Dallas, Texas: planting zone & frost dates
Dallas is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C). The typical last spring frost is around Mar 9 and the first fall frost around Nov 20.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Mar 19 | Nov 10 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Mar 9 | Nov 20 |
| Median (50%) | Mar 2 | Nov 29 |
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 DALLAS LOVE FLD, TX (USW00013960), 6.6 mi (10.6 km) from the city center and 43 ft lower than the city center (-13 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 29 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Dallas
All 46 ZIP codes covering Dallas are in zone 8b.
ZIP codes in Dallas and their zones
| ZIP | Zone | Share of city land |
|---|---|---|
| 75217 | 8b | 7.9% |
| 75241 | 8b | 7.0% |
| 75211 | 8b | 4.9% |
| 75216 | 8b | 4.4% |
| 75236 | 8b | 3.9% |
| 75253 | 8b | 3.9% |
| 75229 | 8b | 3.6% |
| 75227 | 8b | 3.4% |
| 75220 | 8b | 3.3% |
| 75228 | 8b | 3.3% |
| 75212 | 8b | 2.9% |
| 75243 | 8b | 2.6% |
| 75215 | 8b | 2.3% |
| 75232 | 8b | 2.3% |
| 75214 | 8b | 2.2% |
| 75248 | 8b | 2.2% |
| 75230 | 8b | 2.1% |
| 75218 | 8b | 2.0% |
| 75235 | 8b | 2.0% |
| 75237 | 8b | 2.0% |
| 75238 | 8b | 1.9% |
| 75247 | 8b | 1.9% |
| 75208 | 8b | 1.8% |
| 75224 | 8b | 1.7% |
| 75231 | 8b | 1.6% |
| 75249 | 8b | 1.6% |
| 75287 | 8b | 1.6% |
| 75252 | 8b | 1.5% |
| 75203 | 8b | 1.4% |
| 75206 | 8b | 1.2% |
| 75207 | 8b | 1.1% |
| 75233 | 8b | 1.1% |
| 75240 | 8b | 1.1% |
| 75209 | 8b | 1.0% |
| 75223 | 8b | 0.9% |
| 75225 | 8b | 0.9% |
| 75204 | 8b | 0.8% |
| 75254 | 8b | 0.8% |
| 75210 | 8b | 0.7% |
| 75219 | 8b | 0.7% |
| 75201 | 8b | 0.4% |
| 75226 | 8b | 0.3% |
| 75202 | 8b | 0.2% |
| 75251 | 8b | 0.2% |
| 75246 | 8b | 0.1% |
| 75390 | 8b | 0.0% |
Vegetable planting calendar for Dallas
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Mar 9, first frost Nov 20). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Jan 12 – Jan 26 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | — | — |
| Pepper | Dec 29 – Jan 12 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Jan 26 – Feb 9 | Feb 23 – Mar 16 | Feb 9 – Mar 23 | Sep 11 – Oct 9 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Mar 16 – Apr 20 | Aug 28 – Sep 11 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 16 – Apr 13 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 9 – Feb 16 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | Aug 28 – Sep 11 |
| Cucumber | Feb 9 – Feb 16 | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | Aug 28 – Sep 11 |
| Carrot | — | — | Feb 16 – Mar 23 | Aug 28 – Sep 11 |
| Onion | Dec 15 – Dec 29 | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Feb 9 – Mar 2 | — | — |
| Basil | Jan 26 – Feb 9 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Mar 23 – Apr 13 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Jan 26 – Feb 23 | Sep 25 – Oct 23 |
| Kale | Jan 12 – Jan 26 | Feb 9 – Mar 2 | Feb 9 – Mar 2 | Sep 11 – Oct 9 |
| Broccoli | Jan 12 – Jan 26 | Feb 23 – Mar 16 | — | Aug 28 – Sep 11 |
| Peas | — | — | Jan 26 – Feb 16 | Sep 11 – Sep 25 |
| Eggplant | Dec 29 – Jan 12 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Jan 12 – Jan 26 | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | — | Aug 28 – Sep 11 |
| Radish | — | — | Feb 2 – Mar 23 | Oct 9 – Nov 6 |
| Strawberry | — | Feb 9 – Mar 2 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Feb 16 – Mar 30 | Sep 11 – Sep 25 |
Nearby cities in Texas
- Garland — zone 8b, last frost Mar 14, first frost Nov 13
- Mesquite — zone 8b, last frost Mar 20, first frost Nov 11
- Richardson — zone 8b, last frost Mar 14, first frost Nov 13
- Irving — zone 8b, last frost Mar 15, first frost Nov 15
- Carrollton — zone 8b, last frost Mar 15, first frost Nov 15
- Plano — zone 8b, last frost Mar 14, first frost Nov 13
More: all Texas cities · other zone 8b cities: Fort Worth, TX, El Paso, TX, Virginia Beach, VA, Arlington, TX, Plano, TX, Irving, TX, Garland, TX, Frisco, TX
Dallas gardening questions
When is the last frost in Dallas, TX?
Plan around Mar 9. At NOAA's Dallas Love Field, TX station, 6.6 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 Mar 2, and after Mar 19 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Feb 18. The 90% and 10% dates are 37 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Dallas, TX?
Start seeds indoors Jan 12 – Jan 26 and set transplants outside Mar 16 – Mar 30, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 256 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 Dallas?
About 272 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 246 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 299 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 10 and a 30% chance by Nov 20. That ranks 21st longest of 55 Texas cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Dallas?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 20): transplant broccoli Aug 28 – Sep 11; sow kale Sep 11 – Oct 9; sow lettuce Sep 11 – Oct 9; sow radishes Oct 9 – Nov 6. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Dec 12. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Dallas's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Dallas was zone 8a on the 2012 map and is zone 8b 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.
How does Dallas compare with Mesquite, TX?
Both are in zone 8b. The typical last spring frost in Dallas (Mar 9) comes about 11 days earlier than in Mesquite, TX (Mar 20), 11 miles away, and the first fall frost is Nov 20 versus Nov 11. The two cities use different NOAA stations.