Soil series profile
Chillicothe soil series
Chillicothe is a moderately well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 61,678 acres in 13 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 80% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.1 slightly acidic · range 6.1–6.2
- Mapped area
- 62k acres in 13 counties, 2 states
Typical Chillicothe profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 6.1 | 25% | 4% | 4% |
| 6–10 in (A) | Silt loam | 6.1 | 26% | 4% | 3% |
| 10–13 in (BA) | Silty clay loam | 6.5 | 31% | 4% | 2.5% |
| 13–22 in (Bt1) | Silty clay loam | 6.5 | 38% | 4% | 0.7% |
| 22–47 in (Bt2) | Silty clay loam | 6.5 | 38% | 4% | 0.6% |
| 47–71 in (2Bt3) | Silty clay | 6.5 | 45% | 5% | 0.5% |
| 71–79 in (2R) | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Chillicothe soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Chillicothe soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.1 (most land between 6.1 and 6.2), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Chillicothe acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (95% of mapped Chillicothe acres).
100% of mapped Chillicothe acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Chillicothe soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not 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.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Chillicothe soil is found
Mapped acres
Chillicothe is mapped in Kansas and Missouri.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson County, KS | 45,961 | 15.1% |
| Caldwell County, MO | 9,710 | 3.5% |
| Livingston County, MO | 2,827 | 0.8% |
| Ray County, MO | 1,204 | 0.3% |
| Platte County, MO | 591 | 0.2% |
| Leavenworth County, KS | 584 | 0.2% |
| Miami County, KS | 342 | 0.1% |
| Clay County, MO | 256 | 0.1% |
| Jefferson County, KS | 89 | 0.0% |
| Carroll County, MO | 85 | 0.0% |
| Buchanan County, MO | 18 | 0.0% |
| Douglas County, KS | 6 | 0.0% |
| Atchison County, KS | 5 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Chillicothe acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 100.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Chillicothe acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.9 feet (35 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 4–7% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 4%.
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 | 100.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
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 | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 79.6% |
| 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 | 20.4% |
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
- All map unit components named Chillicothe (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 61,678 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Chillicothe components. The profile comes from the single largest Chillicothe component. Full methodology.