What Hardiness Zone Is California?

Q: What hardiness zone is California?

California is in USDA hardiness zones 5b–11a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zone 9b is the most common, covering 34% of California's ZIP codes, and zone 10a covers 24%. Enter your ZIP code for your exact zone.

Q: What does zone 9b mean?

Zone 9b means the average annual extreme minimum temperature, the coldest night of a typical winter, is 25°F to 30°F (−4°C to −1°C). Perennials, shrubs and trees rated for zone 9b or colder should survive winter there.

Q: What is the coldest hardiness zone in California?

Zone 5b is the coldest zone mapped in California, and zone 11a is the warmest, found around Santa Monica Pier.

Q: Did California's hardiness zones change in 2023?

The USDA released a new Plant Hardiness Zone Map in November 2023, based on 1991–2020 temperatures instead of 1976–2005. About half of the United States shifted half a zone warmer. Check your ZIP code here, because plant tags and older books may still list your 2012 zone.

Q: When should I plant in zone 9b?

Hardiness zones don't set planting dates; frost dates do. Inside zone 9b in California, the median last spring frost varies from January 3 to May 3. Look up your local frost dates and plant tender crops such as tomatoes after the 10%-risk last-frost date.

USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map · 2,554 ZIP codes · Data updated 2026-10-28

Quick answer

California spans USDA hardiness zones 5b–11a on the 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The most common zone is 9b, covering 34% of California's ZIP codes, followed by zone 10a (24%). Zone 9b means the coldest night of an average winter reaches 25°F to 30°F (−4°C to −1°C). Enter your ZIP code for your exact zone.

California hardiness zones by share of ZIP codes

Zone 5b<1% · 1 ZIP

Zone 6a<1% · 7 ZIPs

Zone 6b1% · 38 ZIPs

Zone 7a2% · 41 ZIPs

Zone 7b<1% · 24 ZIPs

Zone 8a1% · 38 ZIPs

Zone 8b4% · 112 ZIPs

Zone 9a9% · 236 ZIPs

Zone 9b34% · 879 ZIPs

Zone 10a24% · 623 ZIPs

Zone 10b21% · 527 ZIPs

Zone 11a1% · 28 ZIPs

What the zones mean for California gardeners

Coldest and warmest towns: among towns with NOAA weather stations, Bridgeport (6,470 ft) is in zone 6a, while Santa Monica Pier (14 ft) is in zone 11a. That is a difference of about 50°F in the coldest night of a typical winter.
Same zone, different frost dates: within zone 9b, the median last spring frost ranges from January 3 at Iron Mountain to May 3 at Mount Hamilton, 120 days apart. Your zone tells you which perennials survive winter; your frost dates tell you when to plant.

Typical frost dates in each California zone

Medians across NOAA weather stations in each zone. Colder zones usually have later spring frosts, but local terrain can shift the dates by weeks.

Zone	Last spring frost	First fall frost	Stations
6b	June 4	September 25	8
7a	May 28	September 29	6
7b	May 29	October 4	9
8a	May 5	October 24	11
8b	April 22	November 11	23
9a	March 19	November 22	51
9b	February 8	December 7	108
10a	January 7	December 27	57
10b	January 6	January 2	7

Hardiness zones for California cities

Zones at the National Weather Service stations, mostly city airports, with their median frost dates.


