County soil summary
Soil types in Warren County, Kentucky
The most widespread soils are Baxter, Crider and Caneyville; the most common drainage class is well drained (73% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.6.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 89% of land · state 89%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.6 moderately acidic · state 5.9
- Septic fields very limited
- 55% of land · state 79%
- Subject to flooding
- 7% of land, any frequency · state 12%
Most common soils in Warren County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 74% of the mapped land; 29 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter | 22.4% | Well drained | 5.5 |
| Crider | 18.6% | Well drained | 6.2 |
| Caneyville | 8.4% | Well drained | 5.9 |
| Frondorf | 5.1% | Well drained | 5.0 |
| Zanesville | 5.1% | Moderately well drained | 5.9 |
| Ramsey | 5.0% | Somewhat excessively drained | 5.0 |
| Fredonia | 4.7% | Well drained | 5.8 |
| Vertrees | 4.5% | Well drained | 5.9 |
What this means
What the soils in Warren County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Warren County is moderately acidic: pH 5.6 (most land between 5.0 and 6.3). Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 87% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (59% of the land).
89% 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 55% of the land in Warren County very limited, 33% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (13% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 79% of the land is very limited, so Warren 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 7% of the land (<1% occasional, 6% 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 (73%). 89% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 89% across Kentucky.
Show as a table
| Category | Warren County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 5.0% | 1.7% |
| Well drained | 73.3% | 72.3% |
| Moderately well drained | 10.2% | 15.2% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 3.0% | 4.9% |
| Poorly drained | 0.9% | 2.2% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Not rated | 7.7% | 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 | Warren County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Somewhat limited | 32.8% | 10.6% |
| Very limited | 54.5% | 79.4% |
| Not rated | 12.7% | 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 | Warren County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.2% | 8.2% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 46.8% | 30.3% |
| C: slow infiltration | 19.6% | 25.8% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 12.8% | 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 | 6.2% | 7.8% |
| Not rated | 12.7% | 10.0% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Warren County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 86.5% | 79.7% |
| Rare or very rare | 1.6% | 2.2% |
| Occasional | 0.1% | 6.7% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 5.7% | 3.5% |
| Not reported | 6.2% | 7.9% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Warren County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 3.3% | 8.1% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 9.6% | 12.6% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 80.9% | 73.4% |
| Not reported | 6.2% | 5.9% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 5.6 (moderately acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.0 and 6.3. Median topsoil organic matter is 3%.
Show as a table
| Category | Warren County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 14.3% | 27.2% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 66.9% | 45.9% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 6.1% | 15.7% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 1.2% |
| Not reported | 12.7% | 10.0% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Warren County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 86.9% | 84.9% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.4% | 4.0% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 12.7% | 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
- Warren County, Kentucky (FIPS 21227): 346,846 acres of mapped land, 3,650 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.