USDA hardiness zone 5b
USDA plant hardiness zone 5b covers areas whose average annual extreme minimum winter temperature is −15 to −10 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive an average winter. Hardiness zone sets winter survival, but planting DATES depend on your local frost calendar, which varies within a zone. 675 locations on this site fall in zone 5b (Acosta, PA, Adair, IA, Adel, IA, Afton, NY, Ainsworth, NE, Air Force Academy, CO, Akron, CO, Albia, IA, and 667 more); open one to see its frost dates, growing-season length, and a printable per-crop planting calendar.
Locations in zone 5b — 60 of 675
| Location | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acosta, PA | May 6 | Oct 12 | 159 |
| Alliance, NE | May 22 | Sep 22 | 122 |
| Anita, IA | Apr 30 | Oct 2 | 153 |
| Atwood, CO | May 10 | Oct 6 | 147 |
| Bath, ME | May 8 | Oct 7 | 151 |
| Benkelman, NE | Apr 30 | Oct 12 | 163 |
| Bloomfield, IA | Apr 16 | Oct 22 | 188 |
| Brookville, PA | May 6 | Oct 14 | 160 |
| Campbell, NY | May 17 | Oct 2 | 139 |
| Carpenter, WY | May 14 | Sep 26 | 133 |
| Chama, NM | Jun 14 | Sep 18 | 93 |
| Clarinda, IA | Apr 25 | Oct 11 | 168 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | May 9 | Oct 6 | 150 |
| Cope, CO | May 3 | Oct 9 | 158 |
| Cullom, IL | Apr 25 | Oct 20 | 175 |
| Delavan, WI | Apr 28 | Oct 14 | 168 |
| Durbin, WV | May 9 | Oct 5 | 149 |
| Edinboro, PA | Apr 26 | Nov 4 | 192 |
| Ellison Bay, WI | May 15 | Oct 14 | 152 |
| Farnam, NE | Apr 30 | Oct 12 | 165 |
| Fowler, IN | Apr 25 | Oct 13 | 169 |
| Gannett, ID | Jun 16 | Sep 9 | 85 |
| Gorham, ME | May 14 | Sep 30 | 136 |
| Greenville, WI | May 4 | Oct 6 | 154 |
| Hancock, NY | May 12 | Oct 9 | 152 |
| Hingham, WI | May 3 | Oct 16 | 165 |
| Imperial, NE | May 7 | Oct 5 | 150 |
| Jensen, UT | May 20 | Sep 25 | 126 |
| Kenesaw, NE | Apr 22 | Oct 16 | 176 |
| Lake Mills, WI | Apr 29 | Oct 14 | 167 |
| Lindy, NE | Apr 30 | Oct 8 | 160 |
| Lowell, WI | May 2 | Oct 9 | 157 |
| Manton, MI | May 19 | Oct 1 | 135 |
| McCoy, CO | Jun 6 | Sep 14 | 98 |
| Mequon, WI | May 6 | Oct 8 | 154 |
| Missouri Valley, IA | Apr 29 | Oct 8 | 162 |
| Morrison, IL | Apr 26 | Oct 13 | 167 |
| Myton, UT | May 7 | Oct 5 | 149 |
| North Adams, MA | May 10 | Oct 4 | 147 |
| O'Neill, NE | May 3 | Oct 5 | 155 |
| Oshkosh, NE | May 9 | Oct 2 | 144 |
| Panama, NY | May 8 | Oct 13 | 158 |
| Pinesdale, MT | May 21 | Sep 22 | 122 |
| Plymouth, WI | May 3 | Oct 10 | 159 |
| Preston-Potter Hollow, NY | May 20 | Sep 27 | 129 |
| Ravenna, NE | May 4 | Oct 3 | 150 |
| Ridgeway, MO | Apr 16 | Oct 22 | 186 |
| Saco, ME | Apr 26 | Oct 15 | 170 |
| Sciota, IL | Apr 21 | Oct 19 | 180 |
| Sheboygan Falls, WI | May 5 | Oct 8 | 154 |
| Silver Summit, UT | Jun 11 | Sep 12 | 92 |
| Spring Creek, NV | Jun 16 | Sep 13 | 89 |
| Sterling, CO | Apr 30 | Oct 9 | 161 |
| Sun Valley, ID | May 13 | Oct 2 | 139 |
| Tecumseh, NE | Apr 26 | Oct 10 | 164 |
| Ulysses, PA | May 15 | Oct 2 | 140 |
| Wahoo, NE | Apr 25 | Oct 13 | 170 |
| Waveland, IN | Apr 30 | Oct 12 | 164 |
| Weston Mills, NY | May 7 | Oct 11 | 156 |
| Wolbach, NE | May 5 | Oct 2 | 149 |
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.
What zone 5b means for your garden
A plant rated "hardy to zone 5b" can be expected to survive a winter whose coldest night lands in the −15 to −10 °F range — the metric the USDA map is built on. That governs perennials, shrubs, and trees. For annual vegetables, what matters is the frost calendar: the dates of the average last spring and first fall freeze, which set when it is safe to plant and how long the season runs. Those come from the individual location pages above.
Zones are from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each location's ZIP — see the methodology page. Browse all hardiness zones or crop-by-crop timing.
Frequently asked questions
- What temperature range is USDA zone 5b?
- Zone 5b covers areas whose average annual extreme minimum winter temperature is −15 to −10 °F. Each numbered zone is a 10°F band; the "a" and "b" half-zones split it into 5°F steps.
- Does zone 5b tell me when to plant?
- No — the hardiness zone tells you which perennials survive winter, not when to sow annual vegetables. Planting dates depend on your local last and first frost, which can vary within a single zone. Open one of the sample locations in zone 5b to see its frost calendar and per-crop planting windows.
- What can I grow in zone 5b?
- Almost any common vegetable can be grown in zone 5b; what changes with zone and local climate is the timing and the length of the season. Cold-hardy crops (peas, spinach, lettuce) go out earliest, tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) after the last frost. Use each location's calendar for exact dates.