County soil summary
Soil types in Cleveland County, Oklahoma
The most widespread soils are Stephenville, Harrah and Darnell; the most common drainage class is well drained (73% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 6.4.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 92% of land · state 87%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.4 slightly acidic · state 6.5
- Septic fields very limited
- 78% of land · state 77%
- Subject to flooding
- 18% of land, any frequency · state 14%
Most common soils in Cleveland County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 61% of the mapped land; 50 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephenville | 15.6% | Well drained | 5.8 |
| Harrah | 14.1% | Well drained | 5.9 |
| Darnell | 8.0% | Excessively drained | 6.4 |
| Renfrow | 5.7% | Well drained | 6.6 |
| Newalla | 4.9% | Moderately well drained | 5.3 |
| Norge | 4.5% | Well drained | 5.9 |
| Teller | 3.9% | Well drained | 6.5 |
| Kirkland | 3.8% | Well drained | 5.9 |
What this means
What the soils in Cleveland County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Cleveland County is slightly acidic: pH 6.4 (most land between 5.8 and 7.0), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 69% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (38% of the land).
92% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 55% 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 78% of the land in Cleveland County very limited, 12% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (10% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
That is close to the state as a whole (77% very limited).
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 18% of the land (9% 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%). 92% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 87% across Oklahoma.
Show as a table
| Category | Cleveland County | Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 9.2% | 2.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 1.3% | 5.7% |
| Well drained | 72.7% | 68.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 5.8% | 8.8% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% | 1.4% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Not rated | 2.0% | 2.3% |
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 | Cleveland County | Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Somewhat limited | 12.4% | 15.4% |
| Very limited | 77.5% | 77.2% |
| Not rated | 10.1% | 6.2% |
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 | Cleveland County | Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 7.9% | 11.4% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 36.5% | 27.5% |
| C: slow infiltration | 22.1% | 20.9% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 32.8% | 32.5% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% | 4.5% |
| Not rated | 0.7% | 2.6% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Cleveland County | Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 82.3% | 85.4% |
| Rare or very rare | 3.0% | 2.5% |
| Occasional | 8.5% | 7.2% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 6.2% | 4.7% |
| Not reported | 0.0% | 0.2% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Cleveland County | Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 2.5% | 9.6% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 2.4% | 6.8% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 95.1% | 83.5% |
| Not reported | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 6.4 (slightly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.8 and 7.0. Median topsoil organic matter is 2%.
Show as a table
| Category | Cleveland County | Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 4.3% | 9.9% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 44.6% | 31.4% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 32.3% | 31.4% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 6.7% | 19.4% |
| Not reported | 12.1% | 7.9% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Cleveland County | Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 17.7% | 10.0% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 69.3% | 78.7% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.9% | 3.4% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 12.1% | 7.9% |
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
- Cleveland County, Oklahoma (FIPS 40027): 343,566 acres of mapped land, 12,901 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Oklahoma.
- 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.