County soil summary
Soil types in Chester County, Pennsylvania
The most widespread soils are Glenelg, Gladstone and Manor; the most common drainage class is well drained (66% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.8.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 81% of land · state 80%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.8 moderately acidic · state 5.3
- Septic fields very limited
- 78% of land · state 91%
- Subject to flooding
- 5% of land, any frequency · state 5%
Most common soils in Chester County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 68% of the mapped land; 76 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenelg | 16.0% | Well drained | 5.4 |
| Gladstone | 15.9% | Well drained | 6.3 |
| Manor | 11.1% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| Urban landLand type, not a soil series | 9.1% | — | — |
| Edgemont | 5.1% | Well drained | 5.4 |
| Penn | 3.9% | Well drained | 6.4 |
| Glenville | 3.7% | Moderately well drained | 6.8 |
| Parker | 3.2% | Somewhat excessively drained | 5.0 |
What this means
What the soils in Chester County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Chester County is moderately acidic: pH 5.8 (most land between 5.3 and 6.4). 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 91% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (46% of the land).
81% 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 78% of the land in Chester County very limited, 20% somewhat limited and 2% not limited (1% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 91% of the land is very limited, so Chester 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 5% of the land (2% occasional, 3% 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 (66%). 81% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 80% across Pennsylvania.
Show as a table
| Category | Chester County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 3.7% | 4.7% |
| Well drained | 66.1% | 51.5% |
| Moderately well drained | 10.8% | 23.3% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 1.4% | 9.3% |
| Poorly drained | 8.8% | 6.5% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| Not rated | 9.2% | 3.4% |
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 | Chester County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 1.6% | 0.4% |
| Somewhat limited | 19.5% | 6.4% |
| Very limited | 77.8% | 91.0% |
| Not rated | 1.1% | 2.3% |
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 | Chester County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 10.3% | 15.8% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 53.0% | 20.3% |
| C: slow infiltration | 9.8% | 19.1% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 6.4% | 23.9% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 8.1% | 13.6% |
| Not rated | 9.2% | 3.7% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Chester County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 94.7% | 94.0% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Occasional | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 3.2% | 2.7% |
| Not reported | 0.0% | 0.9% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Chester County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 12.7% | 26.1% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 8.2% | 18.0% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 79.1% | 55.6% |
| Not reported | 0.0% | 0.3% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 5.8 (moderately acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.3 and 6.4. Median topsoil organic matter is 3%.
Show as a table
| Category | Chester County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 40.3% | 54.8% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 43.5% | 35.8% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 7.0% | 6.0% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Not reported | 9.2% | 3.5% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Chester County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 90.8% | 95.8% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 9.2% | 3.6% |
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
- Chester County, Pennsylvania (FIPS 42029): 478,241 acres of mapped land, 3,666 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Pennsylvania.
- 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.