Arcata Eureka Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	200	Mar 8	Nov 30
Avalon Catalina Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	1,602	Rare	Rare
Barstow Daggett Airport	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,917	Feb 19	Nov 26
Blue Canyon Airport	8b	15°F to 20°F	5,276	May 4	Nov 4
Blythe Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	395	Jan 5	Dec 21
Bodega 6 WSW	10a	30°F to 35°F	63	Jan 1	Dec 31
Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	741	Dec 31	Dec 28
Camarillo Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	77	Dec 31	Dec 28
Camp Pendleton McAs	10a	30°F to 35°F	75	Feb 16	Dec 8
Carlsbad Palomar Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	328	Rare	Rare
China Lake Naf	8b	15°F to 20°F	2,230	Mar 11	Nov 12
Chino Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	650	Jan 17	Dec 19
Concord Buchanan Field	9b	25°F to 30°F	18	Jan 9	Dec 14
Desert Resorts Regional Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	-118	Feb 7	Dec 2
El Centro Naf	10a	30°F to 35°F	-42	Jan 6	Dec 21
Eureka WFO Woodley Island	9b	25°F to 30°F	20	Feb 22	Dec 7
Fallbrook 5 NE	10b	35°F to 40°F	1,140	Feb 2	Jan 30
Fresno Yosemite Intl Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	333	Jan 14	Dec 14
Fullerton Municipal Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	96	Rare	Rare
Hawthorne Municipal Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	63	Rare	Rare
Hayward Air Terminal	10a	30°F to 35°F	43	Jan 2	Dec 25
Imperial Beach Ream Field NAS	10b	35°F to 40°F	24	Rare	Rare
Lancaster Wm J Fox Field	8a	10°F to 15°F	2,338	Apr 3	Nov 1
Lemoore Reeves NAS	9a	20°F to 25°F	232	Feb 24	Nov 22
Long Beach Daugherty Field	10b	35°F to 40°F	31	Rare	Rare
Los Angeles Dwtn Usc Campus	10b	35°F to 40°F	230	Rare	Rare
Los Angeles Intl Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	97	Rare	Rare
Madera Municipal Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	253	Feb 12	Nov 30
Marysville Yuba County Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	62	Feb 11	Nov 30
Merced 23 WSW	9a	20°F to 25°F	78	Mar 28	Nov 14
Merced Municipal Airport	9a	20°F to 25°F	152	Feb 26	Nov 25
Modesto City County Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	73	Jan 31	Dec 5
Moffett Federal Airfield	10a	30°F to 35°F	39	Jan 6	Dec 23
Montague Siskiyou County Airport	7b	5°F to 10°F	2,635	May 12	Oct 8
Monterey Peninsul Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	165	Jan 2	Dec 23
Napa County Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	14	Mar 5	Nov 21
Needles Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	890	Jan 6	Jan 2
North Island NAS	10b	35°F to 40°F	26	Rare	Rare
Oakland Metro Intl Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	6	Jan 7	Dec 23
Oceanside Municipal Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	28	Jan 23	Dec 11
Ontario Intl Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	949	Jan 4	Dec 30
Oroville Municipal Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	190	Jan 29	Dec 7
Oxnard Ventura County Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	36	Rare	Rare
Palm Springs Regional Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	421	Jan 9	Jan 9
Point Mugu Nf	10b	35°F to 40°F	13	Dec 29	Dec 24
Red Bluff Municipal Airport	9a	20°F to 25°F	353	Feb 22	Nov 29
Redding 12 WNW	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,418	Mar 19	Nov 22
Redding Municipal Airport	9a	20°F to 25°F	497	Mar 3	Nov 21
Riverside Municipal Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	805	Jan 9	Dec 30
Sacramento 5 ESE	9b	25°F to 30°F	38	Jan 12	Dec 16
Sacramento Executive Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	15	Feb 2	Dec 2
Sacramento Metro Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	23	Feb 22	Nov 24
Salinas Municipal Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	74	Jan 29	Dec 10
San Diego Brown Field	10b	35°F to 40°F	515	Jan 6	Dec 31
San Diego Lindbergh Field	11a	40°F to 45°F	15	Rare	Rare
San Diego Miramar NAS	10b	35°F to 40°F	477	Rare	Rare
San Diego Montgomery Field	10b	35°F to 40°F	417	Rare	Rare
San Francisco Dwtn	10b	35°F to 40°F	150	Rare	Rare
San Francisco Intl Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	8	Dec 29	Dec 26
San Jose	9b	25°F to 30°F	51	Jan 12	Dec 22
San Luis Obispo Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	200	Jan 31	Dec 11
Santa Ana John Wayne Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	54	Rare	Rare
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	9	Jan 11	Dec 16
Santa Maria Public Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	242	Feb 4	Dec 13
Santa Monica Municipal Airport	11a	40°F to 45°F	174	Rare	Rare
Santa Rosa Sonoma County Airport	9a	20°F to 25°F	114	Mar 2	Nov 20
South Lake Tahoe Airport	6b	−5°F to 0°F	6,314	Any month	Any month
Stockton Metro Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	26	Feb 6	Dec 1
Torrance Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	90	Jan 9	Jan 5
Vacaville Nut Tree Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	109	Feb 18	Nov 28
Van Nuys Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	770	Dec 31	Dec 30
Watsonville Municipal Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	160	Jan 31	Dec 9
Yosemite Village 12 W	8b	15°F to 20°F	6,620	May 12	Nov 1

Hardiness zones for 317 towns in California

Each NOAA weather station is shown with the USDA zone of the nearest ZIP code (within 8 miles). Coldest night is the zone's range for the average annual extreme minimum temperature. Click a column to sort.

