Soil series profile
Hastings soil series
Hastings is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 1,319,004 acres in 46 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.8 moderately acidic · range 5.8–5.8
- Mapped area
- 1.3M acres in 46 counties, 2 states
Typical Hastings profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 5.8 | 24% | 13% | 3% |
| 6–13 in (A) | Silty clay loam | 5.9 | 31% | 10% | 2.5% |
| 13–17 in (BA) | Silty clay loam | 6.3 | 36% | 8% | 1.5% |
| 17–32 in (Bt) | Silty clay loam | 6.8 | 38% | 7% | 0.75% |
| 32–39 in (Bk) | Silty clay loam | 7.9 | 27% | 7% | 0.5% |
| 39–79 in (C) | Silt loam | 7.8 | 25% | 9% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Hastings soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Hastings soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.8. Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Hastings acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (96% of mapped Hastings acres).
100% of mapped Hastings 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 Hastings 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 Hastings soil is found
Mapped acres
Hastings is mapped in Nebraska and Kansas.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| York County, NE | 199,188 | 54.2% |
| Hamilton County, NE | 156,825 | 45.2% |
| Polk County, NE | 121,107 | 43.3% |
| Clay County, NE | 120,967 | 33.0% |
| Nuckolls County, NE | 111,524 | 30.5% |
| Adams County, NE | 95,756 | 26.6% |
| Butler County, NE | 89,313 | 24.0% |
| Seward County, NE | 88,418 | 24.2% |
| Republic County, KS | 64,955 | 14.2% |
| Thayer County, NE | 45,449 | 12.4% |
| Fillmore County, NE | 37,224 | 10.1% |
| Cloud County, KS | 33,195 | 7.3% |
| Webster County, NE | 27,438 | 7.5% |
| Saline County, NE | 25,917 | 7.1% |
| Phelps County, NE | 14,317 | 4.2% |
| Hall County, NE | 13,918 | 4.0% |
| Jefferson County, NE | 10,282 | 2.8% |
| Kearney County, NE | 8,139 | 2.5% |
| Franklin County, NE | 7,615 | 2.1% |
| Ottawa County, KS | 6,106 | 1.3% |
| McPherson County, KS | 5,964 | 1.0% |
| Barton County, KS | 4,618 | 0.8% |
| Washington County, KS | 4,319 | 0.8% |
| Clay County, KS | 4,014 | 1.0% |
| Gosper County, NE | 3,236 | 1.1% |
| Rice County, KS | 2,674 | 0.6% |
| Ellsworth County, KS | 2,525 | 0.6% |
| Jewell County, KS | 2,233 | 0.4% |
| Dickinson County, KS | 1,832 | 0.3% |
| Saline County, KS | 1,686 | 0.4% |
| Harlan County, NE | 1,681 | 0.5% |
| Russell County, KS | 1,496 | 0.3% |
| Lincoln County, KS | 1,060 | 0.2% |
| Mitchell County, KS | 988 | 0.2% |
| Harvey County, KS | 878 | 0.3% |
| Dawson County, NE | 551 | 0.1% |
| Geary County, KS | 506 | 0.2% |
| Reno County, KS | 264 | 0.0% |
| Lancaster County, NE | 256 | 0.0% |
| Ellis County, KS | 222 | 0.0% |
| Riley County, KS | 212 | 0.1% |
| Marshall County, KS | 54 | 0.0% |
| Furnas County, NE | 50 | 0.0% |
| Frontier County, NE | 30 | 0.0% |
| Sedgwick County, KS | 3 | 0.0% |
| Butler County, KS | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Hastings 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 Hastings 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 1–5% (median 1%).
- 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 | 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 | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 100.0% |
| 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 Hastings (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 1,319,004 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Hastings components. The profile comes from the single largest Hastings component. Full methodology.