Ranking · soil series

The 20 most common types of soil in the US

The most widespread named soil in the country is Valentine, a deep sand mapped on 11 million acres, almost all of it in Nebraska. Together, the 20 largest cover 80 million acres.

USDA soil survey data Updated November 3, 2026

Largest series: 11 million; acres · Valentine
Top 20 together: 80 million; acres
Named series in the US: 26,000+; most cover small areas

The 20 most common soil types

By mapped acres

US soil series ranked by mapped acres
Soil series	Acres	Soil order	Mostly in
1. Valentine	10,805,127	Entisols	Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas
2. Gilpin	5,833,859	Ultisols	West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky
3. Smithdale	5,632,526	Ultisols	Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee
4. Cecil	5,579,499	Ultisols	Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina
5. Williams	4,235,589	Mollisols	North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota
6. Ector	4,178,775	Mollisols	Texas, New Mexico
7. Harney	3,889,386	Mollisols	Kansas, Nebraska
8. Sharkey	3,645,880	Vertisols	Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi
9. Valent	3,522,047	Entisols	Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas
10. Berks	3,219,388	Inceptisols	West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia
11. Pacolet	3,134,795	Ultisols	Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina
12. Pullman	3,074,689	Mollisols	Texas, New Mexico
13. Amarillo	3,044,507	Alfisols	Texas, New Mexico
14. Tarrant	2,936,494	Mollisols	Texas, Oklahoma
15. Cabbart	2,844,111	Entisols	Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota
16. Uly	2,829,065	Mollisols	Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota
17. Ulysses	2,813,044	Mollisols	Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska
18. Holdrege	2,803,868	Mollisols	Nebraska, Kansas
19. Clarksville	2,802,758	Ultisols	Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas
20. Keith	2,743,416	Mollisols	Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado

What a soil series is

A soil series is the most detailed named soil type in the US system, a bit like a species. Every series has a type location where it was first described, and soils share a series when their layers, texture, color and chemistry match closely. Most are named after a town, county or landmark near where they were first described.

The list is dominated by the soils of large, uniform landscapes: the Nebraska Sandhills, the Appalachian ridges (Gilpin, Berks), the red clay Piedmont (Cecil, Pacolet) and the southern Plains (Pullman, Ector).

Sources & data dates

Source: USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
Data date: SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
Scope: All mapped land in the 50 states and DC in the current soil survey.
Method: Acres are mapped acres of the series across all survey areas, from each map unit's acres times the component percentage. Soil order is the top level of USDA Soil Taxonomy for the series. Full methodology.

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