How to Convert LSD to Lat/Long

This guide walks you through converting an LSD (Legal Subdivision) number to latitude and longitude coordinates. Whether you have one LSD or a thousand, Township Canada returns precise GPS coordinates calculated from official survey data.

What Is an LSD, and Why Convert It?

An LSD is a 40-acre parcel within the Dominion Land Survey system, used across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The format is LSD-Section-Township-Range-Meridian — for example, 07-25-024-01W5.

LSD numbers are the standard way land is referenced on well licenses, surface lease agreements, crop insurance documents, and rural property titles across the prairies. But an LSD number alone doesn't tell you where to drive, what to pin on a map, or how to import the location into GIS software. For that, you need latitude and longitude.

Common situations where LSD-to-lat/long conversion is needed:

• Field crews planning routes to well sites or pipeline inspection points
• Claims adjusters confirming the location of a rural property before a site visit
• Land agents verifying that a title's LSD matches the property on a satellite image
• GIS analysts importing hundreds of well locations into ArcGIS or QGIS

Step-by-Step: Convert a Single LSD

Step 1: Go to Township Canada

Open Township Canada in your browser. The search bar accepts LSD input directly.

Step 2: Enter the LSD Number

Type the LSD in any common format. Township Canada recognizes:

• 07-25-024-01W5 (standard dash-separated)
• 7-25-24-1-W5 (without leading zeros)
• LSD 7 Sec 25 Twp 24 Rge 1 W5M (long-form)

Step 3: Get Your Coordinates

The converter returns the latitude and longitude for the center of that LSD parcel. For 07-25-024-01W5, you'd get approximately 51.28°N, 114.15°W — a location west of Calgary near Cochrane, Alberta.

You'll also see the LSD outlined on the map with the survey grid overlay, so you can visually confirm it's the right spot.

Step 4: Use the Coordinates

Once you have the lat/long, you can:

• Copy the coordinates to paste into Google Maps, GPS devices, or field apps
• Get turn-by-turn directions directly from Township Canada
• Export as PDF, CSV, KML, Shapefile, or GeoJSON for use in GIS and CAD software (see export options)

Converting Multiple LSDs at Once

If you have a list of LSDs — say from a regulatory filing or a pipeline route plan — you don't need to convert them one at a time.

1. Prepare a CSV file with your LSD descriptions in one column
2. Upload it to Township Canada's batch converter
3. Get lat/long coordinates for every row, returned as a downloadable file

The batch converter handles thousands of records in a single upload. This feature is available on the Business plan.

Example Conversion

Input: 14-08-042-26W4

This is Legal Subdivision 14, Section 8, Township 42, Range 26, West of the 4th Meridian.

Output: approximately 52.45°N, 113.53°W

That places this parcel near Ponoka in central Alberta — an area with significant oil and gas activity and mixed farmland. If you were a landman verifying well site locations for a new drilling program, this conversion tells you exactly where to go.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Confusing LSD with quarter section: An LSD is 40 acres (1/16 of a section). A quarter section is 160 acres (1/4 of a section). Make sure your input includes the LSD number (1-16), not just the quarter section abbreviation (NE, NW, SE, SW).
• Mixing up meridians: The meridian determines which reference line your township-range grid is measured from. W4 and W5 cover Alberta; W2 and W3 cover Saskatchewan. A wrong meridian puts you in the wrong province.
• Reversed section and township: The correct order is LSD-Section-Township-Range-Meridian. Switching section and township gives you a valid-looking but completely wrong location.

For a broader overview of finding LSD locations on a map, see our LSD finder guide. If you're working with quarter sections rather than LSDs, check out the quarter section finder.

Try It Now

Enter 07-25-024-01W5 into the Township Canada converter to see the lat/long result instantly. Or paste in any LSD from your own records and get GPS coordinates in seconds.