DLS to GPS Converter: Turn Any Dominion Land Survey Description into Coordinates

The Dominion Land Survey (DLS) is the grid system that divides most of western Canada into townships, sections, quarter sections, and Legal Subdivisions. This guide explains how to convert any DLS description — from a full section down to a specific LSD — into GPS coordinates using Township Canada.

What Is the DLS System?

The DLS divides land into a hierarchy:

• Meridian: The north-south reference lines (1st through 6th) that anchor the grid. Most of Alberta uses W4 (4th Meridian) and W5 (5th Meridian). Saskatchewan uses W2 and W3. Manitoba uses W1 and E1.
• Township: A 6-mile × 6-mile block, numbered northward from the US border. Township 1 starts at the 49th parallel.
• Range: Columns of townships numbered westward (or eastward) from each meridian.
• Section: Each township contains 36 sections, each roughly 640 acres (1 square mile).
• Quarter section: Four per section (NE, NW, SE, SW), each approximately 160 acres.
• LSD: 16 per section, each approximately 40 acres.

A DLS description can reference any level. A pipeline company might reference an entire section (32-048-07W5), while a well license specifies an exact LSD (06-32-048-07W5).

When You Need a DLS to GPS Conversion

A surveyor receives a project brief listing 30 section-level locations for a proposed transmission line route across central Alberta. To plan fieldwork, they need GPS waypoints for each section center. An oil and gas company filing with the AER needs to confirm that the DLS locations on a well license application match the actual coordinates of their planned drill sites. A Saskatchewan farmer applying for crop insurance needs to verify the quarter section listed on their policy against their actual field boundaries.

In all these cases, converting DLS notation to GPS coordinates is a required first step.

How to Convert DLS to GPS with Township Canada

Step 1: Enter the DLS Description

Go to Township Canada and type any DLS description into the search bar. The converter accepts multiple levels of detail:

• Section: 32-048-07W5 (640 acres)
• Quarter section: NE 32-048-07W5 (160 acres)
• LSD: 06-32-048-07W5 (40 acres)

Formatting is flexible — 32-48-7-W5, Sec 32 Twp 48 Rge 7 W5M, and other common notations all work.

Step 2: Review the GPS Result

Township Canada returns the latitude and longitude of the center point for your specified area. You'll also see:

• The parcel boundary outlined on the survey grid map
• The DLS hierarchy (which township, range, and meridian it falls within)
• Satellite imagery for visual confirmation (on Pro and Business plans)

Step 3: Export or Navigate

From the result page, you can:

• Copy the GPS coordinates for use in other tools
• Get driving directions to the location
• Save it to your saved places
• Export as PDF, CSV, KML, Shapefile, GeoJSON, or DXF (export guide)

Step 4: Convert in Bulk (Optional)

For large datasets — regulatory filings, pipeline route plans, well inventories — upload a CSV to the batch converter. It processes thousands of DLS descriptions in a single upload, returning GPS coordinates for every row. Available on the Business plan.

Example Conversion

Input: NE 14-032-21W4

This is the northeast quarter of Section 14, Township 32, Range 21, West of the 4th Meridian.

Output: approximately 51.36°N, 112.81°W

That's about 160 acres of land near Drumheller, Alberta — a region known for both its badlands geography and active oil and gas operations. The about page on Township Canada has more detail on how this notation breaks down.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Omitting the meridian: 32-048-07 is ambiguous — W4 or W5? Always include the meridian to avoid landing in the wrong part of the province.
• Confusing range and township: Township numbers increase going north; range numbers increase going west. Swapping them puts your location in the wrong row or column of the grid.
• Using the wrong system for BC: Most of British Columbia uses the NTS (National Topographic System), not DLS. Only the Peace River region of BC uses DLS. For BC locations, use the BC NTS converter instead.

For LSD-specific conversions, see our LSD to lat/long guide. To look up land by other methods — address, place name, or coordinates — check the legal land description lookup guide.

Convert a DLS Description Now

Try it yourself — enter NE 14-032-21W4 into the Township Canada converter and see the GPS coordinates instantly. Or type in any DLS description from your own files.