USDA hardiness zone 9b
USDA plant hardiness zone 9b covers areas whose average annual extreme minimum winter temperature is 25 to 30 °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. 330 locations on this site fall in zone 9b (Agua Dulce, CA, Ali Chuk, AZ, Allendale, CA, Alpine, CA, Antioch, CA, Apache Junction, AZ, Apopka, FL, Apopka, FL, and 322 more); open one to see its frost dates, growing-season length, and a printable per-crop planting calendar.
Locations in zone 9b — 60 of 330
| Location | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agua Dulce, CA | Jan 2 | Dec 26 | 364 |
| Apache Junction, AZ | Feb 11 | Dec 10 | 304 |
| Bakersfield, CA | Jan 17 | Dec 15 | 334 |
| Beaumont, TX | Feb 14 | Dec 4 | 299 |
| Berwick, LA | Jan 30 | Jan 1 | 335 |
| Bonadelle Ranchos, CA | Feb 18 | Nov 27 | 281 |
| Calipatria, CA | Jan 4 | Dec 26 | 360 |
| Carmel Valley, CA | Feb 20 | Dec 8 | 294 |
| Cave Creek, AZ | Feb 4 | Dec 16 | 313 |
| Coalinga, CA | Feb 14 | Nov 30 | 292 |
| Dauphin Island, AL | Jan 31 | Jan 6 | 340 |
| DeLand, FL | Feb 17 | Dec 30 | 310 |
| Dulac, LA | Feb 8 | Dec 19 | 311 |
| El Dorado Hills, CA | Mar 31 | Nov 21 | 237 |
| Eureka, CA | Feb 22 | Dec 7 | 293 |
| Fort Mohave, AZ | Jan 4 | Dec 23 | 356 |
| Fulton, TX | Jan 23 | Jan 1 | 347 |
| Gilroy, CA | Feb 24 | Nov 27 | 277 |
| Greenfield, CA | Feb 23 | Nov 22 | 271 |
| Hargill, TX | Jan 21 | Dec 23 | 338 |
| Hidden Hills, CA | Jan 24 | Dec 15 | 329 |
| Horizon West, FL | Jan 29 | Jan 11 | 349 |
| Houston, TX | Feb 2 | Dec 11 | 318 |
| Interlachen, FL | Jan 31 | Jan 4 | 337 |
| Jacksonville, FL | Jan 31 | Jan 10 | 345 |
| Katherine, AZ | Jan 5 | Dec 24 | 354 |
| La Honda, CA | Feb 6 | Dec 17 | 328 |
| Lakeside, CA | Jan 24 | Dec 17 | 330 |
| Las Vegas, NV | Jan 20 | Dec 15 | 333 |
| Loma Rica, CA | Apr 10 | Nov 13 | 215 |
| Marana, AZ | Apr 2 | Nov 11 | 222 |
| Menifee, CA | Jan 28 | Dec 18 | 329 |
| Miramar Beach, FL | Feb 5 | Dec 28 | 321 |
| Moraga, CA | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| New Orleans, LA | Jan 22 | Jan 5 | 348 |
| Nocatee, FL | Feb 1 | Jan 5 | 334 |
| Old Miakka, FL | Feb 1 | Jan 6 | 336 |
| Pacific, OR | Mar 17 | Nov 22 | 251 |
| Paradise, NV | Feb 4 | Dec 5 | 302 |
| Peoria, AZ | Jan 15 | Dec 22 | 341 |
| Phoenix, AZ | Jan 7 | Dec 24 | 351 |
| Port LaBelle, FL | Feb 26 | Dec 22 | 300 |
| Potrero, CA | Apr 30 | Oct 26 | 174 |
| Rancho Calaveras, CA | Jan 22 | Dec 17 | 332 |
| Richgrove, CA | Jan 31 | Dec 8 | 309 |
| Sacramento, CA | Jan 12 | Dec 16 | 341 |
| San Jose, CA | Feb 2 | Dec 6 | 310 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Feb 4 | Dec 13 | 315 |
| Shasta Lake, CA | Feb 8 | Dec 28 | 322 |
| Smith River, CA | Mar 11 | Nov 23 | 256 |
| Stockton, CA | Feb 9 | Dec 5 | 301 |
| Supreme, LA | Feb 21 | Dec 5 | 291 |
| The Villages, FL | Feb 25 | Dec 12 | 293 |
| Tilden, TX | Feb 9 | Dec 8 | 303 |
| Tucson, AZ | Feb 5 | Dec 9 | 307 |
| Turlock, CA | Jan 6 | Dec 20 | 351 |
| Wadsworth, TX | Feb 5 | Dec 16 | 310 |
| White Hills, AZ | Feb 4 | Dec 10 | 309 |
| Williams, CA | Feb 14 | Dec 1 | 293 |
| Woodland, CA | Feb 7 | Dec 5 | 301 |
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 9b means for your garden
A plant rated "hardy to zone 9b" can be expected to survive a winter whose coldest night lands in the 25 to 30 °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 9b?
- Zone 9b covers areas whose average annual extreme minimum winter temperature is 25 to 30 °F. Each numbered zone is a 10°F band; the "a" and "b" half-zones split it into 5°F steps.
- Does zone 9b 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 9b to see its frost calendar and per-crop planting windows.
- What can I grow in zone 9b?
- Almost any common vegetable can be grown in zone 9b; 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.