Why Florida is Made of Squares © Cynthia Crofoot Rignanese, Esquire

Buckle up, land surveyors and geography nerds! Let's dive into Florida's most bureaucratic grid game - the Township and Range system. It is like a giant real estate Sudoku, but with more math and fewer pencil marks.

The Magical Land Mapping Adventure

Imagine Florida as a massive checkerboard, where everything starts from a "BASE LINE" - the grand starting point from which all measurements begin. The first six miles north of this line? That's Township 1 North (T. 1 N.)

The Nitty-Gritty Details

Here's the deal: Townships are subdivided into sections, with each township measuring six miles by six miles. This means each township contains 36 square miles, with each square forming a section that gets its own special number.

The Numbering Madness

Get ready for some serious zigzag action! The sections are numbered in a snake-like pattern:

- Section 1 starts in the northeastern corner

- Numbers slither west in the top row

- Then drop down and snake back east

- Continuing until the southwestern section is 31 and the southeastern section is 36.

Precision, People!

But wait, there's more! Sections get even more granular:

- Divided into quarters (NE, NW, SE, SW)

- Each quarter typically contains 160 acres

- These quarters can be further divided into 40-acre chunks

So when a surveyor says "NE 1/4, SW 1/4, Section 30, T. 5 S., R. 7 E.", they're basically speaking a secret land nerd language! Spoiler alert, “T” is for Township and “R” is for Range. The “S” and the “E” are South and East.

Pro Tips for the Curious

Want to find your section, township, and range? Here is a pro move: check your county tax appraiser's website. Most Florida counties display this information online as part of the property ID number.

For example, in Lee County, they use a "STRAP" (Section, Township, Range, Area, Parcel) or "STRABL" (Section, Township, Range, Area, Block, Lot) number as a unique property identification number for every parcel of land. This 17-digit number includes information about the section, township, and range of the property.

Polk County uses an 18-digit property identification number. The first 6 digits include the Section, Township and Range.

Why Does This Matter?

This is not just bureaucratic busywork. For instance, well construction permits require you to specify the property location by it’s legal description and property identification system, which often includes the section, township, and range.

Fun Fact: Florida's first official survey was performed around 1824, and those original survey notes have been preserved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

So next time someone says Florida's geography is boring, hit them with this township and range trivia. They will either be impressed or slowly back away - either way, you win!     

If you need assistance with your Florida property, I invite you to contact Rignanese Law at 863.294.1114. Let me leverage my experience to provide you with exceptional legal guidance and support.