County soil summary
Soil types in Chesterfield County, Virginia
The most widespread soils are Appling, Creedmoor and Bourne; the most common drainage class is well drained (49% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.3.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 75% of land · state 85%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · state 5.3
- Septic fields very limited
- 86% of land · state 77%
- Subject to flooding
- 15% of land, any frequency · state 10%
Most common soils in Chesterfield County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 58% of the mapped land; 36 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appling | 15.0% | Well drained | 5.5 |
| Creedmoor | 9.5% | Moderately well drained | 4.6 |
| FluvaquentsGeneral soil group, not a named series | 7.8% | — | — |
| Bourne | 6.9% | Moderately well drained | 5.5 |
| Mayodan | 6.2% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| ColfaxGeneral soil group, not a named series | 5.0% | — | — |
| GroverGeneral soil group, not a named series | 3.9% | — | — |
| Nevarc | 3.3% | Moderately well drained | 4.2 |
What this means
What the soils in Chesterfield County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Chesterfield County is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 4.6 and 5.5). Most vegetables and lawn grasses do best around 6.0 to 7.0, so lime is often needed; blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons like it as it is.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 70% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (37% of the land).
75% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 51% 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 86% of the land in Chesterfield County very limited, 13% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (1% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 77% of the land is very limited, so Chesterfield 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 15% of the land (0% occasional, 12% 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 (49%). 75% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 85% across Virginia.
Show as a table
| Category | Chesterfield County | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.1% | 2.1% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.2% | 4.9% |
| Well drained | 49.4% | 67.8% |
| Moderately well drained | 24.9% | 10.1% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 7.5% | 3.1% |
| Poorly drained | 15.5% | 7.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 1.2% | 2.0% |
| Not rated | 1.3% | 3.0% |
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 | Chesterfield County | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Somewhat limited | 13.2% | 20.6% |
| Very limited | 85.5% | 76.5% |
| Not rated | 1.3% | 2.8% |
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 | Chesterfield County | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 6.7% | 10.8% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 41.1% | 49.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 17.4% | 10.1% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% | 0.9% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 11.0% | 6.7% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 7.0% | 4.0% |
| Not rated | 1.3% | 3.5% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Chesterfield County | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 84.7% | 88.5% |
| Rare or very rare | 3.4% | 1.7% |
| Occasional | 0.0% | 2.1% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 11.9% | 6.5% |
| Not reported | 0.0% | 1.2% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Chesterfield County | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 19.5% | 13.0% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 24.5% | 9.8% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 56.1% | 76.1% |
| Not reported | 0.0% | 1.1% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 5.3 (strongly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 4.6 and 5.5. Median topsoil organic matter is 1.2%.
Show as a table
| Category | Chesterfield County | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 59.7% | 64.8% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 39.0% | 28.5% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 0.0% | 3.4% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Not reported | 1.3% | 3.0% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Chesterfield County | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 28.9% | 9.4% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 69.8% | 86.6% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 1.3% | 2.9% |
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
- Chesterfield County, Virginia (FIPS 51041): 231,797 acres of mapped land, 10,289 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Virginia.
- 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.