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Home Garden Lot: Garden & Home Improvement

What Hardiness Zone Is Michigan?

USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map · 1,154 ZIP codes · Data updated 2026-10-28

Quick answer

Michigan spans USDA hardiness zones 4a–7a on the 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The most common zone is 6a, covering 55% of Michigan's ZIP codes, followed by zone 6b (19%). Zone 6a means the coldest night of an average winter reaches −10°F to −5°F (−23°C to −21°C). Enter your ZIP code for your exact zone.

Michigan hardiness zones by share of ZIP codes

Zone 4a1% · 13 ZIPs
Zone 4b3% · 38 ZIPs
Zone 5a11% · 132 ZIPs
Zone 5b9% · 108 ZIPs
Zone 6a55% · 640 ZIPs
Zone 6b19% · 222 ZIPs
Zone 7a<1% · 1 ZIP

What the zones mean for Michigan gardeners

  • Coldest and warmest towns: among towns with NOAA weather stations, Covington 1NNW (1,611 ft) is in zone 4a, while Holland Wtp (617 ft) is in zone 7a. That is a difference of about 30°F in the coldest night of a typical winter.
  • Same zone, different frost dates: within zone 6a, the median last spring frost ranges from April 22 at Eau Claire 4 NE to May 20 at Copper Harbor Fort Wilkins, 28 days apart. Your zone tells you which perennials survive winter; your frost dates tell you when to plant.

Typical frost dates in each Michigan 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.

ZoneLast spring frostFirst fall frostStations
4aJune 4September 103
4bMay 25September 279
5aMay 22September 3043
5bMay 16October 623
6aMay 3October 1485
6bApril 30October 2226

Hardiness zones for Michigan cities

Zones at the National Weather Service stations, mostly city airports, with their median frost dates.
Adrian Lenawee County Airport6a−10°F to −5°F796Apr 27Oct 20
Alpena County Regional Airport5a−20°F to −15°F684May 17Oct 1
Alpena Wwtp5b−15°F to −10°F590May 5Oct 17
Ann Arbor Municipal Airport6a−10°F to −5°F839May 8Oct 4
Battle Creek Kellogg Airport6a−10°F to −5°F928Apr 30Oct 19
Chatham 1 SE5a−20°F to −15°F875May 27Sep 28
Detroit City Airport6b−5°F to 0°F626Apr 21Oct 31
Detroit Metro Airport6b−5°F to 0°F631Apr 20Oct 27
Detroit Willow Run Airport6a−10°F to −5°F777Apr 24Oct 24
Escanaba5a−20°F to −15°F590May 13Oct 7
Flint Bishop Intl Airport6a−10°F to −5°F770May 6Oct 10
Gaylord Otsego County Airport5a−20°F to −15°F1,335May 22Sep 30
Gladwin5b−15°F to −10°F775May 9Oct 4
Grand Rapids6a−10°F to −5°F778Apr 29Oct 20
Hancock Houghton County Airport5b−15°F to −10°F1,063May 17Oct 1
Holland Tulip City Airport6b−5°F to 0°F689Apr 28Oct 21
Houghton Lake Roscommon Airport5a−20°F to −15°F1,151May 19Sep 23
Jackson Reynolds Field6a−10°F to −5°F998May 1Oct 14
Kalamazoo Battle Ck Intl Airport6a−10°F to −5°F868Apr 28Oct 18
Lansing Capital City Airport6a−10°F to −5°F841May 1Oct 13
Marquette5b−15°F to −10°F665May 8Oct 21
Marquette5a−20°F to −15°F1,411May 22Sep 29
Mount Clemens Ang Base6b−5°F to 0°F580Apr 30Oct 24
Muskegon County Airport6b−5°F to 0°F625Apr 30Oct 19
Pellston Regional Airport5a−20°F to −15°F705May 31Sep 18
Pontiac Oakland County Intl Airport6a−10°F to −5°F976Apr 29Oct 20
Saginaw Mbs Intl Airport6a−10°F to −5°F660Apr 26Oct 17
Sault Ste Marie Sanderson Field4b−25°F to −20°F722May 9Oct 11
Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport5b−15°F to −10°F618May 12Oct 16

