County soil summary
Soil types in Fayette County, Kentucky
The most widespread soils are Maury, Bluegrass and Lowell; the most common drainage class is well drained (82% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 6.5.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 91% of land · state 89%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.5 slightly acidic · state 5.9
- Septic fields very limited
- 71% of land · state 79%
- Subject to flooding
- 12% of land, any frequency · state 12%
Most common soils in Fayette County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 78% of the mapped land; 27 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maury | 19.3% | Well drained | 5.8 |
| Bluegrass | 19.1% | Well drained | 7.1 |
| Lowell | 13.1% | Well drained | 6.1 |
| McAfee | 10.5% | Well drained | 6.5 |
| Huntington | 5.6% | Well drained | 6.7 |
| Mercer | 4.2% | Moderately well drained | 5.4 |
| Faywood | 3.4% | Well drained | 6.5 |
| Salvisa | 2.6% | Well drained | 7.0 |
What this means
What the soils in Fayette County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Fayette County is slightly acidic: pH 6.5 (most land between 5.8 and 7.1), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 92% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (80% of the land).
91% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 63% of the land, rain soaks in slowly (hydrologic groups C and D, including dual groups that are D until drained). Expect runoff and puddles after heavy rain: core-aerate compacted lawns and keep ground sloping away from foundations.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 71% of the land in Fayette County very limited, 22% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (8% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 79% of the land is very limited, so Fayette 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.
Flooding is mapped on 12% of the land (11% occasional, 0% frequent).
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 (82%). 91% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 89% across Kentucky.
Show as a table
| Category | Fayette County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% | 1.7% |
| Well drained | 82.1% | 72.3% |
| Moderately well drained | 8.6% | 15.2% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 2.6% | 4.9% |
| Poorly drained | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Not rated | 5.3% | 3.5% |
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 | Fayette County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Somewhat limited | 21.5% | 10.6% |
| Very limited | 70.9% | 79.4% |
| Not rated | 7.6% | 10.0% |
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 | Fayette County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.3% | 8.2% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 28.6% | 30.3% |
| C: slow infiltration | 49.3% | 25.8% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 10.3% | 14.2% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 1.8% | 3.5% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 2.0% | 7.8% |
| Not rated | 7.6% | 10.0% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Fayette County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 84.0% | 79.7% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.8% | 2.2% |
| Occasional | 11.4% | 6.7% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 0.0% | 3.5% |
| Not reported | 3.8% | 7.9% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Fayette County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 4.1% | 8.1% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 8.1% | 12.6% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 84.0% | 73.4% |
| Not reported | 3.8% | 5.9% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 6.5 (slightly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.8 and 7.1. Median topsoil organic matter is 2.6%.
Show as a table
| Category | Fayette County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 6.2% | 27.2% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 37.0% | 45.9% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 47.5% | 15.7% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| Not reported | 7.6% | 10.0% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Fayette County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 91.8% | 84.9% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.6% | 4.0% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 7.6% | 10.0% |
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
- Fayette County, Kentucky (FIPS 21067): 181,502 acres of mapped land, 1,250 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Kentucky.
- 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.