Best Soil for Gardening in West Virginia

West Virginia has 45 USDA soil survey areas, and they vary considerably in how friendly the ground is for growing things. We ranked every survey area by the percentage of well-drained soil — the single most important soil property for most garden plants.

At the top, Braxton County, West Virginia has 100% well-drained soils — conditions where most vegetables, herbs, and flowers can thrive with basic soil preparation. At the other end, Morgan County, West Virginia comes in at 77%, meaning more of the landscape has drainage challenges that may require raised beds, soil amendments, or careful site selection for a productive garden.

Remember that these are area-wide averages. Even in a low-ranking survey area, individual properties can have excellent garden soil. Look up your specific address for exact conditions.

#Survey AreaWell-Drained SoilsDominant DrainageDominant Soil Order
1 Braxton County, West Virginia 100% Well drained Ultisols
2 Lewis County, West Virginia 100% Well drained Entisols
3 Wetzel County, West Virginia 100% Well drained Alfisols
4 Calhoun and Roane Counties, West Virginia 100% Well drained Ultisols
5 Doddridge County, West Virginia 99% Well drained Alfisols
6 Gilmer County, West Virginia 99% Well drained Ultisols
7 Ritchie County, West Virginia 99% Well drained Alfisols
8 Kanawha County, West Virginia 99% Well drained Entisols
9 Pleasants and Tyler Counties, West Virginia 99% Well drained Alfisols
10 Clay County, West Virginia 99% Well drained Ultisols
11 Webster County, West Virginia 99% Well drained Ultisols
12 Lincoln County, West Virginia 99% Well drained Ultisols
13 Brooke, Hancock, and Ohio Counties, West Virginia 99% Well drained Alfisols
14 Marshall County, West Virginia 99% Moderately well drained Alfisols
15 Wayne County, West Virginia 99% Well drained Alfisols
16 McDowell County, West Virginia 99% Well drained Entisols
17 Cabell County, West Virginia 98% Well drained Alfisols
18 Marion and Monongalia Counties, West Virginia 98% Well drained Entisols
19 Putnam County, West Virginia 98% Well drained Alfisols
20 Jackson and Mason Counties, West Virginia 98% Well drained Alfisols
21 Fayette and Raleigh Counties Area, West Virginia 98% Well drained Ultisols
22 Wood and Wirt Counties, West Virginia 98% Well drained Alfisols
23 Mercer and Summers Counties Area, West Virginia 98% Well drained Ultisols
24 Boone County, West Virginia 98% Well drained Entisols
25 Nicholas County Area, West Virginia 97% Well drained Ultisols
26 Wyoming County, West Virginia 97% Well drained Entisols
27 Upshur County, West Virginia 97% Well drained Entisols
28 New River Gorge National River, West Virginia 97% Well drained Ultisols
29 Barbour County, West Virginia 96% Well drained Entisols
30 Randolph County Area, Main Part, West Virginia 96% Well drained Inceptisols
31 Monroe County, West Virginia 96% Well drained Ultisols
32 Bluestone National Scenic River, West Virginia 96% Well drained Inceptisols
33 Harrison and Taylor Counties, West Virginia 96% Well drained Alfisols
34 Jefferson County, West Virginia 96% Well drained Alfisols
35 Logan and Mingo Counties, West Virginia 95% Well drained Inceptisols
36 Gauley River National Recreation Area, West Virginia 95% Well drained Ultisols
37 Preston County, West Virginia 95% Well drained Ultisols
38 Pendleton County, West Virginia 95% Well drained Inceptisols
39 Hampshire and Mineral Counties, West Virginia 94% Well drained Inceptisols
40 Grant and Hardy Counties, West Virginia 93% Well drained Ultisols
41 Greenbrier County, West Virginia 89% Well drained Inceptisols
42 Pocahontas County, West Virginia 84% Well drained Inceptisols
43 Tucker County and Northern Randolph County, West Virginia 81% Well drained Ultisols
44 Berkeley County, West Virginia 79% Well drained Alfisols
45 Morgan County, West Virginia 77% Well drained Inceptisols