM reference.",[24,120,122],{"id":121},"reading-a-sixth-principal-meridian-description","Reading a Sixth Principal Meridian Description",[14,124,125],{},"A complete legal land description referencing the Sixth Principal Meridian follows this pattern:",[14,127,128],{},[60,129,130,134,135,134,138,134,141,144],{},[131,132,133],"span",{},"Aliquot part"," ",[131,136,137],{},"Section",[131,139,140],{},"Township",[131,142,143],{},"Range"," 6th PM",[14,146,147],{},"Examples:",[149,150,151,157,162],"ul",{},[152,153,154,156],"li",{},[60,155,62],{}," — Section 14, Township 5 North, Range 3 West (640-acre section, Kansas)",[152,158,159,161],{},[60,160,97],{}," — Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter, Section 22, Township 3 South, Range 68 West (40-acre tract, eastern Colorado)",[152,163,164,167],{},[60,165,166],{},"NENE Sec 6, T44N, R75W, 6th PM"," — Northeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter, Section 6, Township 44 North, Range 75 West (40-acre tract, Wyoming)",[14,169,170],{},"The \"6th PM\" suffix is what distinguishes these descriptions from parcels measured under other principal meridians. In Colorado, where three meridians are active, always include the full meridian reference — never assume.",[14,172,173,174,177,178,181,182,185],{},"Abbreviated forms you may encounter in BLM records and historical documents: ",[60,175,176],{},"6th P.M.",", ",[60,179,180],{},"6th Prin. Mer.",", or ",[60,183,184],{},"Sixth P.M."," All refer to the same meridian. In modern practice, \"6th PM\" is standard.",[24,187,189],{"id":188},"when-you-need-to-convert-a-sixth-principal-meridian-description","When You Need to Convert a Sixth Principal Meridian Description",[14,191,192],{},"The most common scenarios professionals encounter:",[14,194,195,198],{},[60,196,197],{},"Oil and gas permitting",": BLM APD forms require latitude and longitude for the well site. The description comes in as a legal notation — PLSS Section-Township-Range. The conversion has to happen before the form is complete.",[14,200,201,204,205,209],{},[60,202,203],{},"Crop insurance and FSA filings",": USDA program enrollment and ",[18,206,208],{"href":207},"\u002Fblog\u002Fplss-crop-insurance-verify-quarter-sections-filing-deadline","crop insurance acreage reports"," require quarter-section descriptions that match FSA's CLU boundaries. A single transposed digit — T5N R3W versus T5N R4W — moves the filing one township east.",[14,211,212,215],{},[60,213,214],{},"Title work and mineral rights",": Landmen clearing title chains in Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming trace parcel history through PLSS descriptions spanning decades. The meridian reference anchors every entry in the chain.",[14,217,218,221],{},[60,219,220],{},"GIS and mapping",": Loading PLSS descriptions into GIS systems requires latitude and longitude. The 6th PM grid is not a standard geographic projection — descriptions must be converted before they can be plotted.",[24,223,225],{"id":224},"converting-sixth-principal-meridian-descriptions","Converting Sixth Principal Meridian Descriptions",[14,227,228,229,233],{},"Township America ",[18,230,232],{"href":231},"\u002Flearn\u002Fhow-to\u002Fconvert-plss-to-gps","converts Sixth Principal Meridian descriptions to latitude and longitude"," using BLM CadNSDI source data — the same authoritative dataset federal reviewers use. Enter a description like \"SENE Sec 22, T3S, R68W, 6th PM\" and receive the centroid coordinates for that 40-acre tract.",[14,235,236,237,241],{},"For high-volume work — title runs, batch APD filings, or GIS data builds — the ",[18,238,240],{"href":239},"\u002Flearn\u002Fhow-to\u002Fbatch-convert-plss","batch converter"," processes hundreds of descriptions in a single upload. Covers all five 6th PM states and all standard aliquot parts down to the quarter-quarter section.",[14,243,244,245,249,250,249,254,249,258],{},"Try it now: ",[18,246,248],{"href":247},"\u002Fcolorado-plss-converter","Colorado PLSS Converter"," · ",[18,251,253],{"href":252},"\u002Fkansas-plss-converter","Kansas PLSS Converter",[18,255,257],{"href":256},"\u002Fwyoming-plss-converter","Wyoming PLSS Converter",[18,259,261],{"href":260},"\u002Fnebraska-plss-converter","Nebraska PLSS Converter",[24,263,265],{"id":264},"faq","FAQ",[14,267,268,271],{},[60,269,270],{},"What states use the Sixth Principal Meridian?","\nColorado (eastern plains), Kansas (entire state), Nebraska (entire state), Wyoming (most of the state), and South Dakota (most of the state, excluding the Black Hills region).",[14,273,274,277],{},[60,275,276],{},"How do I abbreviate the Sixth Principal Meridian in a legal description?","\nStandard forms are \"6th PM,\" \"6th P.M.,\" and \"Sixth P.M.