USDA zone 6b in Missouri
USDA plant hardiness zone 6b covers 86 locations across Missouri (average annual extreme minimum −5 to 0 °F): Appleton, MO, Armstrong, MO, Ashland, MO, Barnhart, MO, Bolivar, MO, Bridgeton, MO, and 80 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges March 31 (Osage Beach) to April 27 (New Haven), and growing seasons run 164–216 days (Leasburg to Osage Beach) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Missouri location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Higginsville, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 6b−5 to 0 °F
- Last frost range
- Mar 31–Apr 27avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 8–Nov 4avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 164–216days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton | Montrose, Rockville | Appleton City | Apr 7 | Oct 29 | 202 |
| Armstrong | — | Salisbury | Apr 12 | Oct 22 | 190 |
| Ashland | New Bloomfield, Hartsburg | Columbia Rgnl Ap | Apr 7 | Oct 29 | 205 |
| Barnhart | Cedar Hill, Raintree, Bloomsdale, Summer Set, Scotsdale, Olympian, +1 more | Festus | Apr 9 | Oct 26 | 197 |
| Bolivar | Halfway, Pleasant Hope, Morrisville, Louisburg, Fair Play, Flemington, +1 more | Bolivar 1 Ne | Apr 14 | Oct 23 | 188 |
| Bridgeton | — | St Louis Lambert Intl Ap | Apr 2 | Nov 4 | 215 |
| Buffalo | Louisburg | Buffalo 2n | Apr 23 | Oct 15 | 175 |
| Butler | Drexel, Adrian, La Cygne, Archie, Rich Hill, Hume, +3 more | Butler 4w | Apr 12 | Oct 23 | 192 |
| Butterfield | — | Monett 4sw | Apr 9 | Oct 26 | 199 |
| California | Tipton, Jamestown, Centertown, Bunceton, Russellville, Clarksburg, +2 more | California | Apr 11 | Oct 25 | 195 |
| Clinton | Calhoun, Leeton, Urich, Chilhowee, Creighton, Blairstown, +1 more | Clinton | Apr 17 | Oct 21 | 187 |
| Cole Camp | — | Cole Camp 3nw | Apr 13 | Oct 23 | 191 |
| Columbia | Hallsville, Sturgeon, Harrisburg, Pierpont, McBaine, Wooldridge | Columbia U Of M | Apr 5 | Oct 31 | 207 |
| De Kalb | — | St Joseph Rosecrans Ap | Apr 19 | Oct 17 | 180 |
| El Dorado Springs | Schell, Harwood | Eldorado Springs | Apr 8 | Oct 29 | 199 |
| Eolia | Pleasant Hill, Clarksville, Rockport | Clarksville L&d 24 | Apr 4 | Nov 1 | 208 |
| Eureka | Gray Summit, Clarkson Valley, Defiance, Lake Tekakwitha | St Louis Sprt Of S L Ap | Apr 12 | Oct 23 | 193 |
| Everton | Avilla, South Greenfield | Lockwood | Apr 11 | Oct 25 | 198 |
| Fayette | Glasgow, New Franklin, Windsor Place, Pilot Grove, Blackwater, Franklin, +1 more | New Franklin 1w | Apr 13 | Oct 22 | 191 |
| Fort Leonard Wood | Licking, Edgar Springs, Plato | Licking 4n | Apr 20 | Oct 19 | 181 |
| Fort Leonard Wood | St. Robert, Waynesville, Richland, Crocker, Dixon | Waynesville 2 W | Apr 15 | Oct 21 | 185 |
| Fredericktown | Arcadia, Greenville, Sedgewickville, Annapolis | Fredericktown | Apr 21 | Oct 16 | 174 |
| Fremont | — | Alton | Apr 17 | Oct 21 | 187 |
| Fulton | Montgomery, Kingdom, Auxvasse, Chamois, Rhineland, Mokane | Fulton | Apr 10 | Oct 24 | 195 |
| Greenville | — | Wappapello Dam | Apr 2 | Nov 2 | 215 |
| Grovespring | — | Grovespring 1ne | Apr 15 | Oct 22 | 188 |
| Hermitage | Wheatland, Urbana, Preston, Cross Timbers | Pomme De Terre Dam | Apr 7 | Oct 28 | 204 |
| Higginsville * | Concordia, Waverly, Corder, Alma, Dover, Mayview | Higginsville | Apr 10 | Oct 24 | 195 |
| Highlandville | — | Galena | Apr 16 | Oct 21 | 187 |
| Houston | — | Houston | Apr 10 | Oct 23 | 194 |
| Humansville | Dadeville, Fair Play | Stockton Dam | Apr 6 | Oct 30 | 207 |
| Iberia | — | Iberia | Apr 8 | Oct 28 | 200 |
| Indian Lake | Belle, Vienna, Argyle | Vichy Rolla National Ap | Apr 12 | Oct 25 | 194 |
| Kansas | Independence, Lee's Summit, Blue Springs, Grandview, Raytown, Grain Valley, +1 more | Independence | Apr 10 | Oct 27 | 198 |
