Illinois · university & extension labs
Where to get a soil test in Illinois
A soil test is how you stop guessing at fertilizer and fix the one thing your lawn actually needs. In Illinois, the public program below tests homeowner samples and interprets the results for local soils.
Illinois state lab
University of Illinois Extension soil testing labs list
Extension directory for Illinois soil testing options.
Visit the lab & sampling instructionsCounty offices
County extension offices.
County extension offices across Illinois stock sample forms and can help you read your results. Whether an office will forward your sample to the state lab varies from county to county, so call yours before you drive over; otherwise mail it in with the form. 93 of the most populous counties are listed below.
Not your county? Find your local office in the full Illinois directory.
- University of Illinois Extension, Adams County officeQuincy, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Bond County officePocahontas, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Boone County officeBelvidere, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Brown County officeMount Sterling, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Bureau County officePrinceton, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Calhoun County officeHardin, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Carroll County officeMount Carroll, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Cass County officeVirginia, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Champaign County officeChampaign, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Christian County officeTaylorville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Clark County officeMarshall, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Clay County officeLouisville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Clinton County officeBreese, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Coles County officeMattoon, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Cook County office (Chicago South)Chicago, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Cook County office (Matteson main office)Matteson, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Cook County office (North Suburban, Des Plaines)Des Plaines, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Cook County office (West Suburban, Westchester)Westchester, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Crawford County officeRobinson, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Cumberland County officeToledo, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, DeKalb County officeSycamore, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, DeWitt County officeClinton, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, DuPage County officeNaperville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Edgar County officeParis, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Effingham County officeEffingham, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Fayette County officeVandalia, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Ford-Iroquois County officeGilman, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Franklin County officeBenton, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Fulton County officeLewistown, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Greene County officeCarrollton, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Grundy County officeMorris, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Hamilton County officeMc Leansboro, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Hancock County officeCarthage, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Hardin-Pope County officeSimpson, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Henderson County officeStronghurst, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Henry-Stark County officeGalva, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Jackson County officeMurphysboro, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Jasper County officeNewton, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Jefferson County officeMount Vernon, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Jersey County officeJerseyville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Jo Daviess County officeElizabeth, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Johnson County officeVienna, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Kane County officeSaint Charles, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Kankakee County officeBourbonnais, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Kendall County officeYorkville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Knox County officeGalesburg, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, LaSalle County officeOttawa, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Lake County officeGrayslake, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Lee County officeAmboy, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Livingston County officePontiac, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Logan County officeLincoln, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Macon County officeDecatur, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Macoupin County officeCarlinville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Madison County officeEdwardsville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Marion County officeSalem, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Marshall-Putnam County officeHenry, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Mason County officeHavana, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Massac County officeMetropolis, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, McDonough County officeMacomb, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, McHenry County officeWoodstock, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, McLean County officeBloomington, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Menard County officePetersburg, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Mercer County officeViola, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Monroe County officeWaterloo, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Montgomery County officeHillsboro, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Morgan County officeJacksonville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Moultrie-Douglas County officeArthur, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Ogle County officeOregon, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Peoria County officePeoria, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Perry County officePinckneyville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Piatt County officeMonticello, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Pike County officePittsfield, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Pulaski-Alexander County officeMounds, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Randolph County officeSparta, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Rock Island County officeMilan, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Saline-Gallatin County officeHarrisburg, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Sangamon County officeSpringfield, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Schuyler County officeRushville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Scott County officeWinchester, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Shelby County officeShelbyville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, St. Clair County officeBelleville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Stephenson County officeFreeport, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Tazewell County officePekin, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Union County officeAnna, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Vermilion County officeDanville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Warren County officeMonmouth, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Washington County officeNashville, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, White County officeCarmi, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Whiteside County officeSterling, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Will County officeJoliet, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Williamson County officeMarion, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Winnebago County officeRockford, IL
- University of Illinois Extension, Woodford County officeEureka, IL
The steps
How it works.
Get a form and sample the way your lab says to
Pick up a form at a county office or download it from University of Illinois Extension soil testing labs list. Where you pull cores and how you mix them decides whether the report means anything, so follow the lab's instructions exactly.
Send it in
Mail your sample to the lab with its completed form, or call your county office first to ask whether it will forward samples.
Turn the report into a plan
When results come back, the numbers only matter if they change what you put down. Enter them in the app and it builds the plan.
The app · soil report analyzer
Got your Illinois report back? Analyze it.
Enter your report values in the Lawn Dominator app and pick your lab, and it handles the messy part: units and extraction methods differ by lab, so your numbers get compared against turf targets that match how your lab measured them. Then it helps build the fertilizer plan for your grass type and checks timing against your live soil temperature.
Free to download on iPhone and Android.
Common questions
Before you ask.
- Where can I get a soil test in Illinois?
- Illinois's public soil testing is run through University of Illinois Extension soil testing labs list. Many county extension offices (listed on this page) stock the sample forms and can help you submit. National mail-in labs like Logan Labs, Ward Laboratories, and Waypoint Analytical are established alternatives.
- How much does a soil test cost in Illinois?
- Fees vary by lab and by which package you choose (basic pH plus phosphorus and potassium, versus expanded panels with organic matter and micronutrients). Check University of Illinois Extension soil testing labs list for current pricing before you send a sample; the page linked here is the authority for its own fees.
- How do I turn my Illinois soil test into a fertilizer plan?
- Enter your report values in the Lawn Dominator app and pick your lab so units and extraction method are handled correctly, and it compares your numbers against turf sufficiency targets and helps build the fertilizer plan for your grass type.
Looking for another state? See the national map of soil test labs. University of Illinois Extension soil testing labs list is the authority for its own test menu, sampling instructions, fees, and result interpretation.