What is a Township?
Michigan is one of 20 states that currently have some form of township government. There are more than 16,600 towns and townships in the United States. More than 60 million people live in US towns and townships. This represents more than 20 percent of the United States population. Townships were actually in place before most of the Midwestern states had achieved statehood. The Northwest Ordinance enacted in 1787 by Congress established townships as the initial government of territories which later became states. Townships are generally found in three regions of the United States: New England, Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest. There are regional distinctions between the responsibilities and operation of townships. Michigan townships were established utilizing a grid pattern. A true township is six miles by six miles (total of 36 square miles). Over time some townships have lost area as villages and cities were established. Some townships are less than 36 square miles because of their proxim
A township is the basic unit of area in the Public Land Survey System, consisting of a square of land, nominally six miles on each side, containing 36 sections. Townships are usually identified as being north or south of some east-west “baseline” and east or west of some north-south “meridian.” Highland Township, for example, is described as “Township 3 North, Range 7 East,” meaning it is in the third tier of townships north of the Michigan Baseline and in the seventh range east of the Michigan Meridian.
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