\" All three appear in BLM records, state documents, and historical deeds. In modern practice, \"6th PM\" is the most common abbreviation.",[14,279,280,283],{},[60,281,282],{},"Can two descriptions have the same township, range, and section under different meridians?","\nYes — and they describe parcels that may be hundreds of miles apart. This matters most in Colorado, where the Sixth Principal Meridian, New Mexico Principal Meridian, and Ute Meridian are all active. Always confirm the meridian before converting a Colorado description.",[14,285,286,289,290,294],{},[60,287,288],{},"What is the difference between the Sixth Principal Meridian and the Fifth Principal Meridian?","\nThe ",[18,291,293],{"href":292},"\u002Flearn\u002Fmeridians","Fifth Principal Meridian"," covers surveys in Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota east of the Missouri River. The Sixth Principal Meridian covers the central plains and northern Rockies states. Each has its own origin point — they are entirely separate survey grids.",[14,296,297,300],{},[60,298,299],{},"Why does Range 68 West appear in Colorado descriptions?","\nThe Sixth Principal Meridian's initial point is in north-central Kansas, far to the east of the Colorado plains. Eastern Colorado ranges run into the 60s and 70s West because of how far west the grid extends from its Kansas origin. This is expected — not a data error.",{"title":302,"searchDepth":303,"depth":303,"links":304},"",2,[305,306,314,315,316,317],{"id":26,"depth":303,"text":27},{"id":46,"depth":303,"text":47,"children":307},[308,310,311,312,313],{"id":51,"depth":309,"text":52},3,{"id":70,"depth":309,"text":71},{"id":77,"depth":309,"text":78},{"id":101,"depth":309,"text":102},{"id":114,"depth":309,"text":115},{"id":121,"depth":303,"text":122},{"id":188,"depth":303,"text":189},{"id":224,"depth":303,"text":225},{"id":264,"depth":303,"text":265},"2026-04-21",{"label":320,"href":247},"Convert a Sixth Principal Meridian Description","The Sixth Principal Meridian governs PLSS legal land descriptions across Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Learn format, history, and how to convert descriptions to coordinates.",false,"md",null,[326,327,328,329,330,331,332,333,334,335],"Sixth Principal Meridian","6th PM","Sixth Principal Meridian PLSS","sixth principal meridian legal description","6th principal meridian converter","Colorado 6th PM","Kansas PLSS legal description","Nebraska legal land description","Wyoming PLSS","South Dakota PLSS","sixth-principal",{},true,"\u002Flearn\u002Fmeridians\u002Fsixth-principal-meridian",[20,33,38,231,239,89,84],"meridians",{"title":5,"description":321},"learn\u002Fmeridians\u002Fsixth-principal-meridian","8Z6qxw8EtTgoA-IkJ1rv1bNU9-U-7EW5CbCb1Ag-HTc",[346,359,524],{"id":347,"title":348,"body":349,"converterLink":324,"createdAt":353,"cta":324,"description":354,"draft":322,"extension":323,"icon":324,"industry":324,"keywords":324,"meridian":324,"meta":355,"navigation":338,"path":292,"relatedPages":324,"section":341,"seo":356,"state":324,"stem":357,"updatedAt":353,"__hash__":358},"learn\u002Flearn\u002Fmeridians\u002Findex.md","US Principal Meridians",{"type":7,"value":350,"toc":351},[],{"title":302,"searchDepth":303,"depth":303,"links":352},[],"2026-03-09","The US PLSS uses 37 principal meridians as north-south reference lines. Each meridian serves as the origin for townships and ranges in its coverage area.",{},{"title":348,"description":354},"learn\u002Fmeridians\u002Findex","pwb-ARJm_9NHYbgbv1w84nVguRFBIeD2BWD1FpmQwLY",{"id":360,"title":361,"body":362,"converterLink":509,"createdAt":353,"cta":510,"description":512,"draft":322,"extension":323,"icon":324,"industry":324,"keywords":513,"meridian":366,"meta":518,"navigation":338,"path":519,"relatedPages":520,"section":341,"seo":521,"state":324,"stem":522,"updatedAt":353,"__hash__":523},"learn\u002Flearn\u002Fmeridians\u002Findian-meridian.md","Indian Meridian",{"type":7,"value":363,"toc":496},[364,367,374,378,389,392,396,399,402,405,409,412,415,435,438,442,446,452,456,459,463,466,470,473,477,480,486,490],[10,365,361],{"id":366},"indian-meridian",[14,368,369,370,373],{},"The Indian Meridian is the sole ",[18,371,372],{"href":20},"principal meridian"," used for PLSS surveys in Oklahoma. Established in 1870, it was created to support the federal survey of Indian Territory — the land set aside for displaced Native American nations during the 19th century. Every legal land description in Oklahoma references this meridian, making it one of the most important reference lines for the state's oil and gas industry, agricultural operations, and real estate transactions.",[24,375,377],{"id":376},"initial-point","Initial Point",[14,379,380,381,384,385,388],{},"The Indian Meridian's initial point is located at approximately 34°30' North latitude and 97°14' West longitude, in south-central Oklahoma near the town of Duncan. The associated Indian Base Line runs east-west from this point. Together, the meridian and baseline form the grid from which all ",[18,382,383],{"href":33},"townships",", ranges, and ",[18,386,387],{"href":38},"sections"," across Oklahoma are measured.",[14,390,391],{},"The initial point was selected by federal surveyors working under the General Land Office (GLO). Its placement in south-central Oklahoma allowed the survey grid to extend northward across the bulk of Indian Territory and southward to cover the Chickasaw Nation lands.",[24,393,395],{"id":394},"historical-background","Historical Background",[14,397,398],{},"Oklahoma's survey history is tied directly to the federal government's relationship with Native American nations. Throughout the first half of the 19th century, the US government forcibly relocated numerous tribes to Indian Territory, promising that the land would remain theirs permanently. By the late 1860s, however, political pressure to open parts of the territory to white settlement led to the decision to survey the land under the PLSS.",[14,400,401],{},"The Indian Meridian was established in 1870, and survey crews began subdividing the territory into townships and sections. These surveys proceeded unevenly — some areas were surveyed quickly to support land allotment under the Dawes Act of 1887, while others were not fully surveyed until the early 1900s.",[14,403,404],{},"The Land Run of 1889 and subsequent openings distributed formerly restricted land to settlers who staked claims using PLSS descriptions. When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, the Indian Meridian survey grid was already the established framework for all property records.",[24,406,408],{"id":407},"oklahomas-plss-grid","Oklahoma's PLSS Grid",[14,410,411],{},"Oklahoma is unique among PLSS states in several ways. The Cimarron Meridian (sometimes referenced separately) covers the Oklahoma Panhandle, but the Indian Meridian covers the remaining 95% of the state. Nearly all legal land descriptions you encounter in Oklahoma will reference the Indian Meridian.",[14,413,414],{},"A typical Oklahoma PLSS description looks like this:",[149,416,417,423,429],{},[152,418,419,422],{},[60,420,421],{},"NWSE 15-4N-7W IM"," — Northwest Quarter of the Southeast Quarter, Section 15, Township 4 North, Range 7 West, Indian Meridian (a 40-acre tract in Blaine County, Oklahoma)",[152,424,425,428],{},[60,426,427],{},"SENE 12-4N-5E IM"," — Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter, Section 12, Township 4 North, Range 5 East, Indian Meridian (a 40-acre tract in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma)",[152,430,431,434],{},[60,432,433],{},"SWNE 3-5N-11W IM"," — Southwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter, Section 3, Township 5 North, Range 11 West (a 40-acre tract)",[14,436,437],{},"The \"IM\" suffix identifies these descriptions as Indian Meridian references. In practice, since nearly all Oklahoma descriptions reference the Indian Meridian, some documents omit the suffix, but including it prevents any confusion with descriptions from neighboring states that use different meridians.",[24,439,441],{"id":440},"industry-applications","Industry Applications",[49,443,445],{"id":444},"oil-and-gas","Oil and Gas",[14,447,448,449,451],{},"Oklahoma is one of the top oil and gas producing states in the country, and the industry runs on PLSS descriptions. Every drilling permit, spacing order, pooling application, and well completion report filed with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission includes a legal land description tied to the Indian Meridian. Landmen working title opinions in the Anadarko Basin, SCOOP play, or STACK play parse