Soil series profile
Klinesville soil series
Klinesville is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a channery silt loam surface, mapped on 361,874 acres in 48 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained 79% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D >99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–6.1
- Mapped area
- 362k acres in 48 counties, 5 states
Typical Klinesville profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 in (H1) | Channery silt loam | 5.3 | 18% | 29% | 1.25% |
| 4–12 in (H2) | Very channery silt loam | 5.3 | 15% | 30% | 0.25% |
| 12–19 in (H3) | Very channery silt loam | 5.3 | 15% | 30% | 0.25% |
| 19–23 in (H4) | Unweathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Klinesville soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Klinesville soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 5.3 and 6.1). 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 Klinesville acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is channery silt loam (68% of mapped Klinesville acres).
79% of mapped Klinesville acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
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.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates >99% of the acres in mapped Klinesville 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 Klinesville soil is found
Mapped acres
Klinesville is mapped in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Fulton County, PA | 51,266 | 18.6% |
| Lycoming County, PA | 28,605 | 3.7% |
| Bedford County, PA | 19,832 | 3.1% |
| Perry County, PA | 17,944 | 5.2% |
| Adams County, PA | 17,039 | 5.2% |
| Dauphin County, PA | 16,183 | 5.1% |
| Somerset County, NJ | 15,947 | 8.3% |
| Northumberland County, PA | 15,026 | 5.2% |
| Columbia County, PA | 14,334 | 4.7% |
| Frederick County, MD | 13,995 | 3.3% |
| York County, PA | 13,335 | 2.3% |
| Bucks County, PA | 13,000 | 3.4% |
| Hunterdon County, NJ | 11,398 | 4.2% |
| Schuylkill County, PA | 10,946 | 2.2% |
| Allegany County, MD | 10,250 | 3.8% |
| Snyder County, PA | 8,833 | 4.2% |
| Huntingdon County, PA | 8,789 | 1.6% |
| Morgan County, WV | 7,203 | 5.6% |
| Montgomery County, PA | 6,856 | 2.2% |
| Pulaski County, VA | 6,212 | 3.7% |
| Middlesex County, NJ | 6,125 | 3.1% |
| Carroll County, MD | 5,473 | 1.9% |
| Juniata County, PA | 4,903 | 2.0% |
| Union County, PA | 4,559 | 2.3% |
| Washington County, MD | 4,219 | 1.4% |
| Berks County, PA | 4,016 | 0.7% |
| Lebanon County, PA | 3,959 | 1.7% |
| Montour County, PA | 3,953 | 4.7% |
| Mifflin County, PA | 3,651 | 1.4% |
| Albemarle County, VA | 3,113 | 0.8% |
| Mercer County, NJ | 2,039 | 1.4% |
| Cumberland County, PA | 1,929 | 0.6% |
| Chester County, PA | 923 | 0.2% |
| Potter County, PA | 906 | 0.1% |
| Montgomery County, MD | 848 | 0.3% |
| Carbon County, PA | 759 | 0.3% |
| Morris County, NJ | 654 | 0.2% |
| Orange County, VA | 611 | 0.3% |
| Luzerne County, PA | 550 | 0.1% |
| Clinton County, PA | 429 | 0.1% |
| Centre County, PA | 391 | 0.1% |
| Lehigh County, PA | 334 | 0.2% |
| Blair County, PA | 307 | 0.1% |
| Lancaster County, PA | 102 | 0.0% |
| Franklin County, PA | 83 | 0.0% |
| Monroe County, PA | 37 | 0.0% |
| Northampton County, PA | 6 | 0.0% |
| Philadelphia County, PA | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Klinesville 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 Klinesville acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 1.2 feet (14 in) (median where reported); within 18 inches on <1% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 6–53% (median 20%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 78.5% |
| Well drained | 21.4% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| 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 | 0.2% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.6% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 99.1% |
| 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 | 0.1% |
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 Klinesville (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 361,874 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Klinesville components. The profile comes from the single largest Klinesville component. Full methodology.