Principal meridian

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A principal meridian is a meridian used for survey control in a large region.

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Canada

The Dominion Land Survey of Western Canada took its origin at the First (or Principal) Meridian, located at 97°27′28.41″ west of Greenwich, just west of Winnipeg, Manitoba. This line is exactly ten miles west of the Red River at the Canada–United States border.

Six other meridians were designated at four-degree intervals westward, with the seventh located in British Columbia; the second and fourth meridians form the general eastern border and the western border of Saskatchewan.

United States

This BLM map depicts the principal meridians and baselines used for surveying states (colored) in the PLSS. Meridians-baselines.png
This BLM map depicts the principal meridians and baselines used for surveying states (colored) in the PLSS.

In the United States Public Land Survey System, a principal meridian is the principal north–south line used for survey control in a large region, and which divides townships between east and west. The meridian meets its corresponding baseline at the point of origin, or initial point, for the land survey. For example, the Mount Diablo Meridian, used for surveys in California and Nevada, runs north–south through the summit of Mount Diablo.

Often, meridians are marked with roads, such as the Meridian Avenue in San Jose, California, Meridian Road in Vacaville, California, both on the Mount Diablo Meridian, Meridian Road in Wichita, Kansas on the Sixth Principal Meridian, and Meridian Avenue in several western Washington counties generally following the Willamette Meridian. Baseline Road or Base Line Street extends for about 40 miles (64 km) from Highland, California east of San Bernardino to La Verne, California where it meets Foothill Boulevard.

See also



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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public Land Survey System</span> System of dividing land in the United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willamette Stone</span> Historic surveying marker in Oregon, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Bernardino meridian</span> US survey line

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Diablo meridian</span> US survey line

The Mount Diablo Meridian, established in 1851, is a principal meridian extending north and south from its initial point atop Mount Diablo in California at W 121° 54.845. Established under the U.S. Public Land Survey System, it is used to describe lands in most of northern California and all of Nevada. Mount Diablo also marks the baseline at latitude 37°52′54″N.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fourth principal meridian</span> US survey line

The fourth principal meridian, set in 1815, is the principal meridian for land surveys in northwestern Illinois and west-central Illinois, and its 1831 extension is the principal meridian for land surveys in Wisconsin and northeastern Minnesota. It is part of the Public Land Survey System that covers most of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fifth principal meridian</span> US survey line

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The Cimarron meridian is a survey line in the United States at longitude 103° west from Greenwich. It extends from latitude 36° 30′ to 37° north, and, with the baseline in latitude 36° 30′ north, governs the surveys in Oklahoma west of 100° west longitude from Greenwich, i.e. the Oklahoma Panhandle.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">North and East of First Principal Meridian</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Initial point</span>

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