these descriptions daily. A single transposed digit in a ",[18,450,39],{"href":38}," or range number can send a field crew to the wrong location or trigger a regulatory rejection.",[49,453,455],{"id":454},"agriculture","Agriculture",[14,457,458],{},"Oklahoma's agricultural sector, including cattle ranching, wheat farming, and cotton production, relies on PLSS descriptions for USDA program enrollment, crop insurance claims, and BLM grazing leases. FSA offices across the state use township, range, and section designations to identify individual tracts enrolled in federal programs.",[49,460,462],{"id":461},"real-estate-and-title","Real Estate and Title",[14,464,465],{},"Rural real estate transactions in Oklahoma use PLSS legal land descriptions in deeds, mortgages, and title documents. Title examiners trace chains of ownership through decades of records, all referenced to the Indian Meridian grid. Converting these descriptions to GPS coordinates helps agents and buyers locate and verify properties quickly.",[49,467,469],{"id":468},"genealogy-and-historical-research","Genealogy and Historical Research",[14,471,472],{},"Oklahoma's land history is rich with homestead claims, land allotments, and original patents issued through the GLO. Researchers tracing family history or tribal land records often work with Indian Meridian PLSS descriptions from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Converting these historical descriptions to modern coordinates helps connect archival records to specific locations on the ground.",[24,474,476],{"id":475},"common-challenges","Common Challenges",[14,478,479],{},"Oklahoma PLSS descriptions can present specific challenges. The state's survey history, involving multiple land openings, tribal allotments, and irregular lot configurations, means that some areas have non-standard section sizes or fractional lots. Government lots along river boundaries and irregularly shaped allotments require extra care when interpreting legal descriptions.",[14,481,482,483,67],{},"Additionally, the distinction between the Indian Meridian (main body of the state) and the Cimarron Meridian (Panhandle) catches some users off guard. Always verify which meridian applies before ",[18,484,485],{"href":231},"converting a description to GPS coordinates",[24,487,489],{"id":488},"converting-indian-meridian-descriptions","Converting Indian Meridian Descriptions",[14,491,492,493,495],{},"Township America supports all Oklahoma PLSS descriptions referenced to the Indian Meridian. Paste in a description like \"NWSE 15-4N-7W IM\" and get exact GPS coordinates. For bulk work, the ",[18,494,240],{"href":239}," handles hundreds of Oklahoma descriptions at once — useful for landmen processing title runs or GIS analysts building well location databases.",{"title":302,"searchDepth":303,"depth":303,"links":497},[498,499,500,501,507,508],{"id":376,"depth":303,"text":377},{"id":394,"depth":303,"text":395},{"id":407,"depth":303,"text":408},{"id":440,"depth":303,"text":441,"children":502},[503,504,505,506],{"id":444,"depth":309,"text":445},{"id":454,"depth":309,"text":455},{"id":461,"depth":309,"text":462},{"id":468,"depth":309,"text":469},{"id":475,"depth":303,"text":476},{"id":488,"depth":303,"text":489},"\u002Foklahoma-plss-converter",{"label":511,"href":509},"Convert an Indian Meridian Description","The Indian Meridian is the principal meridian used for all PLSS surveys in Oklahoma, established in 1870 after the federal survey of Indian Territory.",[361,514,515,516,517],"Oklahoma PLSS","Indian Territory survey","Oklahoma principal meridian","Oklahoma legal land descriptions",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fmeridians\u002Findian-meridian",[20,33,38,231],{"title":361,"description":512},"learn\u002Fmeridians\u002Findian-meridian","pjJIe4yH0mswrGWRmC74dYmPC1Zj1dmqxbdgRtppeeg",{"id":525,"title":526,"body":527,"converterLink":509,"createdAt":701,"cta":702,"description":704,"draft":322,"extension":323,"icon":324,"industry":324,"keywords":705,"meridian":711,"meta":712,"navigation":338,"path":713,"relatedPages":714,"section":341,"seo":715,"state":324,"stem":716,"updatedAt":318,"__hash__":717},"learn\u002Flearn\u002Fmeridians\u002Findian-principal-meridian.md","Indian Principal Meridian: Oklahoma Township-Range-Section Lookup",{"type":7,"value":528,"toc":689},[529,532,538,540,548,551,555,558,561,569,573,576,594,597,599,603,606,613,615,618,622,625,629,639,649,651,657,663,669,678],[10,530,526],{"id":531},"indian-principal-meridian-oklahoma-township-range-section-lookup",[14,533,534,535,537],{},"The