Hardiness zones for 191 towns in Michigan

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.
Adrian Lenawee County Airport6a−10°F to −5°F796Apr 27Oct 20
Algonac Wwtp6b−5°F to 0°F580May 3Oct 18
Allegan 5NE6a−10°F to −5°F750May 4Oct 15
Alma6a−10°F to −5°F729May 1Oct 13
Alpena 10NW5b−15°F to −10°F740May 13Oct 3
Alpena County Regional Airport5a−20°F to −15°F684May 17Oct 1
Alpena Wwtp5b−15°F to −10°F590May 5Oct 17
Amasa 1W4a−30°F to −25°F1,470Jun 6Sep 9
Ann Arbor Municipal Airport6a−10°F to −5°F839May 8Oct 4
Ann Arbor SE6a−10°F to −5°F832May 5Oct 10
Ann Arbor U Of Mich6a−10°F to −5°F813May 3Oct 13
Atlanta5a−20°F to −15°F879May 22Sep 27
Auburn 2NE6a−10°F to −5°F605May 3Oct 14
Bad Axe6a−10°F to −5°F715May 5Oct 19
Baraga 7NW5a−20°F to −15°F652May 25Sep 23
Battle Creek 5NW6a−10°F to −5°F923May 6Oct 12
Battle Creek Kellogg Airport6a−10°F to −5°F928Apr 30Oct 19
Benton Harbor Airport6b−5°F to 0°F625May 5Oct 15
Bergland Dam4b−25°F to −20°F1,300May 26Sep 27
Beulah 7SSW6b−5°F to 0°F773May 7Oct 20
Big Bay 1NW5b−15°F to −10°F765May 22Oct 6
Big Rapids Wtp5b−15°F to −10°F898May 13Oct 2
Blissfield 1NNE6a−10°F to −5°F690Apr 29Oct 13
Bloomingdale6a−10°F to −5°F736May 7Oct 11
Boyne Falls5a−20°F to −15°F728May 23Oct 3
Burton 4N6a−10°F to −5°F757May 8Oct 5
Cadillac 9&10 News5a−20°F to −15°F1,363May 15Oct 1
Carleton 2W6b−5°F to 0°F627Apr 27Oct 20
Caro Wwtp6a−10°F to −5°F690May 7Oct 9
Cass City 1 SSW6a−10°F to −5°F698May 7Oct 10
Central Michigan University6a−10°F to −5°F795Apr 30Oct 20
Champion Van Riper Park4a−30°F to −25°F1,599Any monthAny month
Charlevoix6a−10°F to −5°F593May 1Oct 28
Charlotte6a−10°F to −5°F902May 1Oct 15
Chatham 1 SE5a−20°F to −15°F875May 27Sep 28
Chatham Experiment Farm 25a−20°F to −15°F870May 30Sep 27
Cheboygan5a−20°F to −15°F588May 11Oct 11
Chelsea6a−10°F to −5°F900Apr 30Oct 12
Coldwater St School6a−10°F to −5°F984May 2Oct 13
Copper Harbor Fort Wilkins6a−10°F to −5°F625May 20Oct 15
Cornell 5SE5a−20°F to −15°F794May 19Oct 1
Corunna 2 NE6a−10°F to −5°F762May 5Oct 14
Covington 1NNW4a−30°F to −25°F1,611May 17Sep 30
Dearborn6b−5°F to 0°F605May 1Oct 15
Dearborn #26b−5°F to 0°F605Apr 27Oct 25
Detour Village5b−15°F to −10°F595May 5Oct 20
Detroit City Airport6b−5°F to 0°F626Apr 21Oct 31
Detroit Metro Airport6b−5°F to 0°F631Apr 20Oct 27
Detroit Willow Run Airport6a−10°F to −5°F777Apr 24Oct 24
Dowagiac 1 W6a−10°F to −5°F740May 4Oct 11
Dundee6a−10°F to −5°F660Apr 27Oct 21
Durand Wwtp6a−10°F to −5°F770May 3Oct 11
E Grand Rapids6a−10°F to −5°F746May 6Oct 10
E Jordan5b−15°F to −10°F587May 23Oct 2
