Soil series profile

Millhopper soil series

Millhopper is a moderately well drained soil with a sand surface, mapped on 141,452 acres in 17 counties in FL. Hydrologic group A.

#2596 by mapped area loamy Grossarenic Paleudults (Ultisols)

Drainage class: Moderately well drained
Hydrologic group: A
Typical topsoil pH: 5.5
Mapped area: 141k

Typical Millhopper 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 Millhopper horizons (representative values)
Depth	Texture	pH	Clay	Sand	Organic matter
0–9 in (A)	Sand	5.5	4%	92%	1.25%
9–58 in (E)	Sand	5.5	5%	92%	0.25%
58–64 in (Bt1)	Loamy sand	5.3	13%	84%	0.1%
64–89 in (Btg2)	Sandy clay loam	5.3	22%	74%	0.1%

Representative values from the most extensive Millhopper map unit (Millhopper sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes, survey area FL001). 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 Millhopper soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Millhopper soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.5 (most land between 5.3 and 5.6). 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.

Sandy topsoil covers 100% of mapped Millhopper acres. It drains fast and warms early in spring, but dries out and loses nutrients quickly: mulch, compost and steady watering help. The most common surface texture is sand (68% of mapped Millhopper acres).

100% of mapped Millhopper acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.

For lawns and yards

100% 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 0% of the acres in mapped Millhopper soils very limited, 100% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.

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 Millhopper soil is found

Mapped acres

Millhopper is mapped in Florida.

Counties with the most mapped Millhopper soil
County	Acres	Share of county land
Alachua County, FL	52,081	9.0%
Sumter County, FL	17,316	4.8%
Polk County, FL	11,559	1.0%
Putnam County, FL	9,837	2.1%
Marion County, FL	9,666	0.9%
Orange County, FL	8,631	1.5%
Pasco County, FL	8,348	1.7%
Hillsborough County, FL	6,876	1.0%
Levy County, FL	5,910	0.8%
Seminole County, FL	4,919	2.5%
Lake County, FL	3,692	0.6%
Hernando County, FL	902	0.3%
Citrus County, FL	741	0.2%
Hardee County, FL	407	0.1%
Osceola County, FL	302	0.0%
DeSoto County, FL	214	0.1%
Manatee County, FL	53	0.0%

Septic absorption fields

NRCS rating, share of Millhopper acres

Not limited 0%

Somewhat limited 100%

Very limited 0%

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

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Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Millhopper acres.
Category	Share of acres
Not limited	0.0%
Somewhat limited	100.0%
Very limited	0.0%

Drainage, water table and flooding

Share of Millhopper acres

Depth to seasonal high water table: About 4.8 feet (57 in) (median where reported).
Flooding: Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
Slope: Typically 2–3% (median 3%).
Topsoil organic matter: Median 1.2%.

Drainage class

Excessively drained 0%

Somewhat excessively drained 0%

Well drained 0%

Moderately well drained 100%

Somewhat poorly drained 0%

Poorly drained 0%

Very poorly drained 0%

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

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Drainage class across mapped Millhopper acres.
Category	Share of acres
Excessively drained	0.0%
Somewhat excessively drained	0.0%
Well drained	0.0%
Moderately well drained	100.0%
Somewhat poorly drained	0.0%
Poorly drained	0.0%
Very poorly drained	0.0%

Hydrologic soil group

A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) 100%

B: moderate infiltration 0%

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%

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

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Hydrologic soil group across mapped Millhopper acres.
Category	Share of acres
A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly)	100.0%
B: moderate infiltration	0.0%
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 Millhopper (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 141,452 acres.
Method: Shares are by mapped acres of Millhopper components. The profile comes from the single largest Millhopper component. Full methodology.

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.

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