Indian Principal Meridian is the ",[18,536,372],{"href":20}," governing PLSS surveys across nearly all of Oklahoma. Established in 1870 to subdivide Indian Territory, it remains the reference line behind every Oklahoma property deed, drilling permit, mineral lease, and agricultural filing outside the Panhandle. If a legal land description ends in \"IM\" or references the \"Indian Meridian,\" you are working within this survey grid.",[24,539,377],{"id":376},[14,541,542,543,384,545,547],{},"The Indian Principal Meridian originates at an initial point in south-central Oklahoma at approximately 34°30' North latitude and 97°14' West longitude, near the present-day city of Duncan. The associated Indian Base Line runs east-west from this origin. All ",[18,544,383],{"href":33},[18,546,387],{"href":38}," in the Indian Meridian system are measured north, south, east, and west from this point.",[14,549,550],{},"Federal surveyors under the General Land Office established the initial point in 1870. Survey crews extended the grid northward across Indian Territory over the following decades — some areas subdivided quickly to support Dawes Act allotments in the 1880s, others not fully surveyed until the land runs of the 1890s and Oklahoma statehood in 1907.",[24,552,554],{"id":553},"coverage-area","Coverage Area",[14,556,557],{},"The Indian Principal Meridian covers approximately 95% of Oklahoma — 74 of the state's 77 counties. The three Panhandle counties (Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver) fall under the separate Cimarron Meridian.",[14,559,560],{},"Oklahoma's PLSS grid spans the Anadarko Basin, the SCOOP and STACK tight-oil plays, the wheat and cattle country of western Oklahoma, and the timber regions of the southeast. The oil and gas industry generates thousands of PLSS-referenced filings per year through the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Agriculture adds thousands more through USDA FSA program enrollments and crop insurance filings.",[14,562,563,564,568],{},"If a description references the Cimarron Meridian instead of the Indian Meridian, you are working in the Panhandle. Mixing the two shifts the parcel location by hundreds of miles. See the ",[18,565,567],{"href":566},"\u002Flearn\u002Fstates\u002Foklahoma","Oklahoma PLSS guide"," for a county-level breakdown of which meridian applies where.",[24,570,572],{"id":571},"format-examples","Format Examples",[14,574,575],{},"Indian Principal Meridian descriptions follow standard PLSS format with an \"IM\" suffix:",[149,577,578,584,589],{},[152,579,580,583],{},[60,581,582],{},"T4N R7W Sec 15 IM"," — Section 15, Township 4 North, Range 7 West, Indian Meridian. A full 640-acre section in Blaine County.",[152,585,586,588],{},[60,587,421],{}," — Northwest Quarter of the Southeast Quarter, Section 15, Township 4 North, Range 7 West. A 40-acre tract in the same section.",[152,590,591,593],{},[60,592,427],{}," — Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter, Section 12, Township 4 North, Range 5 East. A 40-acre tract in Pontotoc County.",[14,595,596],{},"Some Oklahoma documents drop the \"IM\" suffix since the Indian Meridian is assumed statewide. On cross-state work or in databases spanning multiple states, always include it — Kansas uses the Sixth Principal Meridian, and Texas operates under different survey systems for most of the state.",[24,598,441],{"id":440},[49,600,602],{"id":601},"oil-and-gas-scoop-and-stack-plays","Oil and Gas — SCOOP and STACK Plays",[14,604,605],{},"The SCOOP (South Central Oklahoma Oil Province) and STACK (Sooner Trend Anadarko Basin Canadian Kingfisher) plays are among the most active tight-oil formations in the country. Every well location, spacing order, pooling application, and completion report filed with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission requires a PLSS legal description tied to the Indian Principal Meridian.",[14,607,608,609,612],{},"A landman assembling a title opinion in Canadian County works through chains of deeds referencing dozens of quarter-quarter sections — all in Indian Meridian format. ",[18,610,611],{"href":231},"Converting those descriptions to latitude and longitude"," verifies tract boundaries against GIS layers and confirms acreage before submitting an Application for Permit to