清代台中大甲溪南地區漢人的入墾過程中，形成三條南北交通之聚落帶；牛罵頭街所在的大肚台地斷層向南北延伸，為大甲溪南地區之主要聚落帶；此外，在大肚台地斷層以西的平原上，自大槺榔起向南沿伸出兩條聚落帶，一為居平原中之聚落帶，另一則與大肚台地斷層線聚落群延伸線在大肚街相交會，而大肚街也沿此二線發展出V字形的街市。大甲溪南地區聚落的入墾與分拓產生聚落的分層，乾隆時期地區之北、中、南即有個別的中心的產生，北以牛罵街為中心、中部為沙轆街、南為大肚街，均位於清水海岸平原與大肚台地交會之斷層線附近，這個地理位置可以將腹地同時涵蓋平原與台地，故能成為區域中心。道光年間平原中部沿海地帶另形成梧棲港街，其為港口商業與地區發展所形成的中心。大甲溪南地區內之主要非分拓聚落，有九成三成庄於嘉慶之前，說明地區聚落群構成於乾隆時期。

The gathering area of the three north and south traffic was formed during the period of the Hans' cultivating in the south area of the Da-Jia river in Qing Dynasty. The north and south interfering of Da-Du tableland fault in Niu-Ma-Tou Street was the main settlement in the south area of the Da-Jia river. Moreover, on the west plain of the Da-Du tableland fault, two more southwards were stretched out from Da-Kang-Lang. One was the settlement of the residential plain, and the other one met Da-Du street with the interfering of the settlement in Da -Du tableland fault line. As a result, Da-Du street was developed as a V shape town alongside these two lines. In Qian Long period, north, middle, and south area had separately generated in the settlement in the south area of the Da-Jia river, i.e. the center of the north part was Niu-Ma street; the middle part was Sha-Lu street; the south part was Da-Du street. All of them were located near the gathering fault line of Qing-Shui cost plain and Da-Du tableland. Its geographical position contained both plain and tableland in the hinterland, therefore, it became the regional center. In Dao-Guang period, the central coastal plain formed another Wu-Qi port street, which then became the belly area of the port trade and region develop. As for the main non-ettlement area in the south area of the Da-Jia river, 90%-30% of the villages were formed before Jia-Qing Dynasty. This indicates that the gathering settlement is developed in Qian Long period.