Convert Square Perch (perch²) to Section (section) instantly.
About these units
Square Perch (perch²)
A square perch is equivalent to a square rod, as "perch" was another historical name for a rod, used in various medieval and regional English measurement systems. Perches commonly appeared in church records, tithing assessments, and agricultural inventories. Because the perch was both a length and an area unit, it played dual roles in land taxation and construction. These overlapping terminologies—rod, pole, perch—reflect the organic evolution of measurement in medieval Europe, long before unified systems took hold.
Section (section)
A section is a unit of area equal to one square mile, or 640 acres, derived from the PLSS township system. Each township contains 36 sections arranged in a 6-by-6 grid. Sections were historically granted to settlers, railroads, and states for development, education funding, and agricultural expansion. Because a section is large but manageable, it provided a logical unit for dividing land among homesteaders. Even today, the section persists as a foundation of rural property boundaries. Many farms, ranches, and municipal boundaries reference section lines, reflecting how 19th-century surveying still shapes 21st-century land use.