Filter by town


Adin Ranger Station	7a	0°F to 5°F	4,195	May 28	Sep 29
Alpine	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,695	Feb 12	Dec 24
Alturas	6b	−5°F to 0°F	4,378	Jun 3	Sep 13
Anaheim	10b	35°F to 40°F	235	Rare	Rare
Angwin Pacific Union College	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,715	Apr 7	Dec 5
Antioch Pumping Plt #3	9b	25°F to 30°F	60	Jan 12	Dec 19
Arcata Eureka Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	200	Mar 8	Nov 30
Auberry 2 NW	9a	20°F to 25°F	2,090	Mar 25	Dec 3
Auburn	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,292	Feb 25	Dec 5
Avalon Catalina Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	1,602	Rare	Rare
Baker	9a	20°F to 25°F	962	Feb 14	Nov 27
Bakersfield 5 NW	9b	25°F to 30°F	470	Jan 31	Dec 8
Barstow	9a	20°F to 25°F	2,220	Feb 22	Nov 23
Barstow Daggett Airport	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,917	Feb 19	Nov 26
Ben Lomond #4	9a	20°F to 25°F	420	Mar 25	Nov 11
Berkeley	10a	30°F to 35°F	310	Jan 3	Jan 1
Big Bear Lake	7b	5°F to 10°F	6,753	May 27	Oct 4
Blue Canyon Airport	8b	15°F to 20°F	5,276	May 4	Nov 4
Blythe Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	395	Jan 5	Dec 21
Boca	6b	−5°F to 0°F	5,575	Any month	Any month
Bodega 6 WSW	10a	30°F to 35°F	63	Jan 1	Dec 31
Brawley 2 SW	9b	25°F to 30°F	-100	Jan 16	Dec 19
Bridgeport	6a	−10°F to −5°F	6,470	Any month	Any month
Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	741	Dec 31	Dec 28
Burbank Valley Pump Plt	10a	30°F to 35°F	655	Jan 2	Dec 26
Burney	7b	5°F to 10°F	3,198	Jun 3	Sep 14
Buttonwillow	9a	20°F to 25°F	225	Feb 9	Nov 26
Calaveras Big Trees	8b	15°F to 20°F	4,695	May 7	Oct 28
Calistoga	9b	25°F to 30°F	400	Mar 2	Nov 23
Callahan	8a	10°F to 15°F	3,085	May 20	Oct 5
Camarillo Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	77	Dec 31	Dec 28
Camp Pardee	9b	25°F to 30°F	658	Jan 22	Dec 17
Camp Pendleton McAs	10a	30°F to 35°F	75	Feb 16	Dec 8
Campo	9a	20°F to 25°F	2,630	Apr 30	Oct 26
Canby 3 SW	7a	0°F to 5°F	4,310	Jun 1	Sep 16
Canyon Dam	7b	5°F to 10°F	4,560	May 18	Oct 8
Carlsbad Palomar Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	328	Rare	Rare
Carmel Valley	10a	30°F to 35°F	480	Feb 20	Dec 8
Cecilville	8b	15°F to 20°F	2,310	Apr 27	Oct 21
Cedarville	6b	−5°F to 0°F	4,688	May 15	Oct 1
Chester	7a	0°F to 5°F	4,530	May 28	Sep 28
Chico University Farm	9b	25°F to 30°F	185	Mar 4	Nov 17
China Lake Naf	8b	15°F to 20°F	2,230	Mar 11	Nov 12
Chino Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	650	Jan 17	Dec 19
Chula Vista	10b	35°F to 40°F	56	Rare	Rare
Clearlake 4 SE	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,349	Apr 10	Nov 6
Cloverdale	9b	25°F to 30°F	400	Feb 25	Dec 3
Coalinga	9b	25°F to 30°F	670	Feb 14	Nov 30
Colfax	9a	20°F to 25°F	2,380	Apr 3	Nov 24
Colusa 2 SSW	9b	25°F to 30°F	50	Feb 14	Dec 1
Concord Buchanan Field	9b	25°F to 30°F	18	Jan 9	Dec 14
Concord Wwtp	9b	25°F to 30°F	40	Jan 7	Dec 19
Corcoran Irrig Dist	9a	20°F to 25°F	200	Feb 15	Nov 27
Covelo	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,413	Apr 23	Oct 19
Crescent City 3 NNW	9b	25°F to 30°F	43	Mar 11	Nov 23
Culver City	10b	35°F to 40°F	92	Rare	Rare
Cuyamaca	9b	25°F to 30°F	4,640	Apr 19	Oct 27
Davis 2 WSW Experiment Farm	9b	25°F to 30°F	60	Feb 10	Dec 1
De Sabla	8b	15°F to 20°F	2,710	Apr 17	Nov 11
Delano	9b	25°F to 30°F	302	Jan 31	Dec 8
Desert Resorts Regional Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	-118	Feb 7	Dec 2
Dobbins 1 S	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,640	Apr 1	Nov 17
