Soils data are a very valuable resource for applications ranging from farming to construction. Most commercial GIS programs can use the soils data natively. However, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) also has some tools and applications that make this process easier for the beginning user and professional alike.

The Soil Data Mart is an excellent tool for downloading soils and full attribute tables in various ESRI formats by soil survey areas (usually counties).

The Soil Data Viewer is an ESRI-compatible application to link spatial and tabular soils data for easier use of soil attributes and interpretations.

The Web Soil Survey is an Internet mapping application that allows users to zoom in or "window in" on specific areas of interest and view the soil map units and a brief tabular summary but not to download the data.

The Geospatial Data Gateway is the NRCS's clearinghouse for spatial natural resources or environmental data. The Gateway allows you to choose your area of interest, browse and select data from a catalog, customize the format, and have it downloaded or shipped on CD or DVD.

The Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database includes polygons and extensive attribute data that define soil characteristics, properties, and potential uses at scales from 1:12,000 to 1:63,360.