| Kansas | Shawnee, Prairie, Merriam | Kansas City Downtown Ap | Apr 4 | Nov 2 | 211 |
| Leasburg | — | Steelville 2 N | Apr 26 | Oct 8 | 164 |
| Lebanon | Bennett Springs, Macks Creek, Conway, Phillipsburg, Stoutland, Plato | Lebanon 2w | Apr 17 | Oct 21 | 187 |
| Lee's Summit | — | Lees Summit Reed Wr | Apr 13 | Oct 26 | 194 |
| Lee's Summit | — | Lees Summit Muni Ap | Apr 7 | Oct 29 | 202 |
| Lee's Summit | Raymore, Grandview, Lake Lotawana, Harrisonville, Peculiar, Greenwood, +4 more | Pleasant Hill Wfo | Apr 8 | Oct 29 | 204 |
| Lincoln | Climax Springs, White Branch | Truman Dam & Rsvr | Apr 7 | Oct 30 | 205 |
| Linn | Freeburg, Bland, Morrison, Westphalia, Chamois | Freedom | Apr 11 | Oct 21 | 191 |
| Lone Jack | Odessa, Holden, Kingsville | Elm | Apr 13 | Oct 23 | 191 |
| Marble Hill | Marquand, Glen Allen | Marble Hill | Apr 12 | Oct 23 | 193 |
| Marshall | Slater, Nelson, Malta Bend, Gilliam | Marshall | Apr 10 | Oct 24 | 196 |
| Marshfield | Rogersville, Strafford, Fair Grove, Buffalo, Fordland, Niangua | Marshfield 4 Wsw | Apr 13 | Oct 24 | 191 |
| Meta | — | Vienna 2 Wnw | Apr 8 | Oct 26 | 200 |
| Mexico | Centralia, Martinsburg, Rush Hill, Benton | Mexico | Apr 11 | Oct 25 | 197 |
| Miami | — | Brunswick | Apr 10 | Oct 29 | 201 |
| Moberly | Clark, Madison, Higbee, Renick | Moberly | Apr 13 | Oct 25 | 195 |
| New Haven | Owensville, Gerald, Rosebud, Berger, Gasconade, Leslie | Rosebud | Apr 27 | Oct 13 | 168 |
| O'Fallon | Wentzville, Lake St. Louis, St. Paul, New Melle, Defiance, Augusta, +1 more | Weldon Spring Nws | Apr 10 | Oct 26 | 199 |
| Osage Beach | Sunrise Beach, Laurie, Camdenton, Montreal, Linn Creek, Climax Springs, +3 more | Lakeside | Mar 31 | Nov 3 | 216 |
| Otterville | Smithton, Hughesville | Sedalia Mem Ap | Apr 10 | Oct 26 | 197 |
| Ozark | — | Ozark | Apr 15 | Oct 23 | 189 |
| Park Hills | Farmington, Bonne Terre, Goose Creek Lake, Doe Run, Lake Timberline, Ironton, +3 more | Farmington | Apr 13 | Oct 21 | 191 |
| Perryville | Sedgewickville, St. Mary | Perryville Wtp | Apr 19 | Oct 20 | 182 |
| Plato | — | Mtn Grove 2 N | Apr 11 | Oct 28 | 196 |
| Potosi | Viburnum, St. Cloud, Summer Set, Pilot Knob, Briarwood Estates, Irondale, +3 more | Potosi 4 Sw | Apr 11 | Oct 28 | 198 |
| Raymondville | Eminence, Birch Tree | Summersville 3 Se | Apr 7 | Oct 27 | 201 |
| Republic | Nixa, Clever, Billings, Hurley | Billings 1sw | Apr 15 | Oct 23 | 189 |
| Rocheport | — | Boonville | Apr 12 | Oct 25 | 195 |
| Rolla | St. James, Newburg | Rolla Missouri S&t | Apr 5 | Nov 1 | 207 |
| Roscoe | Osceola, Lowry, Weaubleau, Collins, Gerster | Osceola | Apr 16 | Oct 24 | 189 |
| Salem | Steelville, Viburnum, Bunker | Salem | Apr 17 | Oct 18 | 182 |
| Sedalia | Cole Camp, La Monte, Green Ridge, Ionia | Sedalia Wtp | Apr 18 | Oct 22 | 186 |
| Seymour | Hartville | Mansfield | Apr 11 | Oct 26 | 197 |
| Silex | — | Bowling Green 1 E | Apr 13 | Oct 23 | 188 |
| Sparta | — | Ava 12sw | Apr 14 | Oct 21 | 188 |
| Sparta | — | Oldfield | Apr 26 | Oct 13 | 167 |
| Springfield | Willard, Battlefield, Ash Grove, Walnut Grove, Halltown | Springfield | Apr 9 | Oct 27 | 199 |
| St. Charles | St. Peters, Champ, Brussels | St Charles Elm Pt | Apr 8 | Oct 29 | 203 |
| St. Elizabeth | St. Thomas, Aurora Springs, Eugene, Olean | Eldon | Apr 7 | Nov 1 | 208 |
| Sweet Springs | Emma, Blackburn, Houstonia | Sweet Springs | Apr 17 | Oct 20 | 184 |
| Taos | Holts Summit, St. Martins, St. Thomas, Tebbetts, Westphalia, Lohman | Jefferson City Wtp | Apr 8 | Oct 31 | 205 |
| Valley Park | — | St Charles 7 Ssw | Apr 4 | Oct 29 | 206 |
| Van Buren | Ellington, Annapolis, Centerville, Des Arc | Clearwater Dam | Apr 9 | Oct 26 | 199 |