Donner Memorial State Park	6b	−5°F to 0°F	5,937	Any month	Any month
Downieville	8b	15°F to 20°F	2,915	Apr 28	Oct 25
Doyle 4 SSE	7a	0°F to 5°F	4,390	May 21	Oct 1
Dunsmuir Trtmt Pl	8a	10°F to 15°F	2,169	Apr 23	Oct 27
East Park Rsvr	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,205	Apr 6	Nov 10
El Cajon	10a	30°F to 35°F	495	Jan 6	Dec 21
El Capitan Dam	10a	30°F to 35°F	600	Mar 19	Dec 8
El Centro 2 SSW	10a	30°F to 35°F	-30	Jan 3	Dec 27
El Centro Naf	10a	30°F to 35°F	-42	Jan 6	Dec 21
El Mirage	8b	15°F to 20°F	2,950	Mar 21	Nov 12
Elsinore	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,268	Jan 28	Dec 18
Escondido #2	10a	30°F to 35°F	600	Jan 2	Dec 30
Eureka WFO Woodley Island	9b	25°F to 30°F	20	Feb 22	Dec 7
Fairfield	9b	25°F to 30°F	40	Jan 15	Dec 14
Fairmont	8b	15°F to 20°F	3,060	Apr 6	Nov 29
Fallbrook 5 NE	10b	35°F to 40°F	1,140	Feb 2	Jan 30
Five Points 5 SSW	9b	25°F to 30°F	285	Feb 27	Nov 26
Fort Bidwell	6b	−5°F to 0°F	4,739	May 26	Oct 1
Fort Bragg 5 N	9b	25°F to 30°F	123	Mar 2	Dec 1
Fort Ross	10a	30°F to 35°F	112	Feb 26	Dec 27
Fremont	9b	25°F to 30°F	38	Jan 7	Dec 22
Fresno 5 NE	9b	25°F to 30°F	338	Jan 30	Dec 11
Fresno Yosemite Intl Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	333	Jan 14	Dec 14
Friant Government Camp	9b	25°F to 30°F	410	Mar 9	Dec 1
Fullerton Municipal Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	96	Rare	Rare
Georgetown Ranger Station	9a	20°F to 25°F	3,001	Apr 12	Nov 21
Getty Center	10b	35°F to 40°F	1,117	Rare	Rare
Gibraltar Dam #2	10a	30°F to 35°F	1,558	Mar 20	Nov 27
Gilroy	9b	25°F to 30°F	194	Feb 24	Nov 27
Glennville	8b	15°F to 20°F	3,140	May 11	Oct 17
Grant Grove	7b	5°F to 10°F	6,580	Jun 1	Oct 7
Grass Valley #2	9a	20°F to 25°F	2,400	Apr 10	Nov 13
Graton	9a	20°F to 25°F	200	Mar 20	Nov 13
Grizzly Creek State Park	9b	25°F to 30°F	413	Mar 4	Nov 22
Groveland 2	9b	25°F to 30°F	2,800	Apr 22	Nov 2
Half Moon Bay	10a	30°F to 35°F	27	Feb 6	Dec 17
Hanford 1 S	9a	20°F to 25°F	237	Feb 7	Dec 1
Hat Creek	7b	5°F to 10°F	3,015	May 29	Sep 19
Hawthorne Municipal Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	63	Rare	Rare
Hayward Air Terminal	10a	30°F to 35°F	43	Jan 2	Dec 25
Healdsburg	9b	25°F to 30°F	177	Feb 15	Dec 2
Hearst Castle	10a	30°F to 35°F	1,526	Feb 13	Feb 1
Hemet	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,811	Jan 10	Dec 23
Henshaw Dam	9a	20°F to 25°F	2,700	Apr 18	Oct 26
Hesperia 2E	8b	15°F to 20°F	3,055	Feb 28	Dec 1
Hetch Hetchy	6a	−10°F to −5°F	3,870	Apr 16	Nov 12
Hollister 2	9b	25°F to 30°F	275	Feb 19	Dec 1
Huntington Lake	7b	5°F to 10°F	7,020	Jun 1	Oct 6
Idyllwild Fire Dept	8a	10°F to 15°F	5,380	May 16	Oct 24
Imperial Beach Ream Field NAS	10b	35°F to 40°F	24	Rare	Rare
Independence	8a	10°F to 15°F	3,950	Mar 31	Nov 9
Indio Fire Station	10a	30°F to 35°F	-21	Dec 31	Dec 27
Iron Mountain	9b	25°F to 30°F	922	Jan 3	Dec 31
Irvine Rch	10b	35°F to 40°F	540	Rare	Rare
Jess Valley	6b	−5°F to 0°F	5,400	Jun 14	Sep 18
Johnson Valley	9a	20°F to 25°F	3,167	Mar 1	Nov 29
Joshua Tree	9a	20°F to 25°F	2,563	Feb 28	Dec 1
Kentfield	9b	25°F to 30°F	145	Jan 16	Dec 18
Kern River Ph 3	8b	15°F to 20°F	2,703	Apr 7	Nov 11
Kettleman City	9b	25°F to 30°F	240	Feb 19	Nov 29
King City	9a	20°F to 25°F	320	Feb 23	Nov 22
Klamath	9b	25°F to 30°F	28	Mar 16	Nov 20
Laguna Beach	10b	35°F to 40°F	44	Jan 6	Jan 2
Lake Arrowhead	8a	10°F to 15°F	5,205	May 5	Nov 2
Lake Spaulding	8a	10°F to 15°F	5,156	May 22	Oct 16
Lancaster Wm J Fox Field	8a	10°F to 15°F	2,338	Apr 3	Nov 1
Lee Vining	6b	−5°F to 0°F	6,797	May 23	Oct 9
Lemon Cove	9b	25°F to 30°F	513	Feb 5	Dec 8
Lemoore Reeves NAS	9a	20°F to 25°F	232	Feb 24	Nov 22
