Finding a Map with only the Land Description 

There are about 2,000 maps in the set, but you'll be presented with a series of choices structured so that: 

• If you are our typical visitor, you are now only 3 or 4 clicks away from the map you seek.  
• If you're unlucky, your numbered township is not only in one of the larger counties with multiple maps but actually falls on the match line.  It will take 5 clicks, but we'll get you there.  
• If you're REALLY unlucky, your numbered township will turn out to be one of those split by a county line.   You may have to endure as many as 7 clicks, but we'll still get you there. 

Just work through the questionnaire, selecting the appropriate link out of each set of choices and you'll end up at the Township Map your parcel is on.  

You now have three of choices:

• Jump to the questionnaire if you are already familiar with the system itself. 
• Continue learning about this system of describing land locations.
• Take a chance on our new Search Engine:

Enter your description in the form "14N- 1E", or  "1N- 1Ecm" if it is measured with respect to the Cimarron Meridian then click on "Search" The catch is that it not only finds the needed map link, but picks up every page with a reference to any place in that township.

About the Section-Township-Range System

Descriptions have the form Section-Township-Range-Suffix, and are easiest to decode if you simply work from right to left.  

The SUFFIX will be "c" or "cm" to identify the Cimarron Meridian as the Reference Meridian and "i" or "im" to specify the Indian Meridian.  In Oklahoma, if there is no suffix the description is usually with respect to the Indian Meridian.  That's the convention we've followed on this site.

RANGE is measured east or west from the Reference Meridian and each Range is 6 miles wide.

TOWNSHIP is measured north or south from the Base Parallel and each Township is 6 miles wide.

Each numbered Township is thus a square, 6 miles on each side, whose location is defined by a Township Number and a Range Number.

A Section is a square mile (640 acres) within that numbered Township.   Sections are numbered using this pattern:  

If you are working with a legal document, you may have a description of the parcel's location within the section.  Again, it is easiest to decode the description from right to left.

Take, for example: S2 SE SE 21-14N-1E

• There is no suffix, so we assume it is with respect to the Indian Meridian.
• Range 1E is the swath from the Indian Meridian itself to the line six miles east.
• Township 14N is the swath from 78 to 84 miles north of the Base Parallel (go ahead, you can do the math if you like).
• Section 21 can be located using the above chart.
• The first SE means the southeast quarter of the section.  That's 160 acres.  
• The second one means the southeast quarter of that quarter, which is 40 acres.
• S2 means the south half of that 40 acres.

So if you use the "14N-1E" to find the township map and then use the description and Section Number to pin it down, you'll see that this would be a 20-acre tract extending 1/4-mile west and 1/8-mile north of the intersection of Highway 66 and Luther Road.

Now, you should be ready to use the questionnaire to locate your own parcel of land.

First determine which system was used for your description, then go to the region referencing the Cimarron Meridian or ones using the Indian Meridian. 

Cimarron Meridian

In the Panhandle all land descriptions are measured from an Initial Point defined as 103° west Longitude (the Cimarron Meridian) and 36° 30' north Latitude (the Cimarron Base Line).   This is the southwestern corner of the area, so that the entire Panhandle lies in the northeast quadrant and all measurements are eastward from the Cimarron Meridian and northward from the Texas border.  Only three counties are involved and County lines follow Range lines -- so if your description is with respect to the Cimarron Meridian, your search will be a short one.  Find your Range # below and click on the corresponding County.

Ranges 1E-9Ecm

Cimarron County 

 Ranges 10E-19Ecm

Texas County

Ranges 20E-28Ecm 

Beaver County

Indian Meridian

For all of Oklahoma except the Panhandle, land descriptions are measured from an initial point about a mile south of old Fort Arbuckle.  The original survey was  made in order to divide the Choctaw/Chickasaw Lands into separate Nations.  This point was chosen to divide what was then Indian Territory about evenly east & west, to be near a well-known landmark and within the surveyed area.  In present-day terms, the origin (0,0) is on the Garvin-Murray County line, six miles east of Hennepin.  

To streamline the search, I prepared separate charts for each quadrant:

For any North Township and East Range, go to Northeast Oklahoma.

For any North Township and West Range, go to Northwest Oklahoma.

For any South Township and West Range, go to Southwest Oklahoma.

For any South Township and East Range, go to Southeast Oklahoma.

Northeast Oklahoma

T21-29N & R1-10E

T21-29N & R11-20E

T21-29N & R21-27E

T11-20N & R1-10E

T11-20N & R11-20E

T11-20N & R21-27E

T1-10N & R1-10E

T1-10N & R11-20E

T1-10N & R21-27E

• Eastern parts of Kay, Noble, Logan, Payne, Oklahoma, Cleveland, McClain and Garvin Counties. 
• Northern parts of Murray, Coal, Atoka and Pushmataha Counties. 
• All of Osage, Pawnee, Washington, Tulsa, Nowata, Craig, Ottawa, Delaware, Mayes, Rogers, Wagoner, Cherokee, Adair, Sequoyah, Muskogee, McIntosh, Okmulgee, Okfuskee, Creek, Lincoln, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Pontotoc, Hughes, Pittsburg, Latimer, Haskell and LeFlore Counties.  

Northwest Oklahoma

Ranges 1W through 26W and Townships 1N through 29N, broken into 9 segments. Note that these are arranged as they would be on a map, with Township Numbers increasing to the North and Range Numbers increasing to the West. Click on the link that includes both your Township Number and Range Number.

T21-29N & R27W-21W

T21-29N & R20W-11W

T21-29N & R10W-1W

T11-20N & R27W-21W

T11-20N & R20W -11W

T11-20N & R10W-1W

T1-10N & R27W-21W

T1-10N & R20W -11W

T1-10N & R10W-1W

• Western parts of Kay, Noble, Logan, Payne, Oklahoma, Cleveland, McClain and Garvin Counties.  
• Northern parts of Jackson, Tillman, Comanche, and Stephens Counties. 
• All of Harper, Woods, Alfalfa, Grant, Garfield, Major, Woodward, Ellis, Dewey, Blaine, Kingfisher, Canadian, Grady, Caddo, Custer, Washita, Kiowa, Greer, Harmon, Beckham and Roger Mills Counties.  

Southwest Oklahoma   

Ranges 1W through 27W and Townships 1S through 9S. Note that these are arranged as they would be on a map, with Range Numbers increasing to the West. Click on the link that includes your Range Number.

Ranges 25W - 21W Southern Jackson Co.

Ranges 20W - 11W

Ranges 10W - 1W

• Southern parts of Jackson, Tillman, Comanche, and Stephens Counties.
•  Western parts of Murray, Carter and Love Counties.  
• All of Cotton and Jefferson Counties.

Southeast Oklahoma   

Ranges 1E through 27E and Townships 1S through 10S.  Click on the link that includes your Range Number.

Ranges 1E - 10E

Ranges 11E - 20E

Ranges 21E - 27E

• The eastern parts of Murray, Carter and Love Counties.
• The southern parts of Coal, Atoka and Pushmataha Counties.
• All of Marshall, Bryan, Johnston, Choctaw and McCurtain Counties.