USDA hardiness zone lookup
Ithaca, NY — USDA Zone 5b
Ithaca, New York · 147-day growing season
Frost dates and growing season in Ithaca
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 5b |
|---|---|
| Average last spring frost | May 10 |
| Average first fall frost | October 4 |
| Growing season length | ~147 days |
| Temperature range (F) | -20 to -10°F |
| Temperature range (C) | -29 to -23°C |
All of Ithaca's mapped ZIP codes fall in the same hardiness band, Zone 5b.
These are 50%-probability averages modeled from Ithaca'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 10, 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 Ithaca
Ithaca, New York sits in USDA Zone 5b, with roughly 147 frost-free days between an average last spring frost around May 10 and a first fall frost around October 4. That is a standard temperate season — most common vegetables finish comfortably, and a single main planting plus one succession round works well.
What grows in Ithaca
Ithaca falls in USDA Zone 5b, so the same hardiness constraints apply as the full Zone 5 guide. Vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees rated to Zone 5b (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 Ithaca this week
Ithaca's last frost is around May 10. 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 Ithaca
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 Ithaca
Drill down to the precise frost window and planting calendar for a specific ZIP in Ithaca:
Local microclimate notes
Zone tables give you the average — but Ithacagardens 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 Ithaca'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 New York
- Albany, NY — USDA Zone 5b
- Bronx, NY — USDA Zone 7a
- Brooklyn, NY — USDA Zone 7b
- Buffalo, NY — USDA Zone 6a
- Huntington, NY — USDA Zone 7a
- Manhattan, NY — USDA Zone 7b
- New Rochelle, NY — USDA Zone 7a
- New York, NY — USDA Zone 7b
- Newburgh, NY — USDA Zone 6b
- Poughkeepsie, NY — USDA Zone 6b
- Queens, NY — USDA Zone 7b
- Rochester, NY — USDA Zone 6a
- All of New York by zone