Lindsay	9b	25°F to 30°F	435	Feb 20	Nov 30
Livermore	9b	25°F to 30°F	393	Feb 15	Dec 2
Lodi	9b	25°F to 30°F	40	Feb 9	Dec 5
Lompoc	10a	30°F to 35°F	75	Jan 20	Dec 19
Long Beach Daugherty Field	10b	35°F to 40°F	31	Rare	Rare
Loraine 5 NNE	8b	15°F to 20°F	4,235	Apr 22	Nov 13
Los Angeles Dwtn Usc Campus	10b	35°F to 40°F	230	Rare	Rare
Los Angeles Intl Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	97	Rare	Rare
Los Banos	9a	20°F to 25°F	120	Jan 26	Dec 10
Los Gatos	9b	25°F to 30°F	365	Feb 2	Dec 6
Madera Municipal Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	253	Feb 12	Nov 30
Markley Cove	9b	25°F to 30°F	480	Mar 6	Nov 30
Martinez Wtp	9b	25°F to 30°F	40	Feb 28	Nov 22
Marysville	9b	25°F to 30°F	57	Jan 15	Dec 12
Marysville Yuba County Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	62	Feb 11	Nov 30
Mecca Fire Station	10a	30°F to 35°F	-183	Jan 6	Dec 22
Merced	9a	20°F to 25°F	154	Mar 3	Nov 24
Merced 23 WSW	9a	20°F to 25°F	78	Mar 28	Nov 14
Merced Municipal Airport	9a	20°F to 25°F	152	Feb 26	Nov 25
Mineral	7b	5°F to 10°F	4,875	Jun 10	Sep 13
Modesto City County Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	73	Jan 31	Dec 5
Moffett Federal Airfield	10a	30°F to 35°F	39	Jan 6	Dec 23
Mojave	8b	15°F to 20°F	2,735	Mar 15	Nov 17
Montague Siskiyou County Airport	7b	5°F to 10°F	2,635	May 12	Oct 8
Monterey	10a	30°F to 35°F	260	Jan 1	Dec 30
Monterey Peninsul Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	165	Jan 2	Dec 23
Morongo Valley N	9b	25°F to 30°F	3,145	Feb 25	Dec 15
Morro Bay Fire Dept	9b	25°F to 30°F	118	Jan 19	Jan 14
Mount Diablo Junction	9b	25°F to 30°F	2,170	Mar 8	Dec 22
Mount Hamilton	9b	25°F to 30°F	4,206	May 3	Nov 18
Mount Laguna #3	8a	10°F to 15°F	5,920	Apr 22	Nov 8
Mount Shasta	8a	10°F to 15°F	3,613	May 15	Oct 6
Mount Wilson Cbs	10a	30°F to 35°F	5,710	Apr 28	Nov 15
N Fk Ranger Station	9a	20°F to 25°F	2,645	Apr 24	Nov 4
Napa County Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	14	Mar 5	Nov 21
Napa State Hospital	9b	25°F to 30°F	35	Feb 12	Dec 4
Needles Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	890	Jan 6	Jan 2
Nevada City	9a	20°F to 25°F	2,781	Apr 14	Nov 20
New Cuyama Fire Station	9a	20°F to 25°F	2,160	Apr 15	Nov 4
New Melones Dam HQ	9a	20°F to 25°F	960	Feb 20	Dec 11
Newark	10a	30°F to 35°F	10	Jan 1	Dec 27
Newhall 5NW	10a	30°F to 35°F	1,765	Jan 8	Jan 1
Newman	9b	25°F to 30°F	90	Feb 26	Nov 29
Newport Beach Harbor	10b	35°F to 40°F	10	Rare	Rare
North Island NAS	10b	35°F to 40°F	26	Rare	Rare
Northridge Cal State	10a	30°F to 35°F	904	Jan 2	Jan 1
Oakland Metro Intl Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	6	Jan 7	Dec 23
Oakland Museum	10a	30°F to 35°F	30	Rare	Rare
Occidental	9b	25°F to 30°F	865	Jan 29	Dec 30
Oceanside Municipal Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	28	Jan 23	Dec 11
Ocotillo Wells 2W	10a	30°F to 35°F	390	Jan 7	Jan 4
Ojai	8b	15°F to 20°F	745	Mar 21	Nov 15
Ontario Intl Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	949	Jan 4	Dec 30
Orick Prairie Creek Park	9b	25°F to 30°F	160	Apr 12	Nov 6
Orland	9b	25°F to 30°F	254	Feb 25	Dec 2
Orleans	9a	20°F to 25°F	403	Mar 12	Nov 26
Oroville	9b	25°F to 30°F	171	Jan 30	Dec 13
Oroville Municipal Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	190	Jan 29	Dec 7
Oxnard	10b	35°F to 40°F	49	Rare	Rare
Oxnard Ventura County Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	36	Rare	Rare
Oxnard WFO	10a	30°F to 35°F	52	Rare	Rare
Pacific House	8b	15°F to 20°F	3,450	Apr 26	Nov 2
Pacifica 4 SSE	10a	30°F to 35°F	475	Jan 11	Jan 10
