An exposure apparatus for exposing an object via a projection optical system, the apparatus comprising: a movable body (WST1, WST2) for holding the object, which is movable along a predetermined plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system; a position measurement system configured to measure positional information of the movable body based on an output of a head (60 1, 60 2, 60 3, 60 4) for irradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane from below the measurement plane and for receiving a return beam from the measurement plane, the head being of a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, and the measurement plane being placed roughly parallel to the predetermined plane above the movable body in the vicinity of an exposure position at which exposure of the object is performed via the projection optical system; and a control system configured to drive the movable body based on the positional information measured by the position measurement system, and also to obtain a correction information of the positional information of the movable body measured by the position measurement system, within a first area where position measurement can be performed with each of a second number of heads which is more than a first number of heads used in position control of the movable body, wherein the measurement plane is configured of a second number of sections (21 1, 21 2, 21 3, 21 4), the second number of heads being capable of individually facing the second number of sections, and a relationship between the second number of heads and the second number of sections makes transition between a first state and a second state, as the movable body moves, wherein in the first state, the movable body is in the first area and position measurement becomes possible with each of the second number of heads that individually correspond to the second number of sections, and in the second state, the movable body is in another area different from the first area, the first number of heads that belong to each of a plurality of head groups, of the second number of heads, individually face a corresponding first number of sections, of the second number of sections, and position measurement becomes possible with each of the first number of heads that belong to each of the plurality of head groups, each of the plurality of head groups including at least one head different from the other head groups. a movable body (WST1, WST2) for holding the object, which is movable along a predetermined plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system; a position measurement system configured to measure positional information of the movable body based on an output of a head (60 1, 60 2, 60 3, 60 4) for irradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane from below the measurement plane and for receiving a return beam from the measurement plane, the head being of a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, and the measurement plane being placed roughly parallel to the predetermined plane above the movable body in the vicinity of an exposure position at which exposure of the object is performed via the projection optical system; and a control system configured to drive the movable body based on the positional information measured by the position measurement system, and also to obtain a correction information of the positional information of the movable body measured by the position measurement system, within a first area where position measurement can be performed with each of a second number of heads which is more than a first number of heads used in position control of the movable body, wherein the measurement plane is configured of a second number of sections (21 1, 21 2, 21 3, 21 4), the second number of heads being capable of individually facing the second number of sections, and a relationship between the second number of heads and the second number of sections makes transition between a first state and a second state, as the movable body moves, wherein in the first state, the movable body is in the first area and position measurement becomes possible with each of the second number of heads that individually correspond to the second number of sections, and in the first state, the movable body is in the first area and position measurement becomes possible with each of the second number of heads that individually correspond to the second number of sections, and in the second state, the movable body is in another area different from the first area, the first number of heads that belong to each of a plurality of head groups, of the second number of heads, individually face a corresponding first number of sections, of the second number of sections, and position measurement becomes possible with each of the first number of heads that belong to each of the plurality of head groups, each of the plurality of head groups including at least one head different from the other head groups.