Storage and transfer heat in soils are governed by the soil thermal properties and these properties are therefore needed in many engineering applications, including horizontal ground heat exchanger for ground-coupled heat pumps. This paper presents the measured results of the thermal diffusivity of soils(silica, quartzite, limestone, sandstone, and masonry soils) used for the trench backfilling materials of the horizontal ground heat exchanger. To assess this thermal property, we (i) measure the soil thermal conductivities and volumetric heat capacities using dual-probe method and (ii) compare the estimates from the de Vries method of summing the heat capacities of the soil constituents. The results show that the thermal diffusivity tends to increase as dry soil begins to wet, but it approaches a constant value or even decreases as the soil continues to wet. Measurements made by using the dual-probe method agreed well with independent estimates obtained using the single-probe method.