Soil series profile
Beltsville soil series
Beltsville is a moderately well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 144,682 acres in 15 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 98% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 97% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.2 extremely acidic · range 4.2–4.2
- Mapped area
- 145k acres in 15 counties, 4 states
Typical Beltsville profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–3 in (A) | Silt loam | 4.2 | 8% | 41% | 2.5% |
| 3–8 in (E) | Silt loam | 4.3 | 12% | 33% | 1.03% |
| 8–20 in (Bt) | Silt loam | 4.3 | 22% | 23% | 0.41% |
| 20–41 in (Btx) | Loam | 4.2 | 13% | 45% | 0.07% |
| 41–65 in (2B't) | Sandy clay loam | 4.6 | 24% | 66% | 0.69% |
| 65–71 in (2BCg) | Very gravelly sandy clay loam | 5.1 | 32% | 64% | 0.05% |
| 71–76 in (2CB) | Gravelly coarse sandy loam | 4.7 | 17% | 80% | 0% |
What this means
What Beltsville soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Beltsville soils is extremely acidic: pH 4.2. 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 97% of mapped Beltsville acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (95% of mapped Beltsville acres).
98% of mapped Beltsville acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 98% of mapped acres, 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 97% of the acres in mapped Beltsville soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (3% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
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.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Beltsville soil is found
Mapped acres
Beltsville is mapped in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and District of Columbia.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Charles County, MD | 67,079 | 22.9% |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 34,420 | 14.7% |
| Prince George's County, MD | 21,016 | 6.8% |
| Cecil County, MD | 5,506 | 2.7% |
| Harford County, MD | 4,593 | 1.7% |
| Baltimore County, MD | 3,265 | 0.9% |
| Fairfax County, VA | 2,983 | 1.3% |
| Northumberland County, VA | 1,377 | 1.4% |
| Delaware County, PA | 956 | 0.7% |
| Calvert County, MD | 863 | 0.6% |
| Baltimore city, MD | 793 | 1.5% |
| Lancaster County, VA | 559 | 1.0% |
| Montgomery County, MD | 526 | 0.2% |
| District of Columbia, DC | 461 | 1.2% |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 284 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Beltsville acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 96.6% |
| Not rated | 3.4% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Beltsville acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.0 feet (24 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 1–7% (median 3%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 98.3% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 1.7% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 97.4% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.9% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 1.7% |
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
- All map unit components named Beltsville (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 144,682 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Beltsville components. The profile comes from the single largest Beltsville component. Full methodology.