Washington, DC 22202 planting calendar
- USDA zone
- 8a10 to 15 °F
- Last frost
- Mar 24avg, 32°F
- First frost
- Nov 18avg, 32°F
- Growing season
- 241days
Washington, District of Columbia is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8a. Its average last spring frost is around March 24 and the first fall frost around November 18, giving a growing season of about 241 days (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, 32°F, median). Start tender crops like tomatoes and peppers indoors weeks before the last frost and set them out afterward; sow hardy crops such as peas, spinach, and lettuce before it. The planner below turns those frost dates into a printable per-crop planting calendar.
Washington planting calendar
Each crop's windows are counted from Washington's average frost dates. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees.
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | May 30 – Jun 19 | — |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | Jun 6 – Jul 6 | — |
| Cucumber | Tender | Feb 24 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | May 20 – Jun 9 | — |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | May 15 – May 30 | — |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | May 20 – May 30 | Sep 19 – Sep 29 |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 23 – Jun 22 | — |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | Apr 30 – May 15 | — |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 10 – Apr 25 | Sep 5 – Sep 20 |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Apr 6 – Apr 21 | Aug 26 – Sep 10 |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 22 – Apr 1 | Sep 15 – Sep 25 |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 3 – Mar 10 | May 2 – May 22 | Aug 16 – Sep 5 |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 20 – May 10 | Aug 21 – Sep 10 |
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Frost & freeze dates
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USW00013743. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 (p10 for spring, p90 for fall) — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 14 | Nov 6 | Nov 20 | 216 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Mar 24 | Apr 6 | Nov 18 | Dec 6 | 241 |
| 28°F | Mar 12 | Mar 26 | Dec 3 | Dec 24 | 268 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 19 | Dec 22 | Jan 12 | 293 |
32°F is the standard "freeze" line that damages tender crops; lighter 36°F frost can nip the most cold-sensitive plants, while hardy crops shrug off light frost down toward 28°F. Use the threshold that matches what you are protecting.
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. Warm-season crops need a long, warm GDD total; a short, cool GDD total favors greens and brassicas.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 4,709 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 7,470 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 8a
Washington sits in USDA plant hardiness zone 8a on the 2023 map — meaning its average annual extreme minimum winter temperature is about 10 to 15 °F. That number tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here; it does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above.
Explore more places in zone 8a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What USDA hardiness zone is Washington?
- Washington, District of Columbia is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8a on the 2023 map (average annual extreme minimum temperature 10 to 15 °F) — from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to this location's ZIP. See the methodology page for sources.
- When is the last frost in Washington?
- The average (median) last spring frost at 32°F is around March 24, from NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals at the nearest reporting station. Roughly one year in ten the last frost is as late as April 6, so wait until then before setting out frost-tender plants if you want to be safe.
- When is the first fall frost in Washington?
- The average first fall frost at 32°F is around November 18. That leaves a growing season of about 241 days between the average last spring and first fall frosts.
- When should I start tomatoes in Washington?
- Start tomato seeds indoors about Jan 27 – Feb 10 and transplant them outside about Mar 31 – Apr 7, once the danger of frost has passed. Estimated first harvest is around May 30 – Jun 19.
- How long is the growing season in Washington?
- About 241 days at the 32°F threshold (NOAA 1991–2020, median) — the span between the average last spring frost (~March 24) and the average first fall frost (~November 18). Cold-hardy crops extend usable time at both ends; frost-tender crops fit inside it.
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 for station USW00013743 (Washington Reagan Ap, 1.8 km away). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to this location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.