Soil series profile
Glenville soil series
Glenville is a moderately well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 188,863 acres in 24 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group C/D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 85% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C/D 67% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.8 neutral · range 6.0–6.8
- Mapped area
- 189k acres in 24 counties, 5 states
Typical Glenville profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–11 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 6.8 | 15% | 30% | 3% |
| 11–20 in (Bt1) | Channery silt loam | 6.6 | 23% | 22% | 0.25% |
| 20–30 in (Bt2) | Silt loam | 5.5 | 24% | 22% | 0.09% |
| 30–40 in (Btx) | Silt loam | 5.0 | 19% | 27% | 0% |
| 40–59 in (C1) | Loam | 5.0 | 18% | 43% | 0% |
| 59–82 in (C2) | Loam | 5.0 | 18% | 43% | 0% |
What this means
What Glenville soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Glenville soils is neutral: pH 6.8 (most land between 6.0 and 6.8), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers >99% of mapped Glenville acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (98% of mapped Glenville acres).
85% of mapped Glenville acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On >99% 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.
A seasonal high water table comes within 18 inches of the surface on 21% of mapped acres, often in spring. Basements, sump pumps and lawns in low spots feel it first.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates >99% of the acres in mapped Glenville 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 Glenville soil is found
Mapped acres
Glenville is mapped in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and District of Columbia.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| York County, PA | 29,784 | 5.2% |
| Baltimore County, MD | 25,300 | 6.8% |
| Lancaster County, PA | 24,179 | 4.0% |
| Chester County, PA | 17,461 | 3.7% |
| Howard County, MD | 15,648 | 9.7% |
| Carroll County, MD | 15,538 | 5.4% |
| Harford County, MD | 12,666 | 4.6% |
| Delaware County, PA | 10,590 | 7.5% |
| Montgomery County, MD | 8,240 | 2.6% |
| Cecil County, MD | 7,574 | 3.7% |
| Frederick County, MD | 5,077 | 1.2% |
| Cumberland County, PA | 4,208 | 1.2% |
| New Castle County, DE | 2,555 | 1.0% |
| Bucks County, PA | 2,465 | 0.6% |
| Berks County, PA | 2,355 | 0.4% |
| Adams County, PA | 2,069 | 0.6% |
| Montgomery County, PA | 1,344 | 0.4% |
| Lehigh County, PA | 1,037 | 0.5% |
| Philadelphia County, PA | 380 | 0.5% |
| Prince William County, VA | 341 | 0.2% |
| Prince George's County, MD | 18 | 0.0% |
| District of Columbia, DC | 14 | 0.0% |
| Northampton County, PA | 12 | 0.0% |
| Baltimore city, MD | 7 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Glenville acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.9% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Glenville acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 1.7 feet (20 in) (median where reported); within 18 inches on 21% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 2–12% (median 6%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3%.
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 | 85.3% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 14.5% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
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 | 26.7% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 6.2% |
| 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 | 66.8% |
| Not rated | 0.3% |
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 Glenville (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 188,863 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Glenville components. The profile comes from the single largest Glenville component. Full methodology.