USDA hardiness zone 6a
USDA plant hardiness zone 6a covers areas whose average annual extreme minimum winter temperature is −10 to −5 °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. 897 locations on this site fall in zone 6a (Acequia, ID, Adams, NE, Adrian, MI, Adrian, WV, Albany, IN, Albany, MO, Albany, NY, Alfred, NY, and 889 more); open one to see its frost dates, growing-season length, and a printable per-crop planting calendar.
Locations in zone 6a — 60 of 897
| Location | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acequia, ID | May 16 | Oct 1 | 136 |
| Alta, UT | Jun 11 | Sep 18 | 98 |
| Arlington, OH | Apr 19 | Oct 23 | 185 |
| Aurora, WV | Apr 28 | Oct 23 | 179 |
| Beatrice, NE | Apr 24 | Oct 15 | 172 |
| Bird, KS | May 4 | Oct 12 | 160 |
| Bridgeport, CA | May 23 | Oct 9 | 139 |
| Bushnell, IL | Apr 17 | Oct 22 | 185 |
| Castle Dale, UT | May 18 | Sep 27 | 128 |
| Chicago, IL | Apr 11 | Oct 31 | 201 |
| Colby, KS | May 2 | Oct 9 | 156 |
| Confluence, PA | Apr 30 | Oct 18 | 171 |
| Cragsmoor, NY | May 1 | Oct 11 | 163 |
| Decatur, IL | Apr 14 | Oct 24 | 192 |
| Durand, MI | May 3 | Oct 11 | 159 |
| Elkins, WV | May 5 | Oct 12 | 159 |
| Farmington Hills, MI | May 1 | Oct 17 | 165 |
| Foxfield, CO | May 9 | Oct 3 | 145 |
| Garden View, PA | Apr 25 | Oct 24 | 181 |
| Gowanda, NY | May 17 | Oct 1 | 136 |
| Greer, AZ | Jun 1 | Sep 26 | 114 |
| Harper, OR | May 7 | Oct 3 | 147 |
| Helper, UT | Jun 13 | Sep 17 | 94 |
| Homer, IL | Apr 19 | Oct 19 | 181 |
| Idalia, CO | May 4 | Oct 9 | 155 |
| Jeffersonville, OH | Apr 20 | Oct 20 | 180 |
| Kent, OH | Apr 24 | Oct 28 | 186 |
| La Junta, CO | Apr 27 | Oct 14 | 168 |
| Lansing, MI | May 1 | Oct 13 | 162 |
| Lincoln, NE | Apr 24 | Oct 13 | 171 |
| Lost Lake Woods, MI | May 8 | Oct 16 | 160 |
| Manchester, NH | Apr 30 | Oct 11 | 164 |
| Marion, IN | Apr 26 | Oct 20 | 175 |
| McDowell, VA | May 8 | Oct 5 | 148 |
| Milwaukee, WI | Apr 19 | Oct 29 | 192 |
| Mount Vernon, OH | May 1 | Oct 10 | 161 |
| Neola, UT | May 19 | Sep 29 | 130 |
| North Manchester, IN | Apr 26 | Oct 19 | 174 |
| Oberlin, KS | Apr 30 | Oct 11 | 163 |
| Ossineke, MI | May 5 | Oct 17 | 163 |
| Paulding, OH | Apr 25 | Oct 19 | 175 |
| Pierce, ID | Jun 3 | Sep 7 | 93 |
| Poncha Springs, CO | May 29 | Sep 20 | 112 |
| Quemado, NM | Jun 1 | Sep 29 | 117 |
| Rayville, MO | Apr 19 | Oct 18 | 180 |
| Rico, CO | May 26 | Sep 29 | 125 |
| Rock Hill, NY | May 7 | Oct 7 | 152 |
| Saco, ME | May 9 | Oct 3 | 146 |
| Seltzer, PA | Apr 16 | Oct 25 | 189 |
| Silver, IA | Apr 23 | Oct 14 | 174 |
| Spencer, IN | Apr 20 | Oct 20 | 180 |
| Stamford, NE | May 4 | Oct 4 | 150 |
| Sturgis, MI | Apr 30 | Oct 17 | 170 |
| Tabor, IA | Apr 19 | Oct 19 | 182 |
| Tiffin, OH | Apr 23 | Oct 23 | 184 |
| Turners Falls, MA | May 4 | Oct 8 | 157 |
| Vinco, PA | Apr 29 | Oct 21 | 176 |
| Warsaw, IN | Apr 28 | Oct 18 | 170 |
| West Liberty, PA | May 7 | Oct 14 | 158 |
| Windsor, IL | Apr 16 | Oct 22 | 187 |
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 6a means for your garden
A plant rated "hardy to zone 6a" can be expected to survive a winter whose coldest night lands in the −10 to −5 °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 6a?
- Zone 6a covers areas whose average annual extreme minimum winter temperature is −10 to −5 °F. Each numbered zone is a 10°F band; the "a" and "b" half-zones split it into 5°F steps.
- Does zone 6a 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 6a to see its frost calendar and per-crop planting windows.
- What can I grow in zone 6a?
- Almost any common vegetable can be grown in zone 6a; 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.