Soil series profile
Westmoreland soil series
Westmoreland is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 911,556 acres in 68 counties across 6 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 98% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.7 moderately acidic · range 5.3–5.7
- Mapped area
- 912k acres in 68 counties, 6 states
Typical Westmoreland profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 in (H1) | Silt loam | 5.3 | 23% | 22% | 2.5% |
| 5–37 in (H2) | Channery silty clay loam | 5.3 | 28% | 18% | 0.25% |
| 37–65 in (H3) | Channery silt loam | 5.6 | 27% | 20% | 0.25% |
| 65–67 in (H4) | Unweathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Westmoreland soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Westmoreland soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.7 (most land between 5.3 and 5.7). 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 99% of mapped Westmoreland acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (94% of mapped Westmoreland acres).
99% of mapped Westmoreland acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 85% of the acres in mapped Westmoreland soils very limited, 14% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (1% 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 Westmoreland soil is found
Mapped acres
Westmoreland is mapped in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Maryland. The 60 counties with the most Westmoreland acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Belmont County, OH | 79,921 | 23.4% |
| Carroll County, OH | 75,057 | 29.8% |
| Athens County, OH | 74,192 | 22.9% |
| Muskingum County, OH | 60,266 | 14.2% |
| Harrison County, WV | 54,183 | 24.6% |
| Perry County, OH | 46,455 | 17.7% |
| Tuscarawas County, OH | 46,425 | 12.8% |
| Ohio County, WV | 42,601 | 76.8% |
| Guernsey County, OH | 42,398 | 12.7% |
| Coshocton County, OH | 35,328 | 9.8% |
| Harrison County, OH | 35,178 | 13.8% |
| Washington County, VA | 30,552 | 11.0% |
| Monroe County, OH | 27,062 | 9.3% |
| Brooke County, WV | 25,689 | 53.0% |
| Hocking County, OH | 23,098 | 8.6% |
| Jefferson County, OH | 23,019 | 8.8% |
| Monongalia County, WV | 22,250 | 11.8% |
| Marion County, WV | 20,665 | 12.7% |
| Taylor County, WV | 16,196 | 18.3% |
| Tazewell County, VA | 14,614 | 5.0% |
| Morgan County, OH | 12,797 | 4.8% |
| Knox County, OH | 11,605 | 3.4% |
| Holmes County, OH | 11,364 | 4.2% |
| Russell County, VA | 11,023 | 4.0% |
| Barbour County, WV | 10,261 | 5.8% |
| Columbiana County, OH | 10,067 | 3.0% |
| Caldwell County, KY | 9,089 | 4.1% |
| Scott County, VA | 6,608 | 2.4% |
| Bedford County, PA | 6,328 | 1.0% |
| Smyth County, VA | 3,626 | 2.1% |
| Butler County, PA | 2,801 | 0.6% |
| Lewis County, WV | 2,436 | 1.2% |
| Washington County, PA | 2,185 | 0.4% |
| Bland County, VA | 2,072 | 1.5% |
| Upshur County, WV | 1,375 | 0.8% |
| Fayette County, PA | 1,276 | 0.3% |
| Mercer County, WV | 1,237 | 0.6% |
| Westmoreland County, PA | 1,118 | 0.2% |
| Allegheny County, PA | 765 | 0.2% |
| Noble County, OH | 675 | 0.3% |
| Armstrong County, PA | 666 | 0.2% |
| Washington County, OH | 623 | 0.2% |
| Summers County, WV | 564 | 0.3% |
| Beaver County, PA | 526 | 0.2% |
| Columbia County, PA | 497 | 0.2% |
| Meade County, KY | 478 | 0.2% |
| Jackson County, OH | 466 | 0.2% |
| Hancock County, WV | 436 | 0.9% |
| Ashland County, OH | 403 | 0.1% |
| Licking County, OH | 392 | 0.1% |
| Pike County, OH | 375 | 0.1% |
| Scioto County, OH | 353 | 0.1% |
| Bristol city, VA | 332 | 5.6% |
| Stark County, OH | 280 | 0.1% |
| Greene County, PA | 273 | 0.1% |
| Meigs County, OH | 250 | 0.1% |
| Vinton County, OH | 248 | 0.1% |
| Gallia County, OH | 181 | 0.1% |
| Richland County, OH | 85 | 0.0% |
| Wise County, VA | 65 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Westmoreland acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 13.6% |
| Very limited | 85.1% |
| Not rated | 1.3% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Westmoreland acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 4.4 feet (53 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 12–55% (median 30%).
- 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 | 98.7% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 1.3% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 97.8% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.8% |
| 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 | 1.3% |
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 Westmoreland (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 911,556 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Westmoreland components. The profile comes from the single largest Westmoreland component. Full methodology.