State soil summary
Soil types in Virginia
The most widespread soil series in Virginia are Clifford, Appling, Frederick. Pick a county below, or enter a ZIP code for the county you live in.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 85% of mapped land
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · most land 4.6–5.9
- Septic fields very limited
- 77% <1% not limited
- Subject to flooding
- 10% of land, any frequency
Virginia counties
13 county reports, by population
| County | Most common soil | Well drained | Topsoil pH | Septic very limited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | Glenelg | 70% | 5.0 | 69% |
| Prince William County | Arcola | 77% | 5.0 | 77% |
| Virginia Beach city | Acredale | 16% | 5.1 | 75% |
| Loudoun County | Purcellville | 72% | 5.3 | 89% |
| Chesterfield County | Appling | 75% | 5.3 | 86% |
| Henrico County | Kempsville | 63% | 5.1 | 79% |
| Chesapeake city | Tomotley | 6% | 4.7 | 93% |
| Richmond city | Turbeville | 49% | 5.0 | 38% |
| Newport News city | Tomotley | 32% | 4.6 | 73% |
| Stafford County | Sassafras | 80% | 5.3 | 66% |
| Alexandria city | Kingstowne | 50% | 4.8 | 52% |
| Spotsylvania County | Appling | 79% | 5.3 | 55% |
| Hampton city | Tomotley | 13% | 4.6 | 69% |
What this means
What Virginia soils mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Virginia is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 4.6 and 5.9). 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 87% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (17% of the land).
85% of the land 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 septic systems
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 77% of the land in Virginia very limited, 21% somewhat limited and <1% 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.
Flooding is mapped on 10% of the land (2% occasional, 7% frequent).
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 | 2.1% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 4.9% |
| Well drained | 67.8% |
| Moderately well drained | 10.1% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 3.1% |
| Poorly drained | 7.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 2.0% |
| Not rated | 3.0% |
Septic absorption fields
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.1% |
| Somewhat limited | 20.6% |
| Very limited | 76.5% |
| Not rated | 2.8% |
Topsoil pH
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 64.8% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 28.5% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 3.4% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.4% |
| Not reported | 3.0% |
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
- Virginia: 22,335,049 acres of mapped land in 128 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.