Soil series profile
Fayette soil series
Fayette is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 2,246,217 acres in 86 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 79% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.2 slightly acidic · range 6.2–6.8
- Mapped area
- 2.2M acres in 86 counties, 4 states
Typical Fayette profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–8 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 6.2 | 21% | 4% | 2% |
| 8–11 in (BE) | Silt loam | 6.2 | 24% | 4% | 0.5% |
| 11–23 in (Bt1) | Silty clay loam | 5.8 | 27% | 4% | 0.5% |
| 23–31 in (Bt2) | Silty clay loam | 5.8 | 27% | 4% | 0.5% |
| 31–43 in (BC) | Silty clay loam | 6.5 | 27% | 4% | 0.25% |
| 43–79 in (C) | Silt loam | 6.5 | 25% | 4% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Fayette soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Fayette soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.2 (most land between 6.2 and 6.8), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Fayette acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (94% of mapped Fayette acres).
100% of mapped Fayette acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 79% 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 81% of the acres in mapped Fayette soils very limited, 19% 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 Fayette soil is found
Mapped acres
Fayette is mapped in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The 60 counties with the most Fayette acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton County, IA | 178,741 | 36.0% |
| Fillmore County, MN | 163,058 | 29.7% |
| Jackson County, IA | 146,534 | 36.2% |
| Grant County, WI | 146,355 | 20.0% |
| Winneshiek County, IA | 101,048 | 23.0% |
| Dubuque County, IA | 95,954 | 24.7% |
| Allamakee County, IA | 93,385 | 23.1% |
| Clinton County, IA | 89,209 | 20.2% |
| Jones County, IA | 87,245 | 23.9% |
| Johnson County, IA | 69,542 | 17.9% |
| Winona County, MN | 63,495 | 15.9% |
| Tama County, IA | 57,540 | 12.5% |
| Cedar County, IA | 54,400 | 14.7% |
| Greene County, IL | 53,743 | 15.7% |
| Jo Daviess County, IL | 52,036 | 13.9% |
| Fayette County, IA | 49,927 | 10.7% |
| Carroll County, IL | 42,633 | 15.3% |
| Houston County, MN | 42,383 | 12.0% |
| Linn County, IA | 38,947 | 8.5% |
| Rock Island County, IL | 38,245 | 14.7% |
| Delaware County, IA | 36,808 | 10.0% |
| Iowa County, IA | 32,311 | 8.7% |
| Benton County, IA | 28,330 | 6.2% |
| Jersey County, IL | 27,602 | 11.9% |
| Stephenson County, IL | 26,127 | 7.5% |
| Lafayette County, WI | 25,248 | 6.2% |
| Schuyler County, IL | 23,415 | 8.6% |
| Fulton County, IL | 22,910 | 4.3% |
| Muscatine County, IA | 21,836 | 7.8% |
| Brown County, IL | 21,241 | 11.2% |
| Henry County, IL | 20,604 | 4.0% |
| Mercer County, IL | 18,874 | 5.4% |
| Ogle County, IL | 18,541 | 3.9% |
| Scott County, IA | 16,341 | 5.6% |
| Peoria County, IL | 15,523 | 4.0% |
| Scott County, IL | 13,624 | 8.7% |
| Knox County, IL | 13,267 | 2.9% |
| Sangamon County, IL | 13,022 | 2.4% |
| Louisa County, IA | 12,070 | 4.7% |
| Morgan County, IL | 11,789 | 3.3% |
| Bureau County, IL | 10,895 | 2.0% |
| Whiteside County, IL | 10,600 | 2.6% |
| Cass County, IL | 10,379 | 4.5% |
| Iowa County, WI | 9,956 | 2.0% |
| Green County, WI | 9,458 | 2.5% |
| Marion County, IA | 8,079 | 2.3% |
| Jasper County, IA | 7,815 | 1.7% |
| Henderson County, IL | 7,394 | 3.2% |
| Warren County, IL | 7,303 | 2.1% |
| Winnebago County, IL | 7,081 | 2.3% |
| Hancock County, IL | 6,009 | 1.2% |
| Tazewell County, IL | 4,743 | 1.2% |
| Poweshiek County, IA | 4,700 | 1.3% |
| Lee County, IL | 4,527 | 1.0% |
| Polk County, IA | 4,509 | 1.2% |
| Des Moines County, IA | 4,195 | 1.6% |
| Washington County, IA | 4,059 | 1.1% |
| Mason County, IL | 3,875 | 1.1% |
| Mahaska County, IA | 3,748 | 1.0% |
| Warren County, IA | 3,119 | 0.9% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Fayette acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 18.7% |
| Very limited | 81.3% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Fayette 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 4–22% (median 12%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 100.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| 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 | 21.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 79.0% |
| 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% |
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 Fayette (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 2,246,217 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Fayette components. The profile comes from the single largest Fayette component. Full methodology.