GPS Base Station

The City of Madison hosts Madison_GPS Base as part of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation statewide Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reference station network, called the Wisconsin Continuously Operating Reference Stations (WISCORS) Network. The base station is a GPS receiver that collects GPS measurements at a known location and provides reference data that can be used by land surveyors to increase the accuracy of GPS data collected in the field.

Land Records

The Engineering Division is responsible for maintaining the City’s Official Map. We provide a variety of land record services related to public works construction projects and private development and redevelopment projects.

Public Land Survey System

The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is a rectangular system of surveys used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property and is the basis of all land title ownership. The system consists of six square mile townships which are subdivided into one square mile sections. These are further divided into quarter sections. Monuments are placed at each section and quarter-section corner. All property lines are tied into this monument network. The City of Madison Engineering Division is responsible for preserving and perpetuating the 600+ monuments within the City of Madison Corporate boundaries.