Soil series profile
Clymer soil series
Clymer is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 548,680 acres in 62 counties across 6 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 98% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.6 very strongly acidic · range 4.6–6.0
- Mapped area
- 549k acres in 62 counties, 6 states
Typical Clymer profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 in (Oa) | Highly decomposed plant material | 5.3 | Not reported | Not reported | 60% |
| 1–13 in (A) | Loam | 4.6 | 21% | 40% | 2.5% |
| 13–34 in (Bt) | Channery clay loam | 4.6 | 35% | 35% | 0.75% |
| 34–53 in (C) | Very channery clay loam | 4.6 | 30% | 35% | 0.37% |
| 53–57 in (R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Clymer soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Clymer soils is very strongly acidic: pH 4.6 (most land between 4.6 and 6.0). 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 >99% of mapped Clymer acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (50% of mapped Clymer acres).
>99% of mapped Clymer acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
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 67% of the acres in mapped Clymer soils very limited, 32% 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 Clymer soil is found
Mapped acres
Clymer is mapped in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland and Kentucky. The 60 counties with the most Clymer acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Kanawha County, WV | 99,077 | 21.4% |
| Clinton County, PA | 77,673 | 13.7% |
| Lycoming County, PA | 43,046 | 5.5% |
| Centre County, PA | 35,381 | 5.1% |
| Clearfield County, PA | 32,680 | 4.5% |
| Jackson County, OH | 26,793 | 10.0% |
| Indiana County, PA | 17,932 | 3.4% |
| Schuylkill County, PA | 16,820 | 3.4% |
| Clarion County, PA | 14,467 | 3.8% |
| Bedford County, PA | 13,055 | 2.1% |
| Fayette County, PA | 12,952 | 2.6% |
| Huntingdon County, PA | 11,452 | 2.1% |
| McKean County, PA | 11,419 | 1.8% |
| Somerset County, PA | 11,128 | 1.6% |
| Jefferson County, PA | 9,354 | 2.2% |
| Forest County, PA | 9,185 | 3.4% |
| Warren County, PA | 8,342 | 1.5% |
| Grant County, WV | 7,995 | 3.3% |
| Union County, PA | 7,938 | 3.9% |
| Northumberland County, PA | 7,548 | 2.6% |
| Snyder County, PA | 7,360 | 3.5% |
| Venango County, PA | 7,204 | 1.7% |
| Tioga County, PA | 6,260 | 0.9% |
| Blair County, PA | 6,099 | 1.9% |
| Lancaster County, PA | 5,864 | 1.0% |
| Cumberland County, PA | 4,953 | 1.4% |
| Cambria County, PA | 4,046 | 0.9% |
| Westmoreland County, PA | 3,908 | 0.6% |
| Gallia County, OH | 3,309 | 1.1% |
| Preston County, WV | 2,974 | 0.9% |
| Butler County, PA | 2,810 | 0.6% |
| Elk County, PA | 2,790 | 0.5% |
| Allegheny County, PA | 2,347 | 0.5% |
| Montgomery County, VA | 2,193 | 1.1% |
| Potter County, PA | 2,183 | 0.3% |
| Garrett County, MD | 1,740 | 0.4% |
| Washington County, OH | 1,346 | 0.3% |
| Fulton County, PA | 860 | 0.3% |
| Luzerne County, PA | 829 | 0.1% |
| Lawrence County, OH | 790 | 0.3% |
| Cameron County, PA | 763 | 0.3% |
| Carroll County, VA | 666 | 0.2% |
| Carbon County, PA | 630 | 0.3% |
| Monroe County, PA | 438 | 0.1% |
| Columbia County, PA | 382 | 0.1% |
| Allegany County, MD | 370 | 0.1% |
| Vinton County, OH | 304 | 0.1% |
| Montour County, PA | 235 | 0.3% |
| Clarke County, VA | 220 | 0.2% |
| Lebanon County, PA | 108 | 0.0% |
| Meigs County, OH | 90 | 0.0% |
| Whitley County, KY | 77 | 0.0% |
| Juniata County, PA | 70 | 0.0% |
| Armstrong County, PA | 64 | 0.0% |
| Mifflin County, PA | 46 | 0.0% |
| Clinton County, KY | 38 | 0.0% |
| Tucker County, WV | 28 | 0.0% |
| Scioto County, OH | 18 | 0.0% |
| Pike County, OH | 17 | 0.0% |
| Northampton County, PA | 11 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Clymer acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 32.3% |
| Very limited | 66.8% |
| Not rated | 0.8% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Clymer acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- None reported within about 6.5 feet (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 4–55% (median 12%).
- 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 | 99.5% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.5% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.5% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 98.1% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.5% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| 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 | 0.8% |
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 Clymer (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 548,680 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Clymer components. The profile comes from the single largest Clymer component. Full methodology.