USDA hardiness zone 6b
USDA plant hardiness zone 6b covers areas whose average annual extreme minimum winter temperature is −5 to 0 °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. 879 locations on this site fall in zone 6b (Abilene, KS, Airway Heights, WA, Akron, OH, Albany, OH, Albion, IL, Alderson, WV, Allentown, PA, Alma, KS, and 871 more); open one to see its frost dates, growing-season length, and a printable per-crop planting calendar.
Locations in zone 6b — 60 of 879
| Location | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, KS | Apr 14 | Oct 23 | 190 |
| Annville, KY | Apr 24 | Oct 19 | 178 |
| Aurora, NY | May 1 | Oct 21 | 172 |
| Beattyville, KY | Apr 12 | Oct 25 | 192 |
| Blaine, KY | Apr 24 | Oct 17 | 174 |
| Bolt, WV | Apr 24 | Oct 20 | 178 |
| Bronson, KS | Apr 5 | Oct 28 | 204 |
| Cadiz, OH | Apr 21 | Oct 25 | 186 |
| Castle Valley, UT | Apr 20 | Oct 21 | 182 |
| Chubbuck, ID | May 16 | Oct 2 | 137 |
| Coal, WV | May 6 | Oct 10 | 156 |
| Coulterville, IL | Apr 12 | Oct 22 | 191 |
| De Kalb, MO | Apr 19 | Oct 17 | 180 |
| Dorseyville, PA | Apr 16 | Nov 1 | 197 |
| El Dorado, KS | Apr 13 | Oct 25 | 193 |
| Emporia, KS | Apr 15 | Oct 23 | 190 |
| Fair Haven, NY | Apr 22 | Oct 29 | 187 |
| Flora, IL | Apr 9 | Oct 24 | 198 |
| Fredericktown, MO | Apr 21 | Oct 16 | 174 |
| Garrison, KY | Apr 20 | Oct 22 | 182 |
| Grantsville, WV | Apr 29 | Oct 19 | 171 |
| Greenville, MO | Apr 2 | Nov 2 | 215 |
| Hazelton, ID | May 7 | Oct 5 | 149 |
| Hobble Creek, UT | Apr 18 | Oct 21 | 185 |
| Humboldt, KS | Apr 11 | Oct 27 | 195 |
| Indianapolis, IN | Apr 21 | Oct 21 | 183 |
| Jerseyville, IL | Apr 14 | Oct 19 | 187 |
| Kenton, OK | Apr 29 | Oct 13 | 166 |
| La Cueva, NM | May 15 | Oct 3 | 138 |
| Lansing, NC | Apr 27 | Oct 14 | 170 |
| Lee's Summit, MO | Apr 7 | Oct 29 | 202 |
| Litchfield, CA | May 16 | Oct 8 | 143 |
| Lucasville, OH | Apr 17 | Oct 25 | 191 |
| Marrowbone, KY | Apr 26 | Oct 18 | 174 |
| McSherrystown, PA | Apr 24 | Oct 20 | 177 |
| Milan, IN | Apr 30 | Oct 16 | 168 |
| Morgantown, WV | Apr 26 | Oct 23 | 180 |
| Mountain Home, ID | May 2 | Oct 8 | 157 |
| Nesquehoning, PA | Apr 21 | Oct 23 | 184 |
| North Lakeville, MA | Apr 23 | Oct 21 | 180 |
| Ogden, UT | Apr 22 | Oct 22 | 180 |
| Osage Beach, MO | Mar 31 | Nov 3 | 216 |
| Pana, IL | Apr 17 | Oct 23 | 188 |
| Petersburg, IN | Apr 20 | Oct 22 | 186 |
| Plumsteadville, PA | Apr 29 | Oct 16 | 170 |
| Ramsey, IN | Apr 17 | Oct 19 | 184 |
| Riley, KS | Apr 22 | Oct 20 | 179 |
| Rolla, MO | Apr 5 | Nov 1 | 207 |
| Salisbury, MA | May 4 | Oct 8 | 157 |
| Sewickley Heights, PA | Apr 23 | Oct 23 | 181 |
| South Hutchinson, KS | Apr 18 | Oct 21 | 186 |
| Springfield, MO | Apr 9 | Oct 27 | 199 |
| Steptoe, WA | Apr 29 | Oct 4 | 161 |
| Taunton, MA | Apr 22 | Oct 19 | 178 |
| Thunder Mountain, NM | May 14 | Oct 4 | 142 |
| Truckee, CA | Jun 9 | Sep 25 | 108 |
| Vermilion, OH | Apr 25 | Oct 25 | 183 |
| Warrensburg, MO | Apr 14 | Oct 21 | 189 |
| Wendover, UT | Apr 18 | Oct 23 | 188 |
| Williamstown, KY | Apr 11 | Oct 29 | 199 |
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 6b means for your garden
A plant rated "hardy to zone 6b" can be expected to survive a winter whose coldest night lands in the −5 to 0 °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 6b?
- Zone 6b covers areas whose average annual extreme minimum winter temperature is −5 to 0 °F. Each numbered zone is a 10°F band; the "a" and "b" half-zones split it into 5°F steps.
- Does zone 6b 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 6b to see its frost calendar and per-crop planting windows.
- What can I grow in zone 6b?
- Almost any common vegetable can be grown in zone 6b; 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.