USDA zone 7a in New Jersey
USDA plant hardiness zone 7a covers 28 locations across New Jersey (average annual extreme minimum 0 to 5 °F): Asbury, NJ, Clifton, NJ, Colonia, NJ, Egg Harbor, NJ, Florham Park, NJ, Franklin Lakes, NJ, and 22 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 1 (Ocean Acres) to April 30 (Stewartsville), and growing seasons run 168–230 days (Stewartsville to Ocean Acres) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every New Jersey location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Old Bridge, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7a0 to 5 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 1–Apr 30avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 15–Nov 15avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 168–230days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asbury | — | Phillipsburg-easton Brg | Apr 18 | Oct 25 | 188 |
| Clifton | Paramus, Paterson, Ridgewood, Fair Lawn, Woodcliff Lake, Hawthorne, +15 more | Teterboro Ap | Apr 3 | Nov 4 | 215 |
| Colonia | East Orange, Union | Newark Intl Ap | Apr 2 | Nov 10 | 222 |
| Egg Harbor | Stockton University, New Gretna | Atlantic City Intl Ap | Apr 18 | Oct 29 | 190 |
| Florham Park | Westfield, Parsippany, Watchung, Summit, Plainfield, Whippany, +20 more | Canoe Brook | Apr 18 | Oct 27 | 189 |
| Franklin Lakes | Lincoln Park, Towaco, Preakness, Pompton Plains, Totowa, North Haledon, +5 more | Caldwell Essex Co Ap | Apr 14 | Oct 28 | 196 |
| Grenloch | — | Philadelphia Intl Ap | Apr 2 | Nov 10 | 224 |
| Hammonton | Folsom, Elwood, Newtonville, Victory Lakes | Hammonton 1 Ne | Apr 14 | Oct 27 | 196 |
| Hillsborough | Ringoes, Harlingen, Rocky Hill, Blawenburg | Wertsville 4 Ne | Apr 16 | Oct 27 | 192 |
| Martinsville | Manville, Bound Brook | Somerville 4 Nw | Apr 30 | Oct 20 | 172 |
| McGuire AFB | Jobstown, Cookstown, Crosswicks, Presidential Lakes Estates, Roebling, Pemberton Heights, +1 more | Philadelphia/mt Holly Wfo | Apr 15 | Oct 29 | 196 |
| Millington | Dunellen, South Bound Brook | Plainfield | Apr 11 | Oct 28 | 198 |
| Neshanic Station | White House Station, High Bridge, Hampton, Annandale, Clinton, Frenchtown, +4 more | Flemington 5 Nnw | Apr 24 | Oct 21 | 179 |
| Newfield | — | Seabrook Farms | Apr 10 | Nov 1 | 205 |
| Oakland | Wanaque, Ramsey, Upper Saddle River, Montebello, Allendale, Monsey, +4 more | Wanaque Raymond Dam | Apr 19 | Oct 23 | 188 |
| Ocean Acres | — | Brant Beach-beach Haven | Apr 1 | Nov 15 | 230 |
| Old Bridge * | Lakewood, West Freehold, Robertsville, Lincroft, Morganville, Vista Center, +3 more | Freehold-marlboro | Apr 17 | Oct 23 | 190 |
| Peapack and Gladstone | Far Hills, Bedminster, Green Knoll, Bradley Gardens, Lyons, Oldwick, +1 more | Somerville Somerset Ap | Apr 26 | Oct 18 | 176 |
| Princeton | Hamilton Square, Cream Ridge, Dayton, Groveville, Roosevelt, Kingston, +9 more | Hightstown 2 W | Apr 25 | Oct 16 | 173 |
| Ringwood | Bloomingdale, Wanaque, Pompton Lakes, Sloatsburg, Riverdale | Charlotteburg Rsvr | Apr 25 | Oct 17 | 174 |
| Sayreville | South Plainfield, New Brunswick, Monmouth Junction, Kendall Park, Middlesex, Pleasant Plains, +11 more | New Brunswick 3 Se | Apr 15 | Oct 26 | 193 |
| Sicklerville | Atco, Berlin, Leisuretowne, Chesilhurst, West Berlin, Medford Lakes, +2 more | Indian Mills 2 W | Apr 28 | Oct 15 | 169 |
| Stewartsville | Stockertown, Brookfield, East Bangor, Martins Creek, Tatamy, Delaware, +1 more | Belvidere Brg | Apr 30 | Oct 18 | 168 |
| Toms River | Holiday City-Berkeley, Holiday Heights, Crestwood, Beachwood, Waretown, Pine Beach | Toms River | Apr 23 | Oct 20 | 179 |
| Trenton | Mercerville, White Horse, Fairless Hills, Newtown, New Hope, Lambertville, +6 more | Trenton Mercer Co Ap | Apr 10 | Nov 1 | 202 |
| Vineland | Estell Manor, Woodbine, Buena, Dorothy, Mays Landing, Richland, +1 more | Estell Manor | Apr 24 | Oct 22 | 180 |
| Vineland | Millville, Centre Grove, Port Elizabeth | Millville Muni Ap | Apr 24 | Oct 23 | 181 |
| Westfield | Plainfield, Rahway, North Plainfield, Cranford | Cranford | Apr 11 | Oct 31 | 202 |
* Old Bridge 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 (Old Bridge, representative)
Computed from Old Bridge's average frost dates — the median-season location in this New Jerseyzone 7a 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 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 24 – May 1 | Jun 23 – Jul 13 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | May 1 – May 8 | Jun 30 – Jul 30 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 1 | Jun 13 – Jul 3 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 24 – May 1 | Jun 8 – Jun 23 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 24 – May 1 | Jun 13 – Jun 23 | Aug 24 – Sep 3 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 17 – May 1 | Jun 16 – Jul 16 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 24 – Jun 8 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 4 – May 19 | Aug 10 – Aug 25 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 30 – May 15 | Jul 31 – Aug 15 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 15 – Apr 25 | Aug 20 – Aug 30 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 27 – Apr 3 | May 26 – Jun 15 | Jul 21 – Aug 10 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 14 – Jun 3 | Jul 26 – Aug 15 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Old Bridge's own 190-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 (Old Bridge)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00283181. 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 | May 1 | May 18 | Oct 12 | Oct 26 | 164 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 17 | May 6 | Oct 23 | Nov 7 | 190 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Apr 19 | Nov 3 | Nov 20 | 214 |
| 24°F | Mar 22 | Apr 4 | Nov 15 | Dec 3 | 238 |
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 28 locations is 3,484; Old Bridge's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,482 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 5,906 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7a in New Jersey
Zone 7a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 0 to 5 °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. New Jersey spans 4 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all New Jersey locations for the full range, including zones6b, 7b, 8a.
Explore zone 7a in other states at zone 7a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 7a mean in New Jersey?
- Zone 7a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 0 to 5 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 28 locations in New Jersey fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in New Jersey's zone 7a is the growing season longest?
- Ocean Acres runs the longest season on this page at about 230 days; Stewartsville is shortest at about 168 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 New Jersey's zone 7a?
- Using Old Bridge's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 20 – Mar 6, then transplant outside about Apr 24 – May 1. 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 New Jersey's zone 7a 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 28 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.