Georgetown, Texas: planting zone & frost dates
Georgetown is in USDA plant hardiness zone 9a, where the average coldest winter night reaches 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C). The typical last spring frost is around Mar 15 and the first fall frost around Nov 16.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Mar 30 | Nov 5 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Mar 15 | Nov 16 |
| Median (50%) | Mar 6 | Nov 24 |
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 GEORGETOWN LAKE, TX (USC00413507), 1.4 mi (2.3 km) from the city center and 72 ft higher than the city center (+22 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 23 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Georgetown
Georgetown spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 3 ZIP codes): 9a (69%), 8b (31%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Georgetown
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Mar 15, first frost Nov 16). 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 18 – Feb 1 | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Mar 1 – Mar 22 | Feb 15 – Mar 29 | Sep 7 – Oct 5 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Mar 22 – Apr 26 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 22 – Apr 19 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 15 – Feb 22 | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | Mar 22 – Apr 12 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Cucumber | Feb 15 – Feb 22 | Mar 29 – Apr 5 | Mar 22 – Apr 12 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Carrot | — | — | Feb 22 – Mar 29 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Onion | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Feb 15 – Mar 8 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Mar 29 – Apr 19 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 1 – Mar 1 | Sep 21 – Oct 19 |
| Kale | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Feb 15 – Mar 8 | Feb 15 – Mar 8 | Sep 7 – Oct 5 |
| Broccoli | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Mar 1 – Mar 22 | — | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 1 – Feb 22 | Sep 7 – Sep 21 |
| Eggplant | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | — | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Radish | — | — | Feb 8 – Mar 29 | Oct 5 – Nov 2 |
| Strawberry | — | Feb 15 – Mar 8 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Feb 22 – Apr 5 | Sep 7 – Sep 21 |
Nearby cities in Texas
- Round Rock — zone 9a, last frost Mar 19, first frost Nov 13
- Leander — zone 9a, last frost Mar 15, first frost Nov 16
- Cedar Park — zone 9a, last frost Mar 19, first frost Nov 13
- Austin — zone 9a, last frost Mar 2, first frost Nov 26
- Killeen — zone 8b, last frost Mar 24, first frost Nov 8
- Temple — zone 8b, last frost Mar 22, first frost Nov 11
More: all Texas cities · other zone 9a cities: San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, Las Vegas, NV, Portland, OR, Tucson, AZ, Baton Rouge, LA, Tallahassee, FL
Georgetown gardening questions
When is the last frost in Georgetown, TX?
Plan around Mar 15. At NOAA's Georgetown Lake, TX station, 1.4 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 6, and after Mar 30 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Feb 23. The 90% and 10% dates are 45 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Georgetown, TX?
Start seeds indoors Jan 18 – Feb 1 and set transplants outside Mar 22 – Apr 5, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 246 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 Georgetown?
About 259 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 231 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 289 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 5 and a 30% chance by Nov 16. That ranks 31st longest of 55 Texas cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Georgetown?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 16): transplant broccoli Aug 24 – Sep 7; sow kale Sep 7 – Oct 5; sow lettuce Sep 7 – Oct 5; sow radishes Oct 5 – Nov 2. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Dec 5. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Georgetown's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Georgetown was zone 8b on the 2012 map and is zone 9a 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 Georgetown in zone 9a?
No. Zone 9a covers about 69% of the city's land; the rest is in 8b (31%), measured across the city's 3 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.