Soil series profile
Hillsdale soil series
Hillsdale is a well drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 212,588 acres in 20 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 93% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.5 slightly acidic · range 6.3–6.5
- Mapped area
- 213k acres in 20 counties, 2 states
Typical Hillsdale profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 in (Ap) | Sandy loam | 6.5 | 8% | 67% | 1.2% |
| 10–14 in (BE) | Sandy loam | 5.9 | 10% | 65% | 0.1% |
| 14–38 in (Bt) | Sandy loam | 6.1 | 15% | 60% | 0.1% |
| 38–60 in (BC) | Sandy loam | 7.5 | 10% | 75% | 0.1% |
| 60–79 in (C) | Sandy loam | 8.1 | 10% | 75% | 0% |
What this means
What Hillsdale soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Hillsdale soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.5 (most land between 6.3 and 6.5), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 89% of mapped Hillsdale acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (97% of mapped Hillsdale acres).
100% of mapped Hillsdale 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 97% of the acres in mapped Hillsdale soils very limited, 3% 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 Hillsdale soil is found
Mapped acres
Hillsdale is mapped in Michigan and Indiana.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County, MI | 46,636 | 10.3% |
| Jackson County, MI | 39,024 | 8.7% |
| St. Joseph County, MI | 35,753 | 11.2% |
| Hillsdale County, MI | 23,671 | 6.2% |
| LaGrange County, IN | 15,972 | 6.6% |
| Branch County, MI | 15,401 | 4.8% |
| Livingston County, MI | 14,170 | 3.9% |
| Eaton County, MI | 6,391 | 1.7% |
| Ingham County, MI | 6,093 | 1.7% |
| St. Joseph County, IN | 5,318 | 1.8% |
| Ottawa County, MI | 1,943 | 0.5% |
| DeKalb County, IN | 555 | 0.2% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 539 | 0.1% |
| Cass County, MI | 363 | 0.1% |
| Kalamazoo County, MI | 359 | 0.1% |
| Barry County, MI | 275 | 0.1% |
| Berrien County, MI | 118 | 0.0% |
| Clinton County, MI | 7 | 0.0% |
| Shiawassee County, MI | 0 | 0.0% |
| Genesee County, MI | 0 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Hillsdale acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 3.1% |
| Very limited | 96.9% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Hillsdale 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 3–10% (median 3%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.2%.
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) | 7.5% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 92.5% |
| 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% |
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 Hillsdale (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 212,588 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Hillsdale components. The profile comes from the single largest Hillsdale component. Full methodology.