County soil summary
Soil types in Jefferson County, Alabama
The most widespread soils are Nauvoo, Montevallo and Fullerton; the most common drainage class is well drained (76% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.3.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 86% of land · state 81%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · state 5.0
- Septic fields very limited
- 51% of land · state 79%
- Subject to flooding
- 4% of land, any frequency · state 19%
Most common soils in Jefferson County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 85% of the mapped land; 24 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nauvoo | 32.1% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| Montevallo | 23.8% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| Urban landLand type, not a soil series | 9.8% | — | — |
| Fullerton | 4.8% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| Bodine | 4.8% | Somewhat excessively drained | 4.6 |
| Palmerdale | 4.0% | Somewhat excessively drained | 4.6 |
| Townley | 3.2% | Well drained | 4.6 |
| Sullivan | 2.5% | Well drained | 6.2 |
What this means
What the soils in Jefferson County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Jefferson County is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 4.6 and 5.3). Most vegetables and lawn grasses do best around 6.0 to 7.0, so lime is often needed; blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons like it as it is.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 88% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (34% of the land).
86% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 51% of the land in Jefferson County very limited, 38% somewhat limited and <1% not limited (11% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 79% of the land is very limited, so Jefferson County is less restrictive than typical.
Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Drainage
How long the soil stays wet
The most common drainage class is well drained (76%). 86% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 81% across Alabama.
Show as a table
| Category | Jefferson County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 8.8% | 5.9% |
| Well drained | 76.4% | 60.7% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.7% | 13.8% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 1.5% | 8.3% |
| Poorly drained | 0.9% | 8.2% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% | 1.3% |
| Not rated | 11.7% | 1.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating for conventional drain fields
The rating looks at the soil from 24 to 60 inches deep: permeability, depth to a seasonal water table or bedrock, flooding and slope. “Very limited” means at least one feature is unfavorable enough that a conventional field is hard to make work.
Show as a table
| Category | Jefferson County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.2% | 2.9% |
| Somewhat limited | 37.6% | 17.6% |
| Very limited | 51.2% | 78.5% |
| Not rated | 11.0% | 0.9% |
Rain, runoff and water table
Hydrologic soil group, flooding, seasonal water table
Hydrologic soil group
How fast rain soaks in when the soil is already wet. Group A soaks in fastest, D slowest.
Show as a table
| Category | Jefferson County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 8.8% | 13.1% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 46.0% | 27.4% |
| C: slow infiltration | 2.5% | 20.8% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 28.7% | 20.1% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% | 1.8% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.3% | 8.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 2.0% | 7.5% |
| Not rated | 11.7% | 1.2% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Jefferson County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 85.0% | 80.7% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.0% | 1.9% |
| Occasional | 1.0% | 4.8% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 3.1% | 12.2% |
| Not reported | 11.0% | 0.4% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Jefferson County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 2.4% | 19.8% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 0.7% | 8.3% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 85.9% | 71.6% |
| Not reported | 11.0% | 0.4% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 5.3 (strongly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 4.6 and 5.3. Median topsoil organic matter is 1.2%.
Show as a table
| Category | Jefferson County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 80.2% | 76.2% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 7.4% | 17.1% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 0.7% | 2.8% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 2.4% |
| Not reported | 11.7% | 1.5% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Jefferson County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 0.0% | 16.5% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 88.3% | 77.7% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.0% | 3.9% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 11.7% | 1.1% |
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
- Jefferson County, Alabama (FIPS 01073): 579,905 acres of mapped land, 3,468 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Alabama.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped land area: each map unit’s acres in the county times each soil component’s percentage. Open water is excluded. Topsoil values use the first mineral horizon of each component. Full methodology.