Soil series profile
Stephenville soil series
Stephenville is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 978,034 acres in 37 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 96% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.8 moderately acidic · range 5.8–6.5
- Mapped area
- 978k acres in 37 counties, 3 states
Typical Stephenville profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 in (A) | Fine sandy loam | 5.8 | 12% | 68% | 2% |
| 5–9 in (E) | Fine sandy loam | 5.8 | 10% | 72% | 0.4% |
| 9–30 in (Bt) | Sandy clay loam | 5.3 | 28% | 58% | 0.55% |
| 30–36 in (BC) | Fine sandy loam | 5.0 | 17% | 60% | 0.35% |
| 36–46 in (Cr) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Stephenville soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Stephenville soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.8 (most land between 5.8 and 6.5). Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 78% of mapped Stephenville acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (83% of mapped Stephenville acres).
100% of mapped Stephenville acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 96% 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 97% of the acres in mapped Stephenville soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (3% 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 Stephenville soil is found
Mapped acres
Stephenville is mapped in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Stephens County, OK | 123,219 | 22.0% |
| Lincoln County, OK | 96,924 | 15.9% |
| Seminole County, OK | 93,212 | 23.2% |
| Grady County, OK | 92,212 | 13.2% |
| Pottawatomie County, OK | 74,629 | 14.9% |
| Oklahoma County, OK | 65,190 | 14.5% |
| Garvin County, OK | 55,798 | 10.9% |
| Cleveland County, OK | 53,516 | 15.6% |
| Logan County, OK | 46,460 | 9.8% |
| McClain County, OK | 40,606 | 11.1% |
| Okfuskee County, OK | 33,654 | 8.5% |
| Pontotoc County, OK | 33,319 | 7.3% |
| Payne County, OK | 26,692 | 6.1% |
| Comanche County, OK | 19,472 | 2.9% |
| Chautauqua County, KS | 19,225 | 4.7% |
| Johnston County, OK | 18,533 | 4.5% |
| Jefferson County, OK | 15,270 | 3.2% |
| Caddo County, OK | 12,911 | 1.6% |
| Jack County, TX | 11,999 | 2.0% |
| Elk County, KS | 6,696 | 1.6% |
| Carter County, OK | 5,765 | 1.1% |
| Montgomery County, KS | 4,642 | 1.1% |
| Creek County, OK | 4,023 | 0.7% |
| Clay County, TX | 3,795 | 0.5% |
| Woodson County, KS | 3,747 | 1.2% |
| Pawnee County, OK | 3,542 | 1.0% |
| Noble County, OK | 3,244 | 0.7% |
| Wilson County, KS | 3,124 | 0.9% |
| Neosho County, KS | 3,097 | 0.8% |
| Fannin County, TX | 944 | 0.2% |
| Marshall County, OK | 898 | 0.4% |
| Blaine County, OK | 499 | 0.1% |
| Canadian County, OK | 305 | 0.1% |
| Washington County, OK | 300 | 0.1% |
| Greenwood County, KS | 237 | 0.0% |
| Osage County, OK | 230 | 0.0% |
| Murray County, OK | 107 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Stephenville acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 97.3% |
| Not rated | 2.7% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Stephenville 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 4–8% (median 4%).
- 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 | 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) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 3.5% |
| C: slow infiltration | 95.8% |
| 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% |
| Not rated | 0.6% |
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 Stephenville (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 978,034 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Stephenville components. The profile comes from the single largest Stephenville component. Full methodology.