Palm Springs	10a	30°F to 35°F	425	Jan 1	Dec 31
Palm Springs Regional Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	421	Jan 9	Jan 9
Palmdale	8b	15°F to 20°F	2,612	Mar 10	Nov 19
Palo Alto	9b	25°F to 30°F	25	Feb 1	Dec 7
Palomar Mountain Obsy	9a	20°F to 25°F	5,550	Apr 29	Nov 18
Paradise	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,750	Feb 7	Dec 18
Parker Resrvoir	10a	30°F to 35°F	738	Jan 7	Dec 31
Pasadena	10a	30°F to 35°F	864	Jan 8	Jan 7
Paso Robles	9a	20°F to 25°F	730	Mar 15	Nov 10
Pearblossom	8b	15°F to 20°F	3,101	Mar 13	Dec 1
Petaluma Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	20	Feb 28	Nov 25
Pismo Beach	10a	30°F to 35°F	39	Feb 1	Jan 4
Placerville	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,850	Mar 31	Nov 21
Point Mugu Nf	10b	35°F to 40°F	13	Dec 29	Dec 24
Pomona/fairplex	10a	30°F to 35°F	999	Jan 8	Dec 28
Porterville	9b	25°F to 30°F	393	Jan 20	Dec 13
Portola	6b	−5°F to 0°F	4,850	Jun 11	Sep 10
Potter Valley Powerhouse	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,018	Apr 8	Nov 6
Quincy	7b	5°F to 10°F	3,420	May 22	Sep 25
Ramona Fire Dept	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,470	Mar 4	Dec 4
Rancho Bernardo	10a	30°F to 35°F	690	Jan 5	Jan 2
Randsburg	9a	20°F to 25°F	3,570	Mar 19	Nov 25
Red Bluff Municipal Airport	9a	20°F to 25°F	353	Feb 22	Nov 29
Redding 12 WNW	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,418	Mar 19	Nov 22
Redding Municipal Airport	9a	20°F to 25°F	497	Mar 3	Nov 21
Redlands	10a	30°F to 35°F	1,410	Jan 27	Dec 19
Redondo Beach	10b	35°F to 40°F	142	Rare	Rare
Redwood City	10a	30°F to 35°F	31	Jan 17	Dec 12
Richardson Gr State Park	9a	20°F to 25°F	503	Mar 10	Dec 1
Richmond	10a	30°F to 35°F	20	Jan 4	Jan 2
Riverside Citrus Experiment	10a	30°F to 35°F	986	Jan 10	Jan 2
Riverside Fire Station 3	10a	30°F to 35°F	840	Jan 9	Dec 25
Riverside Municipal Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	805	Jan 9	Dec 30
S Lake Fs	9a	20°F to 25°F	2,654	Apr 5	Nov 3
Sacramento 5 ESE	9b	25°F to 30°F	38	Jan 12	Dec 16
Sacramento Executive Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	15	Feb 2	Dec 2
Sacramento Metro Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	23	Feb 22	Nov 24
Saint Helena	9b	25°F to 30°F	225	Feb 3	Dec 4
Salinas #2	9b	25°F to 30°F	45	Feb 4	Dec 6
Salinas Municipal Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	74	Jan 29	Dec 10
San Diego Brown Field	10b	35°F to 40°F	515	Jan 6	Dec 31
San Diego Lindbergh Field	11a	40°F to 45°F	15	Rare	Rare
San Diego Miramar NAS	10b	35°F to 40°F	477	Rare	Rare
San Diego Montgomery Field	10b	35°F to 40°F	417	Rare	Rare
San Diego Seaworld	10b	35°F to 40°F	14	Rare	Rare
San Francisco Dwtn	10b	35°F to 40°F	150	Rare	Rare
San Francisco Intl Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	8	Dec 29	Dec 26
San Francisco Oceanside	10b	35°F to 40°F	8	Dec 30	Dec 25
San Gabriel Fire Dept	10a	30°F to 35°F	363	Jan 4	Jan 2
San Gregorio 2 SE	9b	25°F to 30°F	275	Mar 2	Nov 25
San Jacinto	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,525	Jan 31	Dec 10
San Jose	10a	30°F to 35°F	67	Jan 2	Dec 25
San Jose	9b	25°F to 30°F	51	Jan 12	Dec 22
San Luis Obispo Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	200	Jan 31	Dec 11
San Luis Obispo Poly	9b	25°F to 30°F	308	Jan 16	Dec 25
San Pasqual Animal Park	10a	30°F to 35°F	420	Feb 2	Dec 7
San Rafael Civic Center	9b	25°F to 30°F	120	Jan 11	Dec 21
Santa Ana Fire Station	10b	35°F to 40°F	135	Rare	Rare
Santa Ana John Wayne Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	54	Rare	Rare
Santa Barbara	10b	35°F to 40°F	16	Jan 13	Jan 6