Drill.",[49,614,455],{"id":454},[14,616,617],{},"Oklahoma wheat, cattle, and cotton operations enroll acreage in USDA programs by PLSS description. FSA offices across the state match acreage reports against Common Land Unit boundaries using Indian Meridian township-range-section references. A transposed digit in a range number shifts the location six miles east or west — enough to route the filing to the wrong county.",[49,619,621],{"id":620},"real-estate-and-title-examination","Real Estate and Title Examination",[14,623,624],{},"Rural Oklahoma deeds describe parcels in full PLSS format with the Indian Meridian reference. Title examiners tracing ownership through BLM General Land Office records, original patents, and subsequent conveyances encounter these descriptions at every step. Converting them to coordinates confirms tract location and acreage before closing.",[24,626,628],{"id":627},"converting-indian-principal-meridian-descriptions","Converting Indian Principal Meridian Descriptions",[14,630,631,632,635,636,638],{},"Township America's ",[18,633,634],{"href":509},"Oklahoma PLSS converter"," handles any Indian Meridian description — full sections, quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, and smaller aliquot parts. Enter a description like ",[60,637,421],{}," and get the latitude and longitude for that 40-acre tract.",[14,640,641,642,644,645,648],{},"For bulk work — a title run with 50 descriptions, or a land department processing a new drilling program — the ",[18,643,240],{"href":239}," processes multiple descriptions at once and returns coordinates in seconds. See the ",[18,646,647],{"href":519},"Indian Meridian overview"," for historical background on Oklahoma's survey origins.",[24,650,265],{"id":264},[14,652,653,656],{},[60,654,655],{},"What is the Indian Principal Meridian?","\nThe Indian Principal Meridian is the north-south reference line governing all PLSS surveys in Oklahoma except the Panhandle. Established in 1870 to survey Indian Territory, it anchors every legal land description across 74 of the state's 77 counties.",[14,658,659,662],{},[60,660,661],{},"Does the Indian Principal Meridian cover the entire state of Oklahoma?","\nNo. The three Panhandle counties — Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver — use the Cimarron Meridian. The Indian Principal Meridian covers the remaining 74 counties.",[14,664,665,668],{},[60,666,667],{},"Is \"Indian Meridian\" the same as \"Indian Principal Meridian\"?","\nYes. Both names refer to the same survey reference line. The abbreviation \"IM\" in legal descriptions identifies it. Documents, databases, and BLM records use the names interchangeably.",[14,670,671,674,675,677],{},[60,672,673],{},"What does \"IM\" mean in an Oklahoma legal description?","\n\"IM\" stands for Indian Meridian. It identifies the description as referencing the Indian Principal Meridian survey grid. Example: ",[60,676,421],{}," places the tract within the Indian Meridian system in Blaine County.",[14,679,680,683,684,686,687,67],{},[60,681,682],{},"How do I convert an Indian Meridian description to coordinates?","\nEnter the description in Township America's ",[18,685,634],{"href":509},". Paste \"NWSE 15-4N-7W IM\" to get the latitude and longitude for that parcel. For multiple descriptions, use the ",[18,688,240],{"href":239},{"title":302,"searchDepth":303,"depth":303,"links":690},[691,692,693,694,699,700],{"id":376,"depth":303,"text":377},{"id":553,"depth":303,"text":554},{"id":571,"depth":303,"text":572},{"id":440,"depth":303,"text":441,"children":695},[696,697,698],{"id":601,"depth":309,"text":602},{"id":454,"depth":309,"text":455},{"id":620,"depth":309,"text":621},{"id":627,"depth":303,"text":628},{"id":264,"depth":303,"text":265},"2026-04-19",{"label":703,"href":509},"Convert an Indian Principal Meridian Description","The Indian Principal Meridian governs PLSS surveys across Oklahoma. Convert any Indian Meridian township, range, and section description to coordinates.",[706,707,514,708,709,634,710],"Indian Principal Meridian","indian principal meridian oklahoma","Indian Meridian Township Range Section","Oklahoma legal land description","SCOOP STACK PLSS","indian-principal-meridian",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fmeridians\u002Findian-principal-meridian",[20,231,519,566,509],{"title":526,"description":704},"learn\u002Fmeridians\u002Findian-principal-meridian","KbLXlSJS8nWPsBEncjupAXzgCiMmRcQecxaHT8Bypmc"]