How Long Is Your Growing Season?
Find out how long your growing season is and which vegetables fit within it, based on your ZIP code or USDA hardiness zone.
A growing season usually lasts about 123 to 323 days in USDA zones 3 to 10: the frost-free days between the typical last spring frost and first fall frost.
- Zone 3: 123 days
- Zone 4: 143 days
- Zone 5: 170 days
- Zone 6: 190 days
- Zone 7: 212 days
- Zone 8: 240 days
- Zone 9: 276 days
- Zone 10: 323 days
Select your zone or use ZIP code lookup below
Select your USDA hardiness zone or enter a ZIP code to see your growing season details and which vegetables will thrive.
Typical Growing Season Length by Zone
Days between the typical last spring frost and first fall frost (about a 50% chance of frost on each date). Local dates can differ by weeks within a zone, so use the ZIP lookup above for your area.
| USDA zone | Typical last frost | Typical first frost | Growing season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | Mid-May | Mid-September | about 123 days (18 weeks) |
| Zone 4 | Early-May | Late-September | about 143 days (20 weeks) |
| Zone 5 | Mid-April | Early-October | about 170 days (24 weeks) |
| Zone 6 | Early-April | Mid-October | about 190 days (27 weeks) |
| Zone 7 | Late-March | Late-October | about 212 days (30 weeks) |
| Zone 8 | Mid-March | Early-November | about 240 days (34 weeks) |
| Zone 9 | Late-February | Late-November | about 276 days (39 weeks) |
| Zone 10 | Late-January | Mid-December | about 323 days (46 weeks) |
Common questions
A growing season is the number of frost-free days between the typical last spring frost and the typical first fall frost. Across USDA zones 3 to 10, where most US gardens are, it runs from about 123 days (18 weeks) to about 323 days (46 weeks). A zone 6 garden typically gets about 190 days. Enter your ZIP code above for the typical length where you live.
How This Calculator Works
This calculator estimates your growing season from typical frost dates. When you enter a ZIP code, it looks up your zone from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and uses typical frost dates and season length for that subzone (for example 6a or 6b). If you pick a zone instead, it uses the zone's typical frost dates shown in the table above. Vegetables are categorized by comparing their days-to-harvest range against your total frost-free days. "Easy fit" crops finish harvest within 75% of your season, "tight fit" crops need most or all of it, and "won't fit" crops require more days than your season provides.
Tips for Maximizing Your Growing Season
- Start warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) indoors 8-10 weeks before your last frost to gain extra growing time.
- Use season extension tools like cold frames, row covers, and hoop houses to add 4-8 weeks to your effective season.
- Succession plant fast crops (lettuce, radishes, beans) every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvests throughout the season.
- Check our planting date calculator for exact sowing dates, and our seed spacing calculator to maximize yield per square foot.
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Quick answer▾
A growing season is the frost-free stretch between the typical last spring frost and first fall frost. In zones 3 to 10 that is about 123 to 323 days; a zone 6 garden gets about 190 days (27 weeks). Enter your ZIP for the typical length where you live and which vegetables have time to mature.
Data last updated: October 2026