E Jordan 2NW5b−15°F to −10°F646May 16Oct 6
E Tawas5b−15°F to −10°F586May 8Oct 5
East Lansing 4 S6a−10°F to −5°F880Apr 28Oct 17
Eaton Rapids6a−10°F to −5°F870Apr 30Oct 14
Eau Claire 4 NE6a−10°F to −5°F840Apr 22Oct 30
Engadine Mdot5a−20°F to −15°F685May 26Sep 30
Escanaba5a−20°F to −15°F590May 13Oct 7
Essexville6a−10°F to −5°F588Apr 27Oct 20
Farmington6b−5°F to 0°F720May 1Oct 17
Fife Lake 2WNW5b−15°F to −10°F1,052May 24Oct 1
Filion 5NNW6a−10°F to −5°F635May 8Oct 17
Flint 7W6a−10°F to −5°F679May 3Oct 13
Flint Bishop Intl Airport6a−10°F to −5°F770May 6Oct 10
Frankenmuth 1SE6a−10°F to −5°F635May 3Oct 12
Frankfort 2NE6b−5°F to 0°F948May 2Oct 26
Fremont 4 WSW6a−10°F to −5°F800May 8Oct 11
Garden Corners5a−20°F to −15°F587May 16Sep 24
Gaylord5a−20°F to −15°F1,318May 25Sep 26
Gaylord 9SSW5a−20°F to −15°F1,468May 12Oct 7
Gaylord Otsego County Airport5a−20°F to −15°F1,335May 22Sep 30
Gladwin5b−15°F to −10°F775May 9Oct 4
Glennie 2SE5a−20°F to −15°F894May 19Sep 29
Goodrich6a−10°F to −5°F910May 1Oct 14
Grand Haven Wwtp6b−5°F to 0°F605Apr 30Oct 24
Grand Rapids6a−10°F to −5°F778Apr 29Oct 20
Grayling5a−20°F to −15°F1,137May 23Sep 27
Greenland 6N5a−20°F to −15°F791May 23Oct 1
Greenville 2 NNE6a−10°F to −5°F882May 18Sep 28
Grosse Pointe Farms6b−5°F to 0°F613Apr 29Oct 22
Gull Lake Biological Station6a−10°F to −5°F925Apr 29Oct 20
Hale 5SSW #25a−20°F to −15°F816May 23Sep 26
Hale Loud Dam5a−20°F to −15°F728May 16Oct 5
Hancock Houghton County Airport5b−15°F to −10°F1,063May 17Oct 1
Harbor Beach 1 SSE6a−10°F to −5°F595May 2Oct 24
Harrisville 2NNE5b−15°F to −10°F585May 8Oct 16
Hart 3 WSW6b−5°F to 0°F770May 12Oct 10
Hastings6a−10°F to −5°F821May 3Oct 12
Hell6a−10°F to −5°F890Apr 30Oct 14
Herman5a−20°F to −15°F1,717May 31Sep 22
Hesperia 4 WNW5b−15°F to −10°F780May 17Oct 1
Hillsdale6a−10°F to −5°F1,080May 3Oct 12
Holland Tulip City Airport6b−5°F to 0°F689Apr 28Oct 21
Holland Wtp7a0°F to 5°F617Apr 27Oct 25
Houghton Lake 2NW5a−20°F to −15°F1,161May 20Oct 1
Houghton Lake 6 WSW5a−20°F to −15°F1,135May 30Sep 15
Houghton Lake Roscommon Airport5a−20°F to −15°F1,151May 19Sep 23
Howell Wwtp6a−10°F to −5°F917May 4Oct 7
Ionia 2SSW6a−10°F to −5°F805May 3Oct 12
Iron Mtn-kingsford Wwtp4b−25°F to −20°F1,071May 17Oct 1
Ironwood #24b−25°F to −20°F1,520May 19Sep 28
Ishpeming Wwtp4b−25°F to −20°F1,406May 26Sep 25
Jackson Reynolds Field6a−10°F to −5°F998May 1Oct 14
Jacobsville5a−20°F to −15°F650Jun 1Sep 23
Kalamazoo Battle Ck Intl Airport6a−10°F to −5°F868Apr 28Oct 18
Kalkaska5a−20°F to −15°F1,035May 24Oct 1
Kalkaska 11SE5b−15°F to −10°F1,083May 27Sep 22
