USDA zone 9b in Oregon
USDA plant hardiness zone 9b covers 9 locations across Oregon (average annual extreme minimum 25 to 30 °F): Bandon, OR, Harbor, OR, Langlois, OR, Lincoln Beach, OR, Newport, OR, Newport, OR, and 3 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges January 31 (Harbor) to April 4 (Lincoln Beach), and growing seasons run 227–334 days (Lincoln Beach to Harbor) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Oregon location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Newport, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 9b25 to 30 °F
- Last frost range
- Jan 31–Apr 4avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Nov 16–Dec 27avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 227–334days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bandon | — | Bandon 2 Nne | Mar 9 | Nov 27 | 260 |
| Harbor | — | Brookings 2 Se | Jan 31 | Dec 27 | 334 |
| Langlois | — | Langlois #2 | Mar 16 | Nov 29 | 258 |
| Lincoln Beach | — | Otis 2 Ne | Apr 4 | Nov 16 | 227 |
| Newport * | — | Newport 3n | Mar 12 | Dec 10 | 271 |
| Newport | — | Newport 1 Se | Feb 19 | Dec 16 | 306 |
| Pacific | — | Cloverdale | Mar 17 | Nov 22 | 251 |
| Port Orford | — | Port Orford #2 | Feb 17 | Dec 3 | 292 |
| Wedderburn | — | Gold Beach Rs | Feb 16 | Dec 16 | 314 |
* Newport 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 (Newport, representative)
Computed from Newport's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Oregonzone 9b 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 | Jan 15 – Jan 29 | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | May 18 – Jun 7 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 1 – Jan 15 | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | May 25 – Jun 24 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Feb 12 – Feb 19 | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | May 8 – May 28 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | May 3 – May 18 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | May 8 – May 18 | Oct 11 – Oct 21 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | May 11 – Jun 10 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | Apr 18 – May 3 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | Mar 29 – Apr 13 | Sep 27 – Oct 12 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 25 – Apr 9 | Sep 17 – Oct 2 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 10 – Mar 20 | Oct 7 – Oct 17 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Feb 19 – Feb 26 | Apr 20 – May 10 | Sep 7 – Sep 27 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Jan 15 – Jan 29 | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | Apr 8 – Apr 28 | Sep 12 – Oct 2 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Newport's own 271-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 (Newport)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00356035. 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 20 | May 8 | Nov 9 | Dec 9 | 203 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Mar 12 | Apr 16 | Dec 10 | Feb 8 | 271 |
| 28°F | Jan 28 | Mar 5 | Dec 28 | Feb 20 | 340 |
| 24°F | Jan 4 | Feb 21 | Dec 29 | Feb 18 | 365 |
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 1,611; Newport's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 1,424 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 4,509 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 9b in Oregon
Zone 9b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 25 to 30 °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. Oregon spans 9 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Oregon locations for the full range, including zones5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a.
Explore zone 9b in other states at zone 9b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 9b mean in Oregon?
- Zone 9b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 25 to 30 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 9 locations in Oregon fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Oregon's zone 9b is the growing season longest?
- Harbor runs the longest season on this page at about 334 days; Lincoln Beach is shortest at about 227 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 Oregon's zone 9b?
- Using Newport's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Jan 15 – Jan 29, then transplant outside about Mar 19 – Mar 26. 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 Oregon's zone 9b 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.