HomeOregon

Oregon soil by county

Across Oregon's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20% and a shallow water table limits basements on 11%.

Highest clay shares: Baker County (47%), Harney County (34%), Yamhill County (31%), Wallowa County (31%), Jackson County (31%). Highest water-table shares: Washington County (42%), Marion County (40%), Yamhill County (36%), Columbia County (35%), Linn County (34%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 36 counties

Baker County: 47%Benton County: 22%Clackamas County: 5%Clatsop County: 1%Columbia County: 7%Coos County: 8%Crook County: no dataCurry County: 14%Deschutes County: 9%Douglas County: 15%Gilliam County: 3%Grant County: 15%Harney County: 34%Hood River County: 0%Jackson County: 31%Jefferson County: 29%Josephine County: 14%Klamath County: 20%Lake County: 28%Lane County: 12%Lincoln County: 1%Linn County: 25%Malheur County: 19%Marion County: 19%Morrow County: 7%Multnomah County: 0%Polk County: 18%Sherman County: 0%Tillamook County: 1%Umatilla County: 7%Union County: 26%Wallowa County: 31%Wasco County: 15%Washington County: 7%Wheeler County: 27%Yamhill County: 31%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Baker County: 7%Benton County: 24%Clackamas County: 30%Clatsop County: 12%Columbia County: 35%Coos County: 13%Crook County: no dataCurry County: 6%Deschutes County: 5%Douglas County: 12%Gilliam County: 0%Grant County: 4%Harney County: 15%Hood River County: 5%Jackson County: 19%Jefferson County: 1%Josephine County: 4%Klamath County: 21%Lake County: 11%Lane County: 14%Lincoln County: 6%Linn County: 34%Malheur County: 4%Marion County: 40%Morrow County: 1%Multnomah County: 30%Polk County: 30%Sherman County: 1%Tillamook County: 5%Umatilla County: 3%Union County: 21%Wallowa County: 11%Wasco County: 2%Washington County: 42%Wheeler County: 1%Yamhill County: 36%
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 Oregon

Select a column heading to sort.
Baker County 47% 7% 100% 1 1967
Benton County 22% 24% 99% 7 1979
Clackamas County 5% 30% 95% 78 1985
Clatsop County 1% 12% 0% 18 1975
Columbia County 7% 35% 0% 11 1981
Coos County 8% 13% 59% 18 1974
Crook County n/a n/a 100% 2 1996
Curry County 14% 6% 43% 14 1982
Deschutes County 9% 5% 100% 0 1998
Douglas County 15% 12% 95% 58 1977
Gilliam County 3% under 1% 41% 0 1961
Grant County 15% 4% 100% 0 1971
Harney County 34% 15% 100% 4 1974
Hood River County 0% 5% 55% 0 1984
Jackson County 31% 19% 100% 19 1985
Jefferson County 29% 1% 100% 0 1991
Josephine County 14% 4% 100% 8 1982
Klamath County 20% 21% 100% 1 1974
Lake County 28% 11% 100% 2 1972
Lane County 12% 14% 89% 38 1977
Lincoln County 1% 6% 12% 47 1981
Linn County 25% 34% 100% 15 1978
Malheur County 19% 4% 94% 7 1974
Marion County 19% 40% 99% 25 1979
Morrow County 7% 1% 73% 1 1979
Multnomah County 0% 30% 36% 29 1972
Polk County 18% 30% 78% 8 1990
Sherman County 0% 1% 14% 0 1960
Tillamook County 1% 5% 0% 37 1980
Umatilla County 7% 3% 98% 51 1979
Union County 26% 21% 100% 6 1973
Wallowa County 31% 11% 100% 1 1973
Wasco County 15% 2% 72% 1 1973
Washington County 7% 42% 0% 21 1990
Wheeler County 27% 1% 100% 1 1975
Yamhill County 31% 36% 15% 6 1990

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.