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Colorado soil by county

Across Colorado's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 12% and a shallow water table limits basements on 4%.

Highest clay shares: Archuleta County (53%), Crowley County (46%), Broomfield County (46%), Routt County (40%), Baca County (28%). Highest water-table shares: Rio Grande County (42%), Alamosa County (36%), Conejos County (28%), Jackson County (16%), Saguache County (15%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 64 counties

Adams County: 11%Alamosa County: 2%Arapahoe County: 22%Archuleta County: 53%Baca County: 28%Bent County: 13%Boulder County: 9%Broomfield County: 46%Chaffee County: 1%Cheyenne County: 8%Clear Creek County: 0%Conejos County: 0%Costilla County: 0%Crowley County: 46%Custer County: 2%Delta County: 12%Denver County: 15%Dolores County: 12%Douglas County: 3%Eagle County: 4%El Paso County: 6%Elbert County: 11%Fremont County: 5%Garfield County: 5%Gilpin County: 0%Grand County: 5%Gunnison County: 9%Hinsdale County: 0%Huerfano County: 13%Jackson County: 18%Jefferson County: 17%Kiowa County: 10%Kit Carson County: 9%La Plata County: 10%Lake County: 0%Larimer County: 6%Las Animas County: 27%Lincoln County: 17%Logan County: 9%Mesa County: 13%Mineral County: 1%Moffat County: 10%Montezuma County: 13%Montrose County: 22%Morgan County: 10%Otero County: 19%Ouray County: 19%Park County: 2%Phillips County: 1%Pitkin County: no dataProwers County: 10%Pueblo County: 17%Rio Blanco County: 8%Rio Grande County: 0%Routt County: 40%Saguache County: 4%San Juan County: 0%San Miguel County: 3%Sedgwick County: 0%Summit County: 4%Teller County: 2%Washington County: 11%Weld County: 7%Yuma County: 5%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Adams County: 2%Alamosa County: 36%Arapahoe County: 1%Archuleta County: 3%Baca County: 0%Bent County: 3%Boulder County: 6%Broomfield County: 1%Chaffee County: 5%Cheyenne County: 0%Clear Creek County: 3%Conejos County: 28%Costilla County: 4%Crowley County: 1%Custer County: 7%Delta County: 3%Denver County: 3%Dolores County: 2%Douglas County: 2%Eagle County: 1%El Paso County: 1%Elbert County: 2%Fremont County: 2%Garfield County: 1%Gilpin County: 3%Grand County: 6%Gunnison County: 6%Hinsdale County: 2%Huerfano County: 2%Jackson County: 16%Jefferson County: 2%Kiowa County: 1%Kit Carson County: 3%La Plata County: 3%Lake County: 15%Larimer County: 4%Las Animas County: 1%Lincoln County: 2%Logan County: 5%Mesa County: 1%Mineral County: 5%Moffat County: 1%Montezuma County: 2%Montrose County: 5%Morgan County: 3%Otero County: 2%Ouray County: 6%Park County: 7%Phillips County: 0%Pitkin County: no dataProwers County: 4%Pueblo County: 2%Rio Blanco County: 1%Rio Grande County: 42%Routt County: 10%Saguache County: 15%San Juan County: 1%San Miguel County: 1%Sedgwick County: 5%Summit County: 5%Teller County: 4%Washington County: 1%Weld County: 2%Yuma County: 1%
High water table: share of mapped land where a shallow water table limits basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

Every county in Colorado

Select a column heading to sort.
Adams County 11% 2% 60% 20 1991
Alamosa County 2% 36% 100% 1 1982
Arapahoe County 22% 1% 49% 59 1986
Archuleta County 53% 3% 100% 7 1996
Baca County 28% under 1% 100% 0 1971
Bent County 13% 3% 100% 0 1959
Boulder County 9% 6% 100% 55 1986
Broomfield County 46% 1% 100% 5 2002
Chaffee County 1% 5% 100% 1 1993
Cheyenne County 8% under 1% 21% 0 1968
Clear Creek County 0% 3% 100% 2 1976
Conejos County under 1% 28% 100% 1 1982
Costilla County under 1% 4% 100% 1 1985
Crowley County 46% 1% 100% 0 1963
Custer County 2% 7% 100% 0 1992
Delta County 12% 3% 100% 1 1979
Denver County 15% 3% 100% 42 1975
Dolores County 12% 2% 100% 0 1980
Douglas County 3% 2% 100% 20 2002
Eagle County 4% 1% 100% 8 1993
El Paso County 6% 1% 98% 120 1989
Elbert County 11% 2% 30% 0 1996
Fremont County 5% 2% 100% 5 1981
Garfield County 5% 1% 100% 5 1993
Gilpin County 0% 3% 100% 0 1984
Grand County 5% 6% 100% 1 1990
Gunnison County 9% 6% 100% 1 1987
Hinsdale County under 1% 2% 100% 0 1984
Huerfano County 13% 2% 100% 1 1975
Jackson County 18% 16% 100% 0 1979
Jefferson County 17% 2% 100% 65 1980
Kiowa County 10% 1% 94% 0 1964
Kit Carson County 9% 3% 23% 0 1970
La Plata County 10% 3% 100% 30 1993
Lake County 0% 15% 100% 0 1972
Larimer County 6% 4% 100% 23 1993
Las Animas County 27% 1% 100% 1 1972
Lincoln County 17% 2% 55% 2 1967
Logan County 9% 5% 11% 1 1964
Mesa County 13% 1% 100% 3 1987
Mineral County 1% 5% 100% 0 1985
Moffat County 10% 1% 100% 0 1977
Montezuma County 13% 2% 100% 14 1986
Montrose County 22% 5% 100% 2 1991
Morgan County 10% 3% 68% 2 1975
Otero County 19% 2% 100% 7 1958
Ouray County 19% 6% 100% 0 1995
Park County 2% 7% 100% 1 1992
Phillips County 1% under 1% 21% 0 1970
Pitkin County n/a n/a 100% 2 1985
Prowers County 10% 4% 100% 0 1971
Pueblo County 17% 2% 100% 15 1974
Rio Blanco County 8% 1% 100% 0 1978
Rio Grande County under 1% 42% 100% 3 1978
Routt County 40% 10% 100% 2 1993
Saguache County 4% 15% 100% 1 1987
San Juan County 0% 1% 100% 0 1979
San Miguel County 3% 1% 100% 2 1995
Sedgwick County under 1% 5% 58% 0 1954
Summit County 4% 5% 100% 5 1989
Teller County 2% 4% 100% 1 1990
Washington County 11% 1% 0% 0 1958
Weld County 7% 2% 80% 15 2001
Yuma County 5% 1% 10% 2 1968

How these shares are counted

Shares are of mapped land in USDA's soil survey (SSURGO), weighted by each soil's share of every map unit. Drought is the US Drought Monitor's D1-or-worse share on the September 22, 2026 map. Flood losses are FEMA NFIP records since 2016. Sources and methods.