Township & Ranges Of The Original Public Land Survey (PLS) & Army Survey Areas / Maps Of Fort Snelling

This digital collection is a compilation of the State's original Plat Maps drawn by the U.S. Surveyor Generals Office.

Hennepin County Map Showing Townships And Fort Snelling Link to Township 029 Range 23 Link to Township 029 Range 24 Link to Township 028 Range 23 Link to Township 027 Range 23 Link to Fort Snelling Link to Township 027 Range 24 Link to Township 028 Range 24 Link to Township 115 Range 21 Link to Township 115 Range 22 Link to Township 116 Range 21 Link to Township 116 Range 22 Link to Township 117 Range 21 Link to Township 117 Range 22 Link to Township 117 Range 23 Link to Township 117 Range 24 Link to Township 118 Range 21 Link to Township 118 Range 22 Link to Township 118 Range 23 Link to Township 118 Range 24 Link to Township 119 Range 21 Link to Township 119 Range 22 Link to Township 119 Range 23 Link to Township 119 Range 24 Link to Township 120 Range 21 Link to Township 120 Range 22 Link to Township 120 Range 23 Link to Township 120 Range 24 Link to Township 121 Range 22

Select a Township area to display the available Historical PLS Township Plats and Survey Maps

  • (choose a Township area by clicking the map or using the links below)

The original public land survey plats were created during the first government land survey of the State. They serve as fundamental legal records for real estate, as an essential resource for surveyors, and as an analytical tool for the States physical geography prior to European settlement. The original public land survey plats are the official legal land records for Minnesota and all property titles and descriptions stem from them.

Timeline & Agencies of the Public Land Survey (PLS) relative to Minnesota:

  • 1796: U.S. Surveyor General's Office was created.
  • 1836: U.S. Surveyor General's Office is placed under the jurisdiction of the General Land Office (GLO).
  • 1849: General Land Office (GLO) was moved under the Department of Interior (DOI).
  • 1857: Surveyor General of Minnesota is established.
  • 1946: General Land Ofice (GLO) is abolished, and surveying duties transferred to Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

In the Hennepin County area, original Public Land Surveys were performed in 1847, 1853, 1854, 1855 and 1884. Later GLO/BLM Surveys were performed in 1913, 1915, 1921, 1950, 1972 and 1997. Information and maps in the Fort Snelling area were obtained from the files of the Office of the Hennepin County Surveyor, and the maps are dated 1821, 1839 and 1931.

The following organizations and individuals were essential to bringing the original PLSS Plats to the public.

  • These digital Public Land Survey plat map images are the result of an important collaborative effort by the State Archives of the Minnesota Historical Society, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Office of the Secretary of State, the Department of Administrations Land Management Information Center and the Minnesota Association of County Surveyors.
  • The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) provided funding for the digitization of the GLO maps.
  • The Public Land Survey plat map images are made available with permission of the Department of Administration's Land Management Information Center (LMIC).
4th Principal Meridian Surveys
Fort Snelling - Army Surveys & Maps
5th Principal Meridian Surveys