County soil summary
Soil types in Travis County, Texas
The most widespread soils are Brackett, Houston Black and Eckrant; the most common drainage class is well drained (64% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 7.9.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 88% of land · state 88%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.9 moderately alkaline · state 7.5
- Septic fields very limited
- 83% of land · state 71%
- Subject to flooding
- 8% of land, any frequency · state 10%
Most common soils in Travis County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 68% of the mapped land; 53 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brackett | 16.3% | Well drained | 7.9 |
| Houston Black | 15.7% | Moderately well drained | 7.9 |
| Eckrant | 11.1% | Well drained | 7.5 |
| Heiden | 7.4% | Well drained | 8.2 |
| Rock outcropLand type, not a soil series | 6.9% | — | — |
| Volente | 3.8% | Well drained | 8.2 |
| Urban landLand type, not a soil series | 3.5% | — | — |
| Austin | 3.4% | Well drained | 8.2 |
What this means
What the soils in Travis County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Travis County is moderately alkaline: pH 7.9 (most land between 7.0 and 8.2). Acid-loving plants such as blueberries and azaleas struggle without amended beds, and some trees and shrubs show iron chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins).
Clayey topsoil covers 44% of the land. Clay holds water and nutrients but drains slowly and compacts if worked wet: add compost, avoid tilling soggy soil and consider raised beds. The most common surface texture is clay (25% of the land).
88% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 87% 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 83% of the land in Travis County very limited, 3% somewhat limited and <1% not limited (13% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 71% of the land is very limited, so Travis County is more 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 8% of the land (1% occasional, 4% 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 (64%). 88% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 88% across Texas.
Show as a table
| Category | Travis County | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.2% | 1.4% |
| Well drained | 64.1% | 69.9% |
| Moderately well drained | 23.7% | 15.8% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.2% | 3.7% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% | 2.2% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Not rated | 11.7% | 5.6% |
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 | Travis County | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.4% | 1.4% |
| Somewhat limited | 3.3% | 16.7% |
| Very limited | 83.2% | 70.9% |
| Not rated | 13.1% | 11.0% |
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 | Travis County | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 1.5% | 7.2% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 5.0% | 20.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 8.3% | 22.9% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 78.5% | 38.3% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% | 1.8% |
| Not rated | 6.7% | 8.8% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Travis County | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| Rare or very rare | 2.3% | 2.1% |
| Occasional | 1.3% | 3.4% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| Not reported | 1.8% | 3.7% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Travis County | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 0.0% | 5.7% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 0.3% | 3.6% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 98.6% | 89.0% |
| Not reported | 1.0% | 1.6% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 7.9 (moderately alkaline); 80% of rated land falls between 7.0 and 8.2. Median topsoil organic matter is 2.5%.
Show as a table
| Category | Travis County | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 0.0% | 5.2% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 0.0% | 9.8% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 8.6% | 24.9% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 68.9% | 46.8% |
| Not reported | 22.6% | 13.3% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Travis County | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 1.9% | 14.6% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 32.0% | 56.0% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 43.6% | 15.9% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 22.6% | 13.4% |
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
- Travis County, Texas (FIPS 48453): 635,503 acres of mapped land, 20,081 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Texas.
- 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.