The patchwork pattern of land ownership is an important factor that negatively affects the organization of agricultural production and agricultural output. Farmland located in an external patchwork of fields is usually owned by both rural residents as well as inhabitants of commune towns and other towns and cities. Owners who live in administrative, industrial and cultural-educational centres usually own farmland inherited from their parents who used to live in the countryside or moved to towns and cities. Another group of non-resident owners are individuals who have bought construction or recreational plots in the commune of Lesko on account of its attractive localization and good prices of land there. Research conducted in the commune allowed us to determine the impact of towns and cities (cultural, administrative, service and industrial centres) on the size of the external patchwork of land ownership. Studies were carried out in 15 villages of the commune of Lesko, located in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship.