USDA hardiness zone lookup
Anchorage, AK — USDA Zone 5a
Anchorage, Alaska · 118-day growing season
Frost dates and growing season in Anchorage
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 5a |
|---|---|
| Average last spring frost | May 19 |
| Average first fall frost | September 14 |
| Growing season length | ~118 days |
| Temperature range (F) | -20 to -10°F |
| Temperature range (C) | -29 to -23°C |
Anchorage spans USDA zones 4 to 5 across its ZIP codes (Zone 4b, Zone 5a); the city center sits in Zone 5a, so warmer and cooler pockets exist either side of that.
These are 50%-probability averages modeled from Anchorage's USDA hardiness zone and regional climate normals — not a single-station reading. In a typical year the last spring frost will have passed by May 19, but a colder-than-average year can run 1-2 weeks later. Plant tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) once both soil and night temperatures are consistently warm — a thermometer beats the calendar.
Growing season in Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska sits in USDA Zone 5a, with roughly 118 frost-free days between an average last spring frost around May 19 and a first fall frost around September 14. That is a short season — start warm-season crops indoors 6-8 weeks early and lean on quick-maturing, cold-tolerant cultivars to beat the first fall frost. Anchorage lies near 61.2°N; higher-latitude gardens get longer midsummer days but a tighter shoulder season at this zone.
What grows in Anchorage
Anchorage falls in USDA Zone 5a, so the same hardiness constraints apply as the full Zone 5 guide. Vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees rated to Zone 5a (or hardier) will overwinter here in a typical year.
- Tomatoes (full range of varieties)
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Squash, melons, cucumbers
- Beans (bush + pole)
- Sweet corn
- Apples, pears, plums
- Cherries (sweet + sour)
- Blueberries, raspberries
- Garlic
What to plant in Anchorage this week
Anchorage's last frost is around May 19. This is the spring transplant window — start tomatoes and peppers indoors if you haven't, and direct-sow cold-tolerant crops now.
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 5
- When to plant peppers in zone 5
- When to plant basil in zone 5
- When to plant bush beans in zone 5
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 5
Full planting calendar for Anchorage
Crop-by-crop sowing, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to zone 5 averages:
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 5
- When to plant peppers in zone 5
- When to plant basil in zone 5
- When to plant garlic in zone 5
- When to plant lettuce in zone 5
- When to plant bush beans in zone 5
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 5
- When to plant summer squash in zone 5
- When to plant peas in zone 5
- When to plant carrots in zone 5
ZIP codes in Anchorage
Drill down to the precise frost window and planting calendar for a specific ZIP in Anchorage:
- 99501 — Anchorage (Zone 5a)
- 99508 — Anchorage (Midtown) (Zone 5a)
- 99504 — Anchorage (East) (Zone 4b)
- 99515 — Anchorage (South) (Zone 5a)
Local microclimate notes
Zone tables give you the average — but Anchoragegardens vary. South-facing walls and paved areas can run a full half-zone warmer than the published rating. Low-lying spots, frost pockets, and shaded north sides can run colder. If you've gardened here a few seasons, your own frost record — the last time you actually got frost damage — beats any national average.
Source and methodology
Hardiness zone from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023 revision). Frost-date and growing-season figures are modeled from Anchorage's USDA hardiness zone and regional NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals — zone-level estimates, not a per-station record, so treat them as planning guidance and confirm against your own local frost history. Crop recommendations draw on US Cooperative Extension references, curated by the Growli editorial team. Last reviewed June 2026.
Other cities in Alaska
- Fairbanks, AK — USDA Zone 2a
- Homer, AK — USDA Zone 5b
- Juneau, AK — USDA Zone 6b
- Ketchikan, AK — USDA Zone 7a
- Palmer, AK — USDA Zone 4a
- Wasilla, AK — USDA Zone 4a
- All of Alaska by zone