| Vandalia | Wellsville, Laddonia, Middletown, Farber | Vandalia | Apr 11 | Oct 23 | 192 |
| Versailles | Stover, Syracuse, Barnett, Fortuna | Versailles | Apr 8 | Oct 29 | 202 |
| Walker | Richards, Metz | Nevada Wtp | Apr 7 | Oct 27 | 202 |
| Warrensburg | Whiteman AFB, Knob Noster, Centerview | Warrensburg 4nw | Apr 14 | Oct 21 | 189 |
| Warrenton | Troy, Foristell, Wright, Moscow Mills, New Florence, Jonesburg, +6 more | Warrenton 1 N | Apr 14 | Oct 23 | 191 |
| Washington | Union, Gray Summit, Villa Ridge, Stanton, Lake St. Clair, Parkway, +3 more | Union | Apr 11 | Oct 23 | 194 |
| Weingarten | — | Kaskaskia Rvr Navigation Lock | Apr 8 | Oct 30 | 202 |
| Windsor | — | Windsor | Apr 7 | Oct 28 | 202 |
| Winona | — | Winona 3 Sw | Apr 22 | Oct 18 | 176 |
* Higginsville 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 (Higginsville, representative)
Computed from Higginsville's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Missourizone 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 13 – Feb 27 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 16 – Jul 6 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Apr 24 – May 1 | Jun 23 – Jul 23 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 6 – Jun 26 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 1 – Jun 16 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 6 – Jun 16 | Aug 25 – Sep 4 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | Jun 9 – Jul 9 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 17 – Jun 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 27 – May 12 | Aug 11 – Aug 26 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 23 – May 8 | Aug 1 – Aug 16 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 8 – Apr 18 | Aug 21 – Aug 31 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | May 19 – Jun 8 | Jul 22 – Aug 11 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 7 – May 27 | Jul 27 – Aug 16 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Higginsville's own 195-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 (Higginsville)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00233838. 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 21 | May 4 | Oct 15 | Oct 26 | 175 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 10 | Apr 25 | Oct 24 | Nov 5 | 195 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 15 | Nov 2 | Nov 19 | 217 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Apr 6 | Nov 13 | Nov 29 | 237 |
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 86 locations is 4,043; Higginsville's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,819 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 6,195 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 6b in Missouri
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. Missouri spans 6 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Missouri locations for the full range, including zones5b, 6a, 7a, 7b, 8a.
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 Missouri?
- Zone 6b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −5 to 0 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 86 locations in Missouri fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Missouri's zone 6b is the growing season longest?
- Osage Beach runs the longest season on this page at about 216 days; Leasburg is shortest at about 164 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 Missouri's zone 6b?
- Using Higginsville's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 13 – Feb 27, then transplant outside about Apr 17 – Apr 24. 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 Missouri'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 86 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.