Cleveland, Ohio: planting zone & frost dates
Cleveland is in USDA plant hardiness zone 7a, where the average coldest winter night reaches 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C). The typical last spring frost is around Apr 14 and the first fall frost around Nov 7.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 20 | Nov 1 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 14 | Nov 7 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 8 | Nov 12 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station CLEVELAND BURKE AP, OH (USW00004853), 2.7 mi (4.4 km) from the city center and 46 ft lower than the city center (-14 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 20 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Cleveland
Cleveland spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 20 ZIP codes): 7a (57%), 6b (43%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Cleveland
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 14, first frost Nov 7). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Apr 21 – May 5 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Apr 28 – May 12 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | Mar 17 – Apr 28 | Aug 29 – Sep 26 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Apr 21 – May 26 | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 17 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Apr 21 – May 12 | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Cucumber | Mar 17 – Mar 24 | Apr 28 – May 5 | Apr 21 – May 12 | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 24 – Apr 28 | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Onion | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Apr 28 – May 19 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 3 – Mar 31 | Sep 12 – Oct 10 |
| Kale | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | Aug 29 – Sep 26 |
| Broccoli | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | — | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 3 – Mar 24 | Aug 29 – Sep 12 |
| Eggplant | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Apr 28 – May 12 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | — | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 10 – Apr 28 | Sep 26 – Oct 24 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 24 – May 5 | Aug 29 – Sep 12 |
Nearby cities in Ohio
- Parma — zone 6b, last frost Apr 27, first frost Oct 30
- Akron — zone 6b, last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 22
- Toledo — zone 6b, last frost Apr 27, first frost Oct 22
- Columbus — zone 6b, last frost Apr 27, first frost Oct 20
- Dayton — zone 6b, last frost Apr 25, first frost Oct 21
- Cincinnati — zone 6b, last frost Apr 24, first frost Oct 21
More: all Ohio cities · other zone 7a cities: Louisville, KY, Wichita, KS, Lexington, KY, St. Louis, MO, Boise, ID, Amarillo, TX, Providence, RI, Paterson, NJ
Cleveland gardening questions
When is the last frost in Cleveland, OH?
Plan around Apr 14. At NOAA's Cleveland Burke Airport, OH station, 2.7 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Apr 8, and after Apr 20 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 1. The last frost is fairly predictable here: only 22 days separate the 90% and 10% dates (median for cities on this site: 36 days).
When should I plant tomatoes in Cleveland, OH?
Start seeds indoors Feb 17 – Mar 3 and set transplants outside Apr 21 – May 5, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 207 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Cleveland?
About 217 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 200 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 236 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 1 and a 30% chance by Nov 7. That is the longest of the 7 Ohio cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Cleveland?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 7): transplant broccoli Aug 15 – Aug 29; sow kale Aug 29 – Sep 26; sow lettuce Aug 29 – Sep 26; sow radishes Sep 26 – Oct 24. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 22. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Cleveland's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Cleveland was zone 6b on the 2012 map and is zone 7a on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Cleveland in zone 7a?
No. Zone 7a covers about 57% of the city's land; the rest is in 6b (43%), measured across the city's 20 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.