Soil series profile
Pittstown soil series
Pittstown is a moderately well drained soil with a gravelly silt loam surface, mapped on 118,261 acres in 20 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 94% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 76% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–5.3
- Mapped area
- 118k acres in 20 counties, 5 states
Typical Pittstown profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–9 in (H1) | Gravelly silt loam | 5.3 | 12% | 32% | 4% |
| 9–24 in (H2) | Gravelly silt loam | 5.3 | 12% | 32% | 1.5% |
| 24–60 in (H3) | Gravelly silt loam | 5.3 | 12% | 32% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Pittstown soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Pittstown soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.3. 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 94% of mapped Pittstown acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (38% of mapped Pittstown acres).
94% of mapped Pittstown acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 94% 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 94% of the acres in mapped Pittstown soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (6% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
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 Pittstown soil is found
Mapped acres
Pittstown is mapped in New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Rensselaer County, NY | 29,190 | 7.0% |
| Columbia County, NY | 13,704 | 3.4% |
| Rutland County, VT | 13,396 | 2.3% |
| Bennington County, VT | 11,559 | 2.7% |
| Grafton County, NH | 10,412 | 1.4% |
| Newport County, RI | 9,543 | 14.2% |
| Cheshire County, NH | 8,379 | 1.9% |
| Sullivan County, NH | 6,614 | 1.9% |
| Dutchess County, NY | 6,329 | 1.2% |
| Bristol County, RI | 1,867 | 11.0% |
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,602 | 0.3% |
| Washington County, RI | 1,526 | 0.7% |
| Saratoga County, NY | 1,416 | 0.3% |
| Plymouth County, MA | 808 | 0.2% |
| Franklin County, MA | 742 | 0.2% |
| Kent County, RI | 484 | 0.4% |
| Bristol County, MA | 269 | 0.1% |
| Providence County, RI | 162 | 0.1% |
| Norfolk County, MA | 130 | 0.1% |
| Suffolk County, MA | 130 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Pittstown acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 93.6% |
| Not rated | 6.4% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Pittstown acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.2 feet (26 in) (median where reported); within 18 inches on <1% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 5–20% (median 11%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 4%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 94.3% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 5.7% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 75.8% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 16.7% |
| 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 | 1.3% |
| Not rated | 6.3% |
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 Pittstown (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 118,261 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Pittstown components. The profile comes from the single largest Pittstown component. Full methodology.