Garden Advice Guide
Free ZIP code lookup

Frost Dates & Growing Zone

Type in your ZIP code and get the four numbers every garden plan starts with: your USDA hardiness zone, your average last spring frost, your average first fall frost, and how many frost-free days sit between them.

Look up your ZIP code

Five digits, numbers only, for example 04401.

Keep planning

Your frost dates feed almost every other decision in the garden. These pick up where this one leaves off.

Growing ZonesWhat your zone number actually controls When to PlantCrop-by-crop sowing windows When to HarvestKnow the day it is actually ready Seed StartingIndoor sowing dates and setup Planting CalendarYour whole year on one page Plant SpacingHow far apart, and why it matters Lawn CareSeeding and feeding by season Watering GuideHow much, how often, when

Common questions

What is a "last frost date," exactly?

It is a statistical average, not a promise. Weather stations in your area record the date of the final spring freeze each year, and the average of those dates is your last frost date. Roughly half the time frost arrives after it. Gardeners who cannot afford to lose a crop wait one to two weeks past the average before setting out tender plants.

What is the difference between a frost date and a hardiness zone?

They measure two different things. Your USDA hardiness zone is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, and it tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees will survive your winter. Your frost dates describe the timing of the growing season, and they tell you when to sow and transplant annuals and vegetables. You need both.

Why does this tool ask for a ZIP code instead of a city?

ZIP codes are the smallest area most people know by heart, and they map cleanly onto the regional climate records this tool uses. A city name can cover several very different climates, a valley floor and a hillside a few miles away can differ by two full weeks.

My neighbor's frost dates are different from mine. Who is right?

Possibly both of you. Cold air sinks, so a low spot in a yard can frost while ground fifteen feet higher stays clear. South-facing slopes, walls, pavement, and large bodies of water all push frost later in the fall and earlier in the spring. After a season or two of watching your own beds, trust your own record over any table.

How do I get an exact figure for my address?

Contact your county's cooperative extension office. Every US county has one, the service is free, and they hold local station data plus decades of practical notes on what actually works in your soil. Search for your county name plus "extension office." They are the best gardening resource almost nobody uses.