What Hardiness Zone Is Maryland?

USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map · 598 ZIP codes · Data updated 2026-10-28

Quick answer

Maryland spans USDA hardiness zones 6a–8a on the 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The most common zone is 7b, covering 61% of Maryland's ZIP codes, followed by zone 8a (20%). Zone 7b means the coldest night of an average winter reaches 5°F to 10°F (−15°C to −12°C). Enter your ZIP code for your exact zone.

Maryland hardiness zones by share of ZIP codes

Zone 6a2% · 9 ZIPs

Zone 6b1% · 7 ZIPs

Zone 7a16% · 98 ZIPs

Zone 7b61% · 366 ZIPs

Zone 8a20% · 118 ZIPs

What the zones mean for Maryland gardeners

Coldest and warmest towns: among towns with NOAA weather stations, Oakland 1 SE (2,420 ft) is in zone 6a, while Annapolis Naf (8 ft) is in zone 8a. That is a difference of about 20°F in the coldest night of a typical winter.
Same zone, different frost dates: within zone 7b, the median last spring frost ranges from March 27 at Annapolis Police Brks to April 22 at Glenn Dale Bell Station, 26 days apart. Your zone tells you which perennials survive winter; your frost dates tell you when to plant.

Typical frost dates in each Maryland 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
6a	May 6	October 11	3
7a	April 15	October 27	10
7b	April 9	November 3	18
8a	March 29	November 13	10

Hardiness zones for Maryland cities

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


Aberdeen Phillips Field	7b	5°F to 10°F	57	Apr 10	Oct 30
Annapolis Naf	8a	10°F to 15°F	8	Mar 23	Nov 20
Baltimore Wash Intl Airport	7b	5°F to 10°F	156	Apr 10	Oct 31
Hagerstown Washington County Airport	7a	0°F to 5°F	698	Apr 7	Nov 4
Md Science Center Baltimore	8a	10°F to 15°F	20	Mar 24	Nov 21
Ocean City Municipal Airport	8a	10°F to 15°F	12	Apr 7	Nov 2
Patuxent River NAS	8a	10°F to 15°F	39	Mar 29	Nov 15
Salisbury Wicomico Regional Airport	7b	5°F to 10°F	48	Apr 10	Oct 30
St Inigoes Webster Nolf	8a	10°F to 15°F	21	Mar 30	Nov 14

Hardiness zones for 42 towns in Maryland

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


Aberdeen Phillips Field	7b	5°F to 10°F	57	Apr 10	Oct 30
Annapolis Naf	8a	10°F to 15°F	8	Mar 23	Nov 20
Annapolis Police Brks	7b	5°F to 10°F	25	Mar 27	Nov 13
Baltimore Wash Intl Airport	7b	5°F to 10°F	156	Apr 10	Oct 31
Beltsville	7b	5°F to 10°F	145	Apr 10	Nov 1
Catoctin Mountain Park	7a	0°F to 5°F	1,610	Apr 14	Oct 30
Chestertown	7b	5°F to 10°F	40	Apr 3	Nov 5
Conowingo Dam	7a	0°F to 5°F	40	Apr 3	Nov 6
Cumberland 2	7a	0°F to 5°F	730	Apr 15	Oct 24
Cylburn	7b	5°F to 10°F	235	Apr 2	Nov 7
Dalecarlia Rsvr	7b	5°F to 10°F	150	Apr 9	Oct 31
Damascus 3 SSW	7a	0°F to 5°F	700	Apr 14	Oct 29
Emmitsburg 2 SE	7a	0°F to 5°F	403	Apr 22	Oct 20
Frederick Police Brks	7b	5°F to 10°F	380	Apr 2	Nov 6
Frostburg 2	6b	−5°F to 0°F	2,170	Apr 29	Oct 18
Glenn Dale Bell Station	7b	5°F to 10°F	150	Apr 22	Oct 22
Hagerstown 1 E	7a	0°F to 5°F	532	Apr 11	Oct 28
Hagerstown Washington County Airport	7a	0°F to 5°F	698	Apr 7	Nov 4
Laurel 3 W	7b	5°F to 10°F	400	Apr 5	Nov 9
Md Science Center Baltimore	8a	10°F to 15°F	20	Mar 24	Nov 21
Mechanicsville 5 NE	7b	5°F to 10°F	100	Apr 17	Oct 27
Millers 4 NE	7a	0°F to 5°F	860	Apr 19	Oct 25
Natl Arboretum Dc	8a	10°F to 15°F	50	Mar 29	Nov 8
Oakland 1 SE	6a	−10°F to −5°F	2,420	May 6	Oct 9
Ocean City Municipal Airport	8a	10°F to 15°F	12	Apr 7	Nov 2
Oxon Hill	8a	10°F to 15°F	190	Apr 3	Nov 8
Patuxent River NAS	8a	10°F to 15°F	39	Mar 29	Nov 15
Rockville 1 NE	7b	5°F to 10°F	440	Apr 1	Nov 6
Royal Oak 2 SSW	8a	10°F to 15°F	10	Apr 1	Nov 7
Salisbury	7b	5°F to 10°F	10	Apr 3	Nov 7
Salisbury 2N	7b	5°F to 10°F	20	Apr 2	Nov 10
Salisbury Wicomico Regional Airport	7b	5°F to 10°F	48	Apr 10	Oct 30
Savage River Dam	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,495	Apr 29	Oct 20
Sharpsburg 5 S	7a	0°F to 5°F	400	Apr 26	Oct 18
Sines Deep Creek	6a	−10°F to −5°F	2,040	May 9	Oct 11
Smithsburg 2NW	7a	0°F to 5°F	670	Apr 25	Oct 19
Snow Hill 4 N	7b	5°F to 10°F	30	Apr 10	Oct 31
Solomons	8a	10°F to 15°F	12	Mar 22	Nov 26
St Inigoes Webster Nolf	8a	10°F to 15°F	21	Mar 30	Nov 14
Stevensville 2SW	8a	10°F to 15°F	10	Mar 29	Nov 12
Upper Marlboro 3 NNW	7b	5°F to 10°F	130	Apr 9	Oct 29
Vienna	7b	5°F to 10°F	10	Apr 8	Nov 4

Frequently asked questions

What hardiness zone is Maryland?

Maryland is in USDA hardiness zones 6a–8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zone 7b is the most common, covering 61% of Maryland's ZIP codes, and zone 8a covers 20%. Enter your ZIP code for your exact zone.

What does zone 7b mean?

Zone 7b means the average annual extreme minimum temperature, the coldest night of a typical winter, is 5°F to 10°F (−15°C to −12°C). Perennials, shrubs and trees rated for zone 7b or colder should survive winter there.

What is the coldest hardiness zone in Maryland?

Zone 6a is the coldest zone mapped in Maryland, found around Oakland 1 SE, and zone 8a is the warmest, found around Annapolis Naf.

Did Maryland'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 7b?

Hardiness zones don't set planting dates; frost dates do. Inside zone 7b in Maryland, the median last spring frost varies from March 27 to April 22. 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 Maryland 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.