Mission

News

The mission of the Land Survey Program is to develop and provide information required for the accurate and economical location of property boundaries in Missouri.

What is the Public Land Survey System?
The United States Public Land Survey System Benchmark(U.S.P.L.S.S.) in Missouri is an extension of the system adopted by the United States Congress in 1785. Between 1816 and 1855, Missouri was surveyed into one mile squares called sections. Thirty-six sections in a block of land measuring six miles on each side is called a township. This created the basis for the transfer of the land from the United States Government to private owners and is the basis for all land transfers and ownership in the state today.

Why are these corners important?
The land corners are the basis for the location of all property in Missouri. Properly monumented, they are a dependable, consistent, accurate source of information for setting property boundary disputes and other boundary related questions. More...

Recent Web Site Updates

Play the Name Game with the Missouri State Land Surveyor
Missouri PuzzleWill you soon travel a distance with family?  Are you looking for a way to pass the time and learn about Missouri along the way?  If so, you are in luck, thanks, in part to the Missouri Board on Geographic Names and the Department of Natural Resources. Making a game of identifying and citing interesting Missouri place names and geographic features can help pass the time and may even become a family tradition. More...

News Releases

Counties enter into Survey Monument Restoration Contracts with the Department