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	9	Jan 11	Dec 16
Santa Cruz	10a	30°F to 35°F	70	Jan 29	Dec 13
Santa Maria Public Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	242	Feb 4	Dec 13
Santa Monica Municipal Airport	11a	40°F to 45°F	174	Rare	Rare
Santa Monica Pier	11a	40°F to 45°F	14	Rare	Rare
Santa Rosa	9a	20°F to 25°F	166	Feb 25	Dec 1
Santa Rosa Sonoma County Airport	9a	20°F to 25°F	114	Mar 2	Nov 20
Scotia	9b	25°F to 30°F	136	Feb 1	Dec 19
Shafter 6E	9a	20°F to 25°F	404	Feb 20	Nov 23
Shasta Dam	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,075	Feb 8	Dec 28
Shelter Cove Aviation	9b	25°F to 30°F	246	Rare	Rare
Skyline Ridge Preserve	9b	25°F to 30°F	2,270	Mar 21	Dec 15
So Entrance Yosemite National Park	8a	10°F to 15°F	5,047	May 24	Oct 10
Sonoma	9b	25°F to 30°F	97	Mar 2	Nov 27
Sonora	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,675	Apr 9	Nov 9
South Lake Tahoe Airport	6b	−5°F to 0°F	6,314	Any month	Any month
Stockton Fire Station 4	9b	25°F to 30°F	12	Feb 5	Dec 8
Stockton Metro Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	26	Feb 6	Dec 1
Stony Gorge Rsvr	9a	20°F to 25°F	800	Apr 5	Nov 13
Strawberry Valley	9a	20°F to 25°F	3,808	May 4	Oct 30
Sutter Hill Cdf	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,586	Mar 4	Dec 11
Taft	9b	25°F to 30°F	773	Jan 24	Dec 17
Tahoe City	7a	0°F to 5°F	6,230	Jun 9	Sep 25
Tahoma	6b	−5°F to 0°F	6,315	Jun 4	Oct 3
Tehachapi 4 SE	8b	15°F to 20°F	4,220	Apr 28	Oct 26
Three Rivers Edison Ph 1	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,140	Mar 16	Nov 26
Torrance Airport	10b	35°F to 40°F	90	Jan 9	Jan 5
Tracy Carbona	9b	25°F to 30°F	135	Feb 25	Nov 26
Tracy Pumping Plt	9b	25°F to 30°F	61	Jan 19	Dec 10
Trinity River Hatchery	8b	15°F to 20°F	1,861	Apr 23	Oct 22
Trona	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,695	Feb 15	Nov 28
Tulelake	6b	−5°F to 0°F	4,038	Jun 6	Sep 14
Tuolumne Meadows Ranger Station	7a	0°F to 5°F	8,694	Any month	Any month
Turlock #2	9b	25°F to 30°F	103	Jan 6	Dec 20
Tustin Irvine Rch	10a	30°F to 35°F	235	Jan 5	Dec 25
Twentynine Palms	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,975	Jan 24	Dec 10
Twitchell Dam	9b	25°F to 30°F	582	Feb 4	Dec 4
U C L A	10b	35°F to 40°F	430	Rare	Rare
Ukiah	9a	20°F to 25°F	636	Mar 19	Nov 20
Vacaville	9b	25°F to 30°F	110	Jan 31	Dec 11
Vacaville Nut Tree Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	109	Feb 18	Nov 28
Vallejo	9b	25°F to 30°F	341	Jan 17	Dec 27
Valley Center 1N	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,290	Feb 19	Dec 1
Van Nuys Airport	10a	30°F to 35°F	770	Dec 31	Dec 30
Verdi 2W	7a	0°F to 5°F	5,429	May 9	Oct 17
Victorville	8b	15°F to 20°F	2,880	Mar 18	Nov 11
Visalia	9b	25°F to 30°F	303	Jan 23	Dec 13
Vista	10a	30°F to 35°F	430	Jan 30	Jan 7
Wasco	9a	20°F to 25°F	291	Jan 31	Dec 5
Watsonville Municipal Airport	9b	25°F to 30°F	160	Jan 31	Dec 9
Watsonville Wtr Wks	9b	25°F to 30°F	95	Jan 28	Dec 13
Weaverville	8b	15°F to 20°F	2,058	May 3	Oct 11
Whiskeytown Rsvr	9b	25°F to 30°F	1,295	Feb 13	Dec 13
Willits 1 NE	9a	20°F to 25°F	1,353	May 5	Oct 9
Willows 6 W	9b	25°F to 30°F	234	Feb 21	Dec 6
Winters	9b	25°F to 30°F	135	Feb 18	Nov 30
Woodland 1 WNW	9b	25°F to 30°F	67	Feb 7	Dec 5
Woodland Hills Pierce College	9b	25°F to 30°F	790	Jan 24	Dec 15
Woodside Fire Station 1	10a	30°F to 35°F	380	Feb 25	Nov 25
Wrightwood	8b	15°F to 20°F	6,000	May 16	Oct 13
Yosemite Village 12 W	8b	15°F to 20°F	6,620	May 12	Nov 1
Yreka	8a	10°F to 15°F	2,709	Apr 30	Oct 18
Yucca Valley	9a	20°F to 25°F	3,249	Mar 14	Nov 28

