Concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC), total petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in 84 near-surface soils (5-20 cm depth) taken from a 255 km2 area of Glasgow in the Clyde Basin, UK, during July 2011. Total petroleum hydrocarbon ranged from 79-2,505 mg kg-1 (mean 388 mg kg-1; median 272 mg kg-1) of which the aromatic fraction was 13-74 % (mean 44 %, median 43 %) and saturates were 28-87 % (mean 56 %, median 57 %). Σ16 PAH varied from 2-653 mg kg-1 (mean 32.4 mg kg-1; median 12.5mg kg-1) and Σ31 PAH range was 2.47-852 mg kg-1 (mean 45.4 mg kg-1; median 19.0 mg kg-1). PCB tri-hepta range was 2.2-1052 mg kg-1 (mean 32.4 mg kg-1; median 12.7 mg kg-1) and the ΣPCB7 was 0.3-344 mg kg-1 (mean 9.8 mg kg-1; median 2.7 mg kg-1). This data is associated with the published research paper https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755691018000324 Kim, A.W., Vane, C.H., Moss-Hayes, V. Berriro, D.B., Fordyce, F., Everrett, P. Nathanail, P.C. 2018. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in urban soils of Glasgow, UK. Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 108, 2-3, 231-248.