Soil Series Atlas

Ultisols

Strongly weathered, leached soils with a clay-enriched subsoil

050100150cm1 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft5 ftAbove the subsoilTopsoil and any leached layer0–23 cm · 0–9 inSubsoilFirst B horizon to the base of the solum23–142 cm · 9–56 inBelow the solumParent material or rock, to the mediandepth described142–178 cm · 56–70 in050100150cmAbove the subsoilTopsoil and any leachedlayer0–23 cm · 0–9 inSubsoilFirst B horizon to thebase of the solum23–142 cm · 9–56 inBelow the solumParent material orrock, to the mediandepth described142–178 cm · 56–70 in
The typical Ultisols profile: a schematic drawn to scale from the medians of 1,217 official series descriptions. It is not a real pedon.

Soil order · 1,262 established series in the classification database

Ultisols cover 189.13 million acres of mapped U.S. soils — 11.8% of all series acres, the 4th largest of the twelve orders — across 1,278 mapped series.

Median solum thickness in their typical pedons is 142 cm, with the first B horizon at 23 cm. Official descriptions of Ultisols go down a median 178 cm.

Ultisols among the twelve orders

Share of all acres mapped to a named series, with this order highlighted.

Mollisols 27.3% · Alfisols 17.3% · Entisols 12.3% · Ultisols 11.8% · Inceptisols 11.4% · Aridisols 9.7% · Spodosols 3.7% · Vertisols 2.7% · Histosols 1.9% · Andisols 1.3% · Gelisols 0.5% · Oxisols <0.1%

Guide: The twelve soil orders, measured

Largest Ultisols series

Mapped acres in current SSURGO data, across all series in the order.

  1. Gilpin5,835,549 acres5.8 M
  2. Smithdale5,681,521 acres5.7 M
  3. Cecil5,485,416 acres5.5 M
  4. Pacolet3,139,465 acres3.1 M
  5. Clarksville2,802,758 acres2.8 M
  6. Madison2,513,001 acres2.5 M
  7. Shelocta2,312,863 acres2.3 M
  8. Sacul2,152,527 acres2.2 M
  9. Troup2,024,615 acres2.0 M
  10. Ruston2,001,198 acres2.0 M

Ultisols on this site

21 Ultisols series profiled here, largest first, drawn at one depth scale.

  1. GilpinTypic Hapludults · 9 states
  2. SmithdaleTypic Hapludults · 9 states
  3. CecilTypic Kanhapludults · 5 states · state soil
  4. PacoletTypic Kanhapludults · 5 states
  5. ClarksvilleTypic Paleudults · 8 states
  6. MadisonTypic Kanhapludults · 5 states
  7. SheloctaTypic Hapludults · 7 states
  8. SaculAquic Hapludults · 4 states
  9. TroupGrossarenic Kandiudults · 6 states
  10. RustonTypic Paleudults · 8 states · state soil
  11. LuverneTypic Hapludults · 5 states
  12. PelhamArenic Paleaquults · 4 states
  13. OrangeburgTypic Kandiudults · 8 states
  14. TiftonPlinthic Kandiudults · 3 states · state soil
  15. DicksonGlossic Fragiudults · 3 states · state soil
  16. SassafrasTypic Hapludults · 6 states · state soil
  17. DownerTypic Hapludults · 5 states · state soil
  18. BamaTypic Paleudults · 4 states · state soil
  19. MonongahelaTypic Fragiudults · 8 states · state soil
  20. JoryXeric Palehumults · 1 state · state soil
  21. GreenwichTypic Hapludults · 2 states · state soil