Frequently asked questions

What hardiness zone is California?

California is in USDA hardiness zones 5b–11a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zone 9b is the most common, covering 34% of California's ZIP codes, and zone 10a covers 24%. Enter your ZIP code for your exact zone.

What does zone 9b mean?

Zone 9b means the average annual extreme minimum temperature, the coldest night of a typical winter, is 25°F to 30°F (−4°C to −1°C). Perennials, shrubs and trees rated for zone 9b or colder should survive winter there.

What is the coldest hardiness zone in California?

Zone 5b is the coldest zone mapped in California, and zone 11a is the warmest, found around Santa Monica Pier.

Did California's hardiness zones change in 2023?

The USDA released a new Plant Hardiness Zone Map in November 2023, based on 1991–2020 temperatures instead of 1976–2005. About half of the United States shifted half a zone warmer. Check your ZIP code here, because plant tags and older books may still list your 2012 zone.

When should I plant in zone 9b?

Hardiness zones don't set planting dates; frost dates do. Inside zone 9b in California, the median last spring frost varies from January 3 to May 3. Look up your local frost dates and plant tender crops such as tomatoes after the 10%-risk last-frost date.

Zone and frost dates: use both

Your hardiness zone answers one question: will this plant survive the winter here? Choose perennials, shrubs, trees and bulbs rated for your zone or a colder one. For vegetables and annuals, what matters is the length of the frost-free season. See California frost dates by town, or get a planting calendar for your ZIP code with start-indoors, transplant and sowing dates for 30 crops.

Sources and method

Zones are from the USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP-code files published by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, based on 1991–2020 minimum temperatures. ZIP codes are assigned to states by USPS prefix. Town zones use the ZIP code nearest each NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals station. This is an independent tool, not an official USDA site. Full methodology.