What Does LSD Stand For in Land Descriptions?

LSD stands for Legal Subdivision — a unit of land measurement used across Western Canada as part of the Dominion Land Survey (DLS) system. Each LSD is approximately 40 acres (16 hectares).

What is an LSD?

An LSD (Legal Subdivision) is the smallest standard unit of land in the Dominion Land Survey system. Each one-square-mile Section is divided into 16 LSDs, numbered 1-16 in a specific serpentine pattern starting from the southeast corner.

LSD Size Reference

• 1 LSD = ~40 acres (16.2 hectares)
• 4 LSDs = 1 Quarter Section (~160 acres)
• 16 LSDs = 1 Section (~640 acres, 1 square mile)

LSD Numbering Pattern

LSDs are numbered 1-16 within each Section, following a serpentine pattern. The numbering starts in the southeast corner (LSD 1) and follows a snake-like pattern across each row.

How to Read an LSD Address

An LSD address follows this format:

LSD-Section-Township-Range-Meridian

Example: 10-36-24-1-W5

• 10 — LSD number (1-16)
• 36 — Section number (1-36)
• 24 — Township number (numbered north from the US border)
• 1 — Range number (numbered from the meridian)
• W5 — West of the 5th Meridian

Where Are LSDs Used?

The LSD system is used throughout the Prairie provinces:

• Alberta — Meridians W4, W5, W6
• Saskatchewan — Meridians W2, W3
• Manitoba — Meridians W1, E1, E2
• BC Peace River — DLS extension into northeast BC

LSD vs Quarter Section

Quarter Sections are identified by compass direction (NE, NW, SE, SW), while LSDs are identified by number (1-16). Each Quarter Section contains exactly 4 LSDs.

Common Uses for LSD Addresses

LSD addresses are commonly used in:

• Oil & Gas — Well site locations, lease boundaries, pipeline routes
• Agriculture — Farmland parcels, grain bin locations, field maps
• Real Estate — Rural property descriptions, acreage listings
• Surveying — Boundary identification, legal descriptions
• Government — Land titles, tax assessments, permits

Convert LSD to GPS Coordinates

Use our LSD finder to convert any LSD address to GPS coordinates. Simply enter an LSD (e.g., 10-36-24-1-W5) and get instant results with map visualization.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does LSD stand for in Alberta land descriptions?

In Alberta and other Prairie provinces, LSD stands for Legal Subdivision. It's a ~40 acre parcel of land that is part of the Dominion Land Survey (DLS) grid system.

How big is 1 LSD?

One LSD is approximately 40 acres or 16.2 hectares. A quarter section contains 4 LSDs, and a full section contains 16 LSDs.

How do I find the GPS coordinates for an LSD?

Enter your LSD address (e.g., 10-36-24-1-W5) into Township Canada's search tool to instantly get GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude).

Can I convert GPS coordinates to an LSD?

Yes! Enter any GPS coordinates (e.g., 51.0502, -114.0885) into our converter and we'll return the corresponding LSD address.

Related Guides

• How Many Sections in a Township? — Learn about township structure
• Dominion Land Survey System Explained — Complete DLS overview
• Search & Convert Locations — How to use our converter