How did the Midwest get those perfect squares that you see when you fly over them? (Vanity)

[SamAdams76]

Ok, this is driving me nuts and I can't find this in Google searches.

During the past week, I took a plane trip to the west coast and back and had window seats both times. I notice that most of "fly-over country" features a grid of near-perfect squares from approx. the Mississipi River to the Rocky Mountains.

Apparently these are all roads that are in a criss-cross pattern, intersecting perfectly to create these squares. On most of these squares you can see a single farmhouse with some additional buildings that might be barns, chicken houses, silos, etc.

Was this by design or by accident?

You really notice these over states like Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, etc. Just an endless parade of perfect squares.

Of course, when you get back east of the Mississipi, the landscape becomes mostly woodlands and irregular winding roads as opposed to perfectly straight roads.

Can anybody here explain?

[Doctor Raoul]

Water?

[digger48]

I have to confess, I just downloaded Google Earth recently, and I wondered the same thing until I looked further.

Kind of embarrassing, I've lived around the damn things all my life.

[cripplecreek]

Isn't Wisconsin east of the Mississippi?

[kittymyrib]

That, son, is a bad drought that has killed the range grass. Most of the Texas Panhandle burned to a crisp last week because they haven't had measurable moisture since early Oct. '05. Over 10,000 head of cattle died in the range fires last week...really tragic for that part of the country.

[Tench_Coxe]

"I can't remember if the one mile square is called a section."

yes it is.

[digger48]

and most ground is plotted in even divisions of 640

[nuconvert]

We're very neat and geometrically oriented out west ;~ )

[Tench_Coxe]

"Isn't Wisconsin east of the Mississippi?"

Yes.

[Dog Gone]

Dang, you need to visit "flyover country" a little more frequently!

[patton]

Oh.

[righttackle44]

"The PLSS typically divides land into 6-mile-square townships, which is the level of information included in the National Atlas. Townships are subdivided into 36 one-mile- square sections. Sections can be further subdivided into quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, or irregular government lots. Normally, a permanent monument, or marker, is placed at each section corner."

Source:
http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/boundaries/a_plss.html

[SamAdams76]

Actually I've spend quite a bit of time "on the ground" in flyover country. However, you don't realize the grid pattern unless you are up in the sky "flying over."

[mwyounce]

Look up the Public Land Survey system... Most states after the original 13 Colonies used some form of the PLS.

Surveyors first drew north-south and east-west lines, and then made giant checkerboards to divide the land up into 6 mile by 6 mile squares from those initial lines.

Then each 6x6 square is divided into 36 individual 1 square mile sections. Section 16 was used for education.... Each section is divided into quarters. Each quarter is divided into quarters.

So, you'll sometimes see a piece of land described as:

NW 1/4, NE 1/4, Section 12, T1N, R3W

This means this 40 acres of land is the northwest quarter of the Northeast quarter of the 12th square mile in the 36 square mile township that is 1 north and 3 west of the official surveyed lines that define the area.....

Here's a page that has some graphics to help explain it better:
http://www.geomore.com/Township%20Range%20Explanation.htm

[dennisw]

I've always been curious about the fact that everyone farms in a circular manner as you get out toward Western Nebraska and Colorado.

Center pivot irrigation. Used in dry areas.

http://cff.wsu.edu/Project/galleryirrigated.htm

[Dog Gone]

Download Google Earth. You'll be amazed at what you can see.

[Tench_Coxe]

"Normally, a permanent monument, or marker, is placed at each section corner."

I've come across a few of those. The more amazing ones have been in the big woods. One bridge I came across actually crossed a section corner and had the marker embedded into it.

[cripplecreek]

I don't have the google earth on this computer yet but I always enjoyed it. I could talk to a friend in Berlin and sent him a sat picture of his house.

[Smokin' Joe]

It is the Red State answer to the crop circle.

Ok, would you believe, they are for dances.....

How about we really like driving into the sun in the morning and evening?

Actually, they are laid out in the land survey system, if you google 'Township and Range Survey Grid', you will probably get a better answer.

[demkicker]

You must not fly much. I don't either but everytime I do, I see those same grids everywhere (not just the mid-west) and they are very distinct and noticable only from the sky.

[dennisw]