Convert Square Rod (rod²) to Township (township) instantly.
About these units
Square Rod (rod²)
A square rod, also known as a perch or pole in some traditions, equals the area of a square one rod on each side (1 rod = 16.5 feet). This results in 272.25 square feet. Square rods were widely used in medieval English farming and early American surveying to measure garden plots, small fields, and building sites. Because land taxes were often assessed per rod, the unit became a practical economic tool as well. Though no longer widely used, the square rod appears in historical deeds and archival surveys, making it critical for land historians and legal property research.
Township (township)
A township, as used in the U.S. Public Land Survey System (PLSS), is an area equal to 36 square miles, arranged as a 6-mile × 6-mile square. It is a cornerstone unit of American land division, originating during the late 18th-century settlement of the American frontier. Townships standardized how land was surveyed and sold, allowing the federal government to systematically divide territory for settlement, homesteading, and revenue generation. They were subdivided into 36 sections, each one square mile in area. This grid-based system profoundly shaped American geography. Roads, property lines, agricultural fields, and county boundaries in much of the Midwest and West follow township geometry. Even today, PLSS townships remain legally relevant in land deeds, zoning regulations, and cadastral surveys.