Soil series profile
Hidalgo soil series
Hidalgo is a well drained soil with a sandy clay loam surface, mapped on 248,357 acres in 4 counties in TX. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 96% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 8.2 moderately alkaline · range 8.2–8.2
- Mapped area
- 248k acres in 4 counties, 1 state
Typical Hidalgo profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–17 in (Ap) | Sandy clay loam | 8.2 | 27% | 55% | 1.5% |
| 17–28 in (Bk1) | Sandy clay loam | 8.2 | 27% | 48% | 0.65% |
| 28–38 in (Bk2) | Clay loam | 8.2 | 30% | 35% | 0.3% |
| 38–80 in (Ck) | Clay loam | 8.2 | 30% | 30% | 0.2% |
What this means
What Hidalgo soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Hidalgo soils is moderately alkaline: pH 8.2. Acid-loving plants such as blueberries and azaleas struggle without amended beds, and some trees and shrubs show iron chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins).
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 96% of mapped Hidalgo acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy clay loam (70% of mapped Hidalgo acres).
100% of mapped Hidalgo 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 0% of the acres in mapped Hidalgo soils very limited, 96% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (4% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Hidalgo soil is found
Mapped acres
Hidalgo is mapped in Texas.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Hidalgo County, TX | 191,705 | 19.1% |
| Cameron County, TX | 26,876 | 4.4% |
| Willacy County, TX | 25,895 | 6.1% |
| Nueces County, TX | 3,881 | 0.7% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Hidalgo acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 95.7% |
| Very limited | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 4.3% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Hidalgo 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 0–0% (median 0%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
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 | 95.7% |
| 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 | 4.3% |
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 Hidalgo (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 248,357 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Hidalgo components. The profile comes from the single largest Hidalgo component. Full methodology.