USDA zone 6b in Kentucky
USDA plant hardiness zone 6b covers 36 locations across Kentucky (average annual extreme minimum −5 to 0 °F): Annville, KY, Annville, KY, Beattyville, KY, Blaine, KY, Buckner, KY, Clay, KY, and 30 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 6 (Elk Creek) to May 2 (Grayson), and growing seasons run 160–209 days (Grayson to Elk Creek) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Kentucky location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Paris, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 6b−5 to 0 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 6–May 2avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 10–Nov 1avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 160–209days
Locations in this group
Every location below shares this zone and a nearby weather station, but keeps its own frost dates — find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annville | — | London Corbin Ap | Apr 15 | Oct 25 | 192 |
| Annville | McKee, Oneida, Booneville | Booneville 12sw | Apr 24 | Oct 19 | 178 |
| Beattyville | Irvine | Beattyville 4n | Apr 12 | Oct 25 | 192 |
| Blaine | — | Charley 2 Sw | Apr 24 | Oct 17 | 174 |
| Buckner | La Grange, New Washington, Crestwood, Eminence, Simpsonville, Pewee Valley, +5 more | Crestwood 4ne | Apr 12 | Oct 25 | 193 |
| Clay | — | Stanton 2w | Apr 19 | Oct 20 | 184 |
| Elk Creek | — | Louisville Wfo | Apr 6 | Nov 1 | 209 |
| Flemingsburg | Ewing | Flemingsburg 2 N | Apr 12 | Oct 30 | 200 |
| Frankfort | Shelbyville, Lawrenceburg, Owenton, Chaplin, Stamping Ground, Pleasureville, +1 more | Frankfort Capital City Ap | Apr 15 | Oct 24 | 192 |
| Garrison | Greenup, Vanceburg | Warnock 2 | Apr 20 | Oct 22 | 182 |
| Grayson | Blaine | Grayson 3 Sw | May 2 | Oct 11 | 160 |
| Grayson | — | Grayson 2 E | Apr 27 | Oct 17 | 172 |
| Grayson | Cannonsburg | Huntington Tri State Ap | Apr 14 | Oct 26 | 195 |
| Hardinsburg | — | Rough Rvr Lake | Apr 17 | Oct 23 | 187 |
| Independence | Verona, Florence, Burlington, Hebron, Petersburg, Rabbit Hash, +8 more | Cincinnati Northern Ky Ap | Apr 18 | Oct 25 | 188 |
| Ironville | — | Ashland | Apr 22 | Oct 23 | 181 |
| Jenkins | Clintwood | Clintwood 1w | Apr 29 | Oct 16 | 169 |
| Kenvir | — | Baxter | Apr 15 | Oct 30 | 197 |
| Lexington-Fayette | Georgetown | Lexington Bluegrass Ap | Apr 13 | Oct 28 | 196 |
| Manchester | — | Manchester 4 W | Apr 29 | Oct 16 | 170 |
| Marrowbone | — | Summer Shade | Apr 26 | Oct 18 | 174 |
| Maysville | Georgetown, West Union, Winchester, Ripley, Bentonville, Aberdeen, +9 more | Maysville Wwtp | Apr 18 | Oct 30 | 195 |
| McKee | — | Mt Vernon | Apr 18 | Oct 24 | 189 |
| Midway | — | Versailles 3 Nnw | Apr 12 | Oct 28 | 198 |
| Morehead | Jeffersonville, Flemingsburg, Owingsville, Salt Lick | Cave Run Lake | Apr 17 | Oct 25 | 189 |
| Olive Hill | — | Olive Hill 5ne | Apr 24 | Oct 18 | 174 |
| Paintsville | Blaine | Paintsville 1e | Apr 19 | Oct 25 | 188 |
| Paris * | Cynthiana, Corinth, Carlisle, Sadieville, Mount Olivet, Millersburg, +1 more | Cynthiana | Apr 18 | Oct 23 | 188 |
| Richmond | — | Cressy | Apr 20 | Oct 19 | 182 |
| Sandy Hook | — | Gimlet 9n | Apr 10 | Oct 31 | 201 |
| Shelbyville | — | Shelbyville 1 E | May 1 | Oct 10 | 161 |
| Springfield | Bloomfield, Fairfield | Bardstown 5e | Apr 13 | Oct 25 | 195 |
| Verona | Sparta, Owenton, Glencoe, Vevay, Dillsboro, Ghent, +7 more | Warsaw Markland Dam | Apr 17 | Oct 29 | 194 |
| West Liberty | Hazel Green, Sandy Hook, Ezel | W Liberty 3nw | Apr 29 | Oct 16 | 169 |
| Williamstown | Dry Ridge, Butler | Williamstown | Apr 11 | Oct 29 | 199 |
| Winchester | Mount Sterling, Jeffersonville, North Middletown, Sharpsburg | Mt Sterling | Apr 24 | Oct 18 | 175 |
* Paris is this group's median-season location — the calendar below is computed from its data.
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.
Planting calendar (Paris, representative)
Computed from Paris's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Kentuckyzone 6b group. 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 — your own location's dates may run a week or two earlier or later (see the table above).
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 25 – May 2 | Jun 24 – Jul 14 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 7 – Feb 21 | May 2 – May 9 | Jul 1 – Jul 31 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | Apr 25 – May 2 | Jun 14 – Jul 4 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 25 – May 2 | Jun 9 – Jun 24 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 25 – May 2 | Jun 14 – Jun 24 | Aug 24 – Sep 3 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 18 – May 2 | Jun 17 – Jul 17 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 25 – Jun 9 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 5 – May 20 | Aug 10 – Aug 25 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 1 – May 16 | Jul 31 – Aug 15 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 16 – Apr 26 | Aug 20 – Aug 30 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 27 – Jun 16 | Jul 21 – Aug 10 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 15 – Jun 4 | Jul 26 – Aug 15 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Paris's own 188-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 12 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin. A different location in the table above with a longer or shorter season will get a different mix — the ZIP planner on the home page gives your own.
Frost & freeze dates (Paris)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00151998. 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 — 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 29 | May 15 | Oct 14 | Oct 25 | 168 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 18 | May 5 | Oct 23 | Nov 4 | 188 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 23 | Nov 2 | Nov 16 | 211 |
| 24°F | Mar 24 | Apr 10 | Nov 13 | Dec 1 | 233 |
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. This group's median GDD (base 50°F) across all 36 locations is 3,766; Paris's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,758 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 6,240 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 6b in Kentucky
Zone 6b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −5 to 0 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — the number that 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. Kentucky spans 3 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Kentucky locations for the full range, including zones7a, 7b.
Explore zone 6b in other states at zone 6b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 6b mean in Kentucky?
- Zone 6b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −5 to 0 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 36 locations in Kentucky fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Kentucky's zone 6b is the growing season longest?
- Elk Creek runs the longest season on this page at about 209 days; Grayson is shortest at about 160 days — they share the same hardiness zone, but they sit at different weather stations, so their frost calendars differ.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Kentucky's zone 6b?
- Using Paris's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 21 – Mar 7, then transplant outside about Apr 25 – May 2. Your own location in the table above may differ by a week or two — use the ZIP planner on the home page for your exact station's dates.
- Does every location in Kentucky's zone 6b have the same frost dates?
- No — they do not all share a weather station, so frost dates vary by a week or more across the 36 locations listed (see the table above for each location's own dates).
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, one reading per location's own nearest station (see the table above). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each 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.