Soil Texture Calculator

The soil texture calculator classifies your soil from the proportions of its three mineral particles — sand, silt, and clay. Enter each percentage and it returns the matching USDA texture class along with its drainage, water-retention, and fertility profile.

Built for gardeners, growers, students, and soil scientists, the tool uses the USDA Soil Texture Triangle, the standard system used worldwide to sort soil into its 12 texture classes. Type your numbers or drag the sliders, and your sample is plotted directly on the triangle so you can see exactly where it falls.

Private by design: every classification runs in your browser. Your sand, silt, and clay values are never uploaded to a server, and nothing is stored anywhere but on your own device.

How to Use the Soil Texture Calculator

Enter your soil composition

Type the percentage of Sand, Silt, and Clay into the number fields, or drag the matching slider for each. The three values must add up to exactly 100%.

Classify the soil

Click Classify Soil or press Enter in any field. The Total readout shows a check mark at 100%, and the button stays disabled until your numbers balance.

Read the results

See the USDA texture class, composition bars for each particle, and the soil's drainage, water retention, and fertility. Your sample is plotted as a point on the triangle and its class is highlighted in the reference table.

Explore presets

Not sure of your numbers? Load a preset such as Loam Ideal or Clay Heavy to classify a common soil instantly, or click any region on the triangle to inspect it in the reference table.

Features

12 USDA Texture Classes

Sorts your soil into one of the 12 official USDA classes, from Sand through Loam to Clay, using the standard triangle boundaries.

Interactive Texture Triangle

The USDA triangle is drawn as a color-coded diagram with all 12 regions; your sample is plotted as a point and its class is highlighted.

Number Fields and Sliders

Set sand, silt, and clay by typing exact percentages or dragging the sliders — the two stay in sync as you adjust.

Real-Time 100% Validation

The Total readout confirms your values reach exactly 100% and disables the Classify button until they do, preventing invalid results.

Drainage, Retention and Fertility

Each class comes with its drainage rating, water-retention level, and fertility, so you understand how the soil behaves.

Composition Bars

A visual bar for sand, silt, and clay shows the proportions of your sample at a glance alongside the result.

Six Soil Presets

Load Sandy Garden, Loam Ideal, Clay Heavy, Silty Field, Balanced Topsoil, or Sandy Clay Mix to classify a common profile in one click.

Full Reference Table

All 12 classes are listed with their drainage and retention ratings; click a triangle region to highlight its matching row.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find my soil texture from sand, silt, and clay percentages?

Enter the percentage of each particle so they total 100%, then click Classify Soil. The calculator plots your sample on the USDA triangle and names its texture class — for example, 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay classifies as Loam.

What are the 12 USDA soil texture classes?

They are Sand, Loamy Sand, Sandy Loam, Loam, Silt Loam, Silt, Sandy Clay Loam, Clay Loam, Silty Clay Loam, Sandy Clay, Silty Clay, and Clay. Each one occupies a region of the texture triangle defined by its range of sand, silt, and clay percentages.

How do you read the USDA soil texture triangle?

Each side of the triangle is an axis for one particle — clay on the left, silt on the right, sand along the bottom. Trace the gridlines for your three percentages and they meet inside one labeled region, which is your texture class. This tool draws that point automatically so you do not have to trace it by hand.

Why must sand, silt, and clay add up to 100%?

Sand, silt, and clay are the three mineral particle-size fractions of soil, and together they make up its full mineral composition. Texture classification ignores organic matter and water, so the three percentages must sum to exactly 100%.

How do I determine my soil's sand, silt, and clay percentages?

The most accurate method is a laboratory particle-size analysis. At home, try a jar sedimentation test: mix soil and water in a clear jar, shake well, and let it settle. Sand drops in minutes, silt in a few hours, and clay over 24+ hours; measure each layer to estimate the proportions, then enter them here.

What is loam, and is it the best soil for gardening?

Loam is a balanced soil of roughly 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay. It drains well while holding enough moisture and nutrients, which is why it is generally considered ideal for most plants. Even so, some crops prefer sandier or clay-heavier ground, so match the soil to what you are growing.

Can I improve my soil texture?

You cannot easily change a soil's mineral composition, but you can improve its structure by adding organic matter such as compost or mulch. That improves drainage in clay soils and water retention in sandy soils, compensating for many texture limitations.

Texture Class	Sand (%)	Silt (%)	Clay (%)	Drainage	Water Retention
Sand	85–100	0–15	0–10	Excellent	Very Low
Loamy Sand	70–90	0–30	0–15	Excellent	Low
Sandy Loam	43–85	0–50	0–20	Good	Moderate Low
Loam	23–52	28–50	7–27	Good	Moderate
Silt Loam	0–50	50–88	0–27	Moderate	High
Silt	0–20	80–100	0–12	Moderate	High
Sandy Clay Loam	45–80	0–28	20–35	Moderate	Moderate
Clay Loam	20–45	15–53	27–40	Moderate Slow	High
Silty Clay Loam	0–20	40–73	27–40	Slow	High
Sandy Clay	45–65	0–20	35–55	Slow	High
Silty Clay	0–20	40–60	40–60	Very Slow	Very High
Clay	0–45	0–40	40–100	Very Slow	Very High

Soil Texture Calculator