Soil series profile
Readington soil series
Readington is a moderately well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 113,123 acres in 19 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.1 slightly acidic · range 5.1–6.1
- Mapped area
- 113k acres in 19 counties, 3 states
Typical Readington profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 6.1 | 18% | 29% | 2% |
| 10–17 in (Bt1) | Silt loam | 5.1 | 26% | 20% | 0.25% |
| 17–34 in (Bt2) | Silty clay loam | 5.1 | 28% | 18% | 0.25% |
| 34–48 in (Btx) | Clay loam | 5.8 | 30% | 25% | 0.25% |
| 48–58 in (C) | Channery silt loam | 5.8 | 25% | 20% | 0.25% |
| 58–68 in (R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Readington soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Readington soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.1 (most land between 5.1 and 6.1), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Readington acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (99% of mapped Readington acres).
100% of mapped Readington acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% 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 Readington soils very limited, <1% 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 Readington soil is found
Mapped acres
Readington is mapped in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, PA | 29,010 | 9.4% |
| Adams County, PA | 17,633 | 5.3% |
| Bucks County, PA | 14,125 | 3.7% |
| York County, PA | 11,169 | 1.9% |
| Lancaster County, PA | 8,700 | 1.4% |
| Berks County, PA | 6,957 | 1.3% |
| Montgomery County, MD | 5,077 | 1.6% |
| Frederick County, MD | 4,636 | 1.1% |
| Chester County, PA | 3,993 | 0.8% |
| Mercer County, NJ | 2,679 | 1.9% |
| Hunterdon County, NJ | 2,351 | 0.9% |
| Somerset County, NJ | 2,239 | 1.2% |
| Lebanon County, PA | 1,723 | 0.8% |
| Dauphin County, PA | 1,093 | 0.3% |
| Lehigh County, PA | 765 | 0.3% |
| Carroll County, MD | 652 | 0.2% |
| Morris County, NJ | 149 | 0.1% |
| Middlesex County, NJ | 115 | 0.1% |
| Northampton County, PA | 57 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Readington acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.7% |
| Very limited | 99.3% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Readington acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.0 feet (24 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 2–6% (median 5%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2%.
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 | 100.0% |
| 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 | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 100.0% |
| 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 Readington (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 113,123 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Readington components. The profile comes from the single largest Readington component. Full methodology.