Soil Series Atlas

Madison soil series

Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults

050100150cm1 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft5 ftApTopsoil · plowed0–15 cm · 0–6 inBESubsoil with leached traits15–23 cm · 6–9 inBtSubsoil · clay build-up23–76 cm · 9–30 inBCSubsoil grading to parent material76–89 cm · 30–35 inCParent material89–168 cm · 35–66 in050100150cmApTopsoil · plowed0–15 cm · 0–6 inBESubsoil with leachedtraits15–23 cm · 6–9 inBtSubsoil · clay build-up23–76 cm · 9–30 inBCSubsoil grading toparent material76–89 cm · 30–35 inCParent material89–168 cm · 35–66 in
Typical pedon, to scale: 168 cm (66 in), 5 horizons.

Ultisols — strongly weathered, leached soils with a clay-enriched subsoil

With 2.51 million acres mapped, Madison is the 23rd-largest of 24,791 U.S. soil series. It shares its full family classification with the larger Cecil, but is described 35 cm less deep and reaches its subsoil 5 cm higher. In Georgia only two series cover more ground. It was first described in North Carolina, which holds 6% of its acres today.

Depth
Very deep
Drainage
Well drained

Compare with another seriesSimilar series in the finder

Where Madison is mapped

2,513,001 acres in 83 soil survey areas, from current SSURGO data.

Its family-mate Cecil is larger overall, yet Madison covers more ground in Alabama; they overlap in 5 states.

Alabama: 422,829 acresArizonaColoradoFloridaGeorgia: 1,504,680 acresIndianaKansasMaineMassachusettsMinnesotaNew JerseyNorth Carolina: 145,869 acresNorth DakotaOklahomaPennsylvaniaSouth DakotaTexasWyomingConnecticutMissouriWest VirginiaIllinoisNew MexicoArkansasCaliforniaDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaIowaKentuckyMarylandMichiganMississippiMontanaNew HampshireNew YorkOhioOregonTennesseeUtahVirginia: 85,756 acresWashingtonWisconsinNebraskaSouth Carolina: 353,867 acresIdahoNevadaVermontLouisianaRhode Island

Share of all Madison acres

  1. Georgia60%
  2. Alabama17%
  3. South Carolina14%
  4. North Carolina6%
  5. Virginia3%

In the field

Drainage

Well drained

Drains fastStays wet

Soil depth

Very deep

ShallowDeep
Parent material
Residuum, igneous/metamorphic rock
Landform
Ridges/interfluves, hills
Type location
North Carolina

How it is classified

Identical to Cecil at every level.

Against other Ultisols

Madison makes up 1.33% of all mapped Ultisols — the 6th largest of 1,278 series in the order.

Solum thickness (topsoil + subsoil)

89 cm under a median of 142 cm

Depth to the subsoil

15 cm under a median of 23 cm

Depth described

168 cm under a median of 178 cm

Its relatives

14 established series share the family “Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults”

By mapped acres Madison is 3rd among them. Full family list

Close relatives, at one scale

  1. Madison168 cm · Typic Kanhapludults
  2. Cecil203 cm · Typic Kanhapludults
  3. Pacolet203 cm · Typic Kanhapludults

Horizon by horizon

HorizonLayerDepthThickness
ApTopsoil: plowed0–15 cm0–6 in15 cm
BESubsoil with leached traits15–23 cm6–9 in8 cm
BtSubsoil: clay build-up23–76 cm9–30 in53 cm
BCSubsoil grading to parent material76–89 cm30–35 in13 cm
CParent material89–168 cm35–66 in79 cm

Sources: USDA–NRCS Official Series Description (revised 2025-09), Soil Classification database and SSURGO. Ranks computed by Soil Series Atlas. Method · Guides