State soil summary
Soil types in District of Columbia
The most widespread soil series in District of Columbia are Manor, Sassafras, Christiana. Pick a county below, or enter a ZIP code for the county you live in.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 49% of mapped land
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · most land 4.3–6.0
- Septic fields very limited
- 49% 0% not limited
- Subject to flooding
- 4% of land, any frequency
District of Columbia counties
0 county reports, by population
No county reports for District of Columbia yet. The ZIP lookup on this page covers every county with mapped soil data.
What this means
What District of Columbia soils mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in District of Columbia is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 4.3 and 6.0). 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 44% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (12% of the land).
For lawns and yards
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For septic systems
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 49% of the land in District of Columbia very limited, 2% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (49% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Statewide mix
Share of all mapped land
Drainage
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 4.5% |
| Well drained | 36.3% |
| Moderately well drained | 7.9% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 1.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.1% |
| Not rated | 50.1% |
Septic absorption fields
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 1.7% |
| Very limited | 49.1% |
| Not rated | 49.1% |
Topsoil pH
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 27.7% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 22.2% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 1.0% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% |
| Not reported | 49.1% |
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
- District of Columbia: 39,023 acres of mapped land in 1 counties, pooled (not an average of county figures).
- Method
- Shares are by mapped land area: each map unit’s acres in the county times each soil component’s percentage. Open water is excluded. Topsoil values use the first mineral horizon of each component. Full methodology.