USDA zone 7a in Ohio
USDA plant hardiness zone 7a covers 9 locations across Ohio (average annual extreme minimum 0 to 5 °F): Avon Lake, OH, Cleveland, OH, Kelleys Island, OH, Mentor, OH, Neville, OH, Oak Hill, OH, and 3 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 8 (Cleveland) to April 30 (Oak Hill), and growing seasons run 167–217 days (Oak Hill to Cleveland) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Ohio location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Tiltonsville, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7a0 to 5 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 8–Apr 30avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 15–Nov 12avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 167–217days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon Lake | Sheffield | Elyria 3 E | Apr 22 | Nov 1 | 192 |
| Cleveland | Euclid, Bratenahl | Cleveland Burke Ap | Apr 8 | Nov 12 | 217 |
| Kelleys Island | Put-in-Bay | Sandusky | Apr 10 | Nov 5 | 209 |
| Mentor | Willoughby, Grand River | Painesville 4 Nw | Apr 15 | Nov 9 | 209 |
| Neville | — | Chilo Meldahl Locks & Dam | Apr 16 | Oct 31 | 196 |
| Oak Hill | Crown, Hanging Rock | Waterloo | Apr 30 | Oct 15 | 167 |
| Tiltonsville * | — | Pike Island(lock & Dam) | Apr 18 | Nov 1 | 196 |
| Westlake | Lakewood, Rocky River, Fairview Park, Bay, Linndale | Cleveland | Apr 20 | Nov 3 | 198 |
| Wheelersburg | Franklin Furnace, Greenup, South Webster, New Boston, South Shore | Portsmouth-sciotoville | Apr 17 | Oct 25 | 191 |
* Tiltonsville 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 (Tiltonsville, representative)
Computed from Tiltonsville's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Ohiozone 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 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 | Sep 2 – Sep 12 | 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 19 – Sep 3 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 1 – May 16 | Aug 9 – Aug 24 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 16 – Apr 26 | Aug 29 – Sep 8 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 27 – Jun 16 | Jul 30 – Aug 19 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 15 – Jun 4 | Aug 4 – Aug 24 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Tiltonsville's own 196-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 (Tiltonsville)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00467018. 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 17 | Oct 21 | Nov 1 | 174 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 18 | May 6 | Nov 1 | Nov 13 | 196 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 20 | Nov 10 | Nov 25 | 219 |
| 24°F | Mar 26 | Apr 7 | Nov 21 | Dec 9 | 241 |
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 9 locations is 3,360; Tiltonsville's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,274 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 5,601 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7a in Ohio
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. Ohio spans 4 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Ohio locations for the full range, including zones5b, 6a, 6b.
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 Ohio?
- Zone 7a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 0 to 5 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 9 locations in Ohio fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Ohio's zone 7a is the growing season longest?
- Cleveland runs the longest season on this page at about 217 days; Oak Hill is shortest at about 167 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 Ohio's zone 7a?
- Using Tiltonsville'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 Ohio'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 9 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.