Soil series profile

Hazleton soil series

Hazleton is a well drained soil with a channery loam surface, mapped on 1,809,475 acres in 77 counties across 7 states. Hydrologic group A.

#51 by mapped area loamy-skeletal Typic Dystrudepts (Inceptisols)

Drainage class: Well drained
Hydrologic group: A
Typical topsoil pH: 4.6
Mapped area: 1.8M

Typical Hazleton profile

Texture and pH by depth

Depth to scale. More strongly shaded layers hold more clay. Horizon names are the soil survey's (A = topsoil, B = subsoil, C = parent material).

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Typical Hazleton horizons (representative values)
Depth	Texture	pH	Clay	Sand	Organic matter
0–4 in (H1)	Channery loam	4.6	13%	46%	3%
4–46 in (H2)	Very channery loam	4.6	13%	50%	0.25%
46–55 in (H3)	Extremely channery sandy loam	4.6	10%	65%	0.25%
55–59 in (H4)	Bedrock	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported

Representative values from the most extensive Hazleton map unit (Hazleton very stony loam, 25 to 80 percent slopes, survey area PA033). Other map units of this series vary within the series range.

Stock photo for illustration, not a sample of this soil series. Credit on the Sources & method page.

What this means

What Hazleton soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Hazleton soils is very strongly acidic: pH 4.6 (most land between 4.2 and 5.5). 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 Hazleton acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is channery sandy loam (62% of mapped Hazleton acres).

>99% of mapped Hazleton acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.

For lawns and yards

>99% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.

For a septic system

For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates >99% of the acres in mapped Hazleton soils very limited, <1% 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.

Generated from the mapped numbers above using fixed rules, not a site visit. See how these notes are written.

Where Hazleton soil is found

Mapped acres

Hazleton is mapped in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. The 60 counties with the most Hazleton acres:

Counties with the most mapped Hazleton soil
County	Acres	Share of county land
Clinton County, PA	129,768	22.8%
Elk County, PA	118,852	22.4%
Clearfield County, PA	99,381	13.7%
Centre County, PA	98,475	14.1%
Somerset County, PA	96,058	14.2%
McKean County, PA	94,311	15.0%
Warren County, PA	90,629	16.1%
Cameron County, PA	76,752	30.3%
Forest County, PA	67,269	24.6%
Huntingdon County, PA	64,681	11.8%
Perry County, PA	63,453	18.4%
Mifflin County, PA	49,576	19.1%
Jefferson County, PA	45,149	10.8%
Augusta County, VA	45,122	9.0%
Venango County, PA	44,082	10.4%
Cambria County, PA	39,629	9.1%
Clarion County, PA	35,364	9.2%
Indiana County, PA	34,229	6.5%
Schuylkill County, PA	30,963	6.3%
Blair County, PA	27,839	8.5%
Carbon County, PA	27,612	11.5%
Juniata County, PA	27,532	11.2%
Cumberland County, PA	25,865	7.5%
Fulton County, PA	24,255	8.8%
Fayette County, PA	23,883	4.7%
Franklin County, PA	22,202	4.5%
Berks County, PA	21,051	3.8%
Pendleton County, WV	20,149	5.9%
Bedford County, PA	19,119	3.0%
Butler County, PA	17,670	3.5%
Hardy County, WV	16,208	5.4%
Guernsey County, OH	15,366	4.6%
Coshocton County, OH	14,105	3.9%
Carroll County, OH	13,208	5.2%
Jefferson County, OH	12,750	4.9%
Allegany County, MD	12,389	4.6%
Snyder County, PA	11,493	5.5%
Grant County, WV	11,304	4.6%
Union County, PA	11,299	5.6%
Northumberland County, PA	10,666	3.7%
Lebanon County, PA	10,033	4.4%
Hunterdon County, NJ	9,541	3.5%
Tuscarawas County, OH	8,071	2.2%
Frederick County, VA	7,816	3.5%
Morgan County, WV	6,598	5.1%
Westmoreland County, PA	5,912	0.9%
Allegheny County, PA	5,665	1.2%
Berkeley County, WV	5,453	3.1%
Lycoming County, PA	5,185	0.7%
Northampton County, PA	3,681	1.6%
Washington County, MD	3,513	1.2%
Lincoln County, WV	3,454	1.5%
Monroe County, PA	3,265	0.8%
Potter County, PA	3,182	0.5%
Holmes County, OH	3,143	1.2%
Harrison County, OH	2,638	1.0%
Lehigh County, PA	2,424	1.1%
Pocahontas County, WV	1,825	0.4%
Garrett County, MD	1,636	0.4%
Greenbrier County, WV	1,237	0.2%

Septic absorption fields

NRCS rating, share of Hazleton acres

Not limited 0%

Somewhat limited <1%

Very limited >99%

Not rated <1%

Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Hazleton acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Hazleton acres.
Category	Share of acres
Not limited	0.0%
Somewhat limited	0.1%
Very limited	99.5%
Not rated	0.4%

Drainage, water table and flooding

Share of Hazleton 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 4–53% (median 20%).
Topsoil organic matter: Median 3%.

Drainage class

Excessively drained 0%

Somewhat excessively drained 0%

Well drained >99%

Moderately well drained 0%

Somewhat poorly drained 0%

Poorly drained 0%

Very poorly drained 0%

Not rated <1%

Drainage class across mapped Hazleton acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Drainage class across mapped Hazleton acres.
Category	Share of acres
Excessively drained	0.0%
Somewhat excessively drained	0.0%
Well drained	99.6%
Moderately well drained	0.0%
Somewhat poorly drained	0.0%
Poorly drained	0.0%
Very poorly drained	0.0%
Not rated	0.4%

Hydrologic soil group

A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) >99%

B: moderate infiltration <1%

C: slow infiltration 0%

D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) 0%

A/D: D as is, A if drained 0%

B/D: D as is, B if drained 0%

C/D: D as is, C if drained 0%

Not rated <1%

Hydrologic soil group across mapped Hazleton acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Hydrologic soil group across mapped Hazleton acres.
Category	Share of acres
A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly)	99.1%
B: moderate infiltration	0.6%
C: slow infiltration	0.0%
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%
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 Hazleton (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 1,809,475 acres.
Method: Shares are by mapped acres of Hazleton components. The profile comes from the single largest Hazleton component. Full methodology.

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.

Full narrative description: USDA Official Soil Series Description for Hazleton.