Kent City 2 SW6a−10°F to −5°F840May 14Sep 29
Ki Sawyer Wwtp5a−20°F to −15°F1,116May 13Oct 2
Lake City Experiment Farm5a−20°F to −15°F1,230May 22Sep 26
Lansing Capital City Airport6a−10°F to −5°F841May 1Oct 13
Lapeer 2W6a−10°F to −5°F837May 4Oct 13
Lapeer Wwtp6a−10°F to −5°F820May 4Oct 14
Lexington Wtp6a−10°F to −5°F622May 4Oct 24
Linden Wwtp6a−10°F to −5°F863May 3Oct 12
Ludington 4 SE6b−5°F to 0°F690May 17Oct 7
Lupton 1S5a−20°F to −15°F908May 21Sep 29
Manchester6a−10°F to −5°F965Apr 30Oct 14
Manistee 3SE6b−5°F to 0°F670May 14Oct 12
Maple City 1E6b−5°F to 0°F799May 22Oct 9
Marquette5b−15°F to −10°F665May 8Oct 21
Marquette5a−20°F to −15°F1,411May 22Sep 29
Midland6a−10°F to −5°F640Apr 29Oct 16
Milan 4 ESE6a−10°F to −5°F670May 3Oct 10
Milan Wwtp6a−10°F to −5°F680Apr 26Oct 19
Milford Gm Proving Ground6a−10°F to −5°F970May 6Oct 12
Mio Hydro Plt5a−20°F to −15°F960May 19Oct 2
Mio Wwtp5a−20°F to −15°F1,037May 20Oct 1
Monroe6b−5°F to 0°F586Apr 23Oct 23
Montague 4 NW6a−10°F to −5°F650May 19Oct 4
Moran5a−20°F to −15°F695May 23Sep 30
Morenci6a−10°F to −5°F770May 4Oct 7
Mount Clemens Ang Base6b−5°F to 0°F580Apr 30Oct 24
Munising5b−15°F to −10°F680May 16Oct 14
Muskegon County Airport6b−5°F to 0°F625Apr 30Oct 19
Newport 4SSE6b−5°F to 0°F578Apr 27Oct 22
Niles6a−10°F to −5°F650Apr 27Oct 25
Northport 2W6b−5°F to 0°F746May 9Oct 26
NW Michigan Rsch Farm6b−5°F to 0°F820Apr 30Nov 1
NWSFO Grand Rapids6a−10°F to −5°F775Apr 30Oct 14
Oil City 2S6a−10°F to −5°F680May 15Sep 29
Old Mission 3SSW6b−5°F to 0°F656May 13Oct 19
Onaway 4N5a−20°F to −15°F745May 22Oct 2
Owosso Wwtp6a−10°F to −5°F730May 1Oct 15
Paradise5a−20°F to −15°F628May 31Oct 1
Paulding4b−25°F to −20°F1,367May 31Sep 19
Pellston Airport #25a−20°F to −15°F712May 21Sep 27
Pellston Regional Airport5a−20°F to −15°F705May 31Sep 18
Petoskey Ncmc5b−15°F to −10°F748May 16Oct 9
Pickford 3NE4b−25°F to −20°F629May 31Sep 25
Pontiac Oakland County Intl Airport6a−10°F to −5°F976Apr 29Oct 20
Pontiac Wwtp6a−10°F to −5°F890Apr 26Oct 22
Port Austin Wwtp6a−10°F to −5°F605May 4Oct 26
Port Hope6a−10°F to −5°F600May 5Oct 24
Port Huron6b−5°F to 0°F590Apr 19Nov 3
Rapid River 4SSE5a−20°F to −15°F598May 18Oct 4
Richmond 4 NNW6a−10°F to −5°F765May 1Oct 20
Rogers City6a−10°F to −5°F615May 10Oct 14
Rudyard 4N4b−25°F to −20°F753May 24Oct 1
Rudyard 5SE5a−20°F to −15°F667Jun 1Sep 21
S Boardman 2W5b−15°F to −10°F1,046May 24Oct 4
S Haven6b−5°F to 0°F590Apr 17Nov 5
Saginaw #36a−10°F to −5°F600Apr 29Oct 21
Saginaw Mbs Intl Airport6a−10°F to −5°F660Apr 26Oct 17
Saint Johns6a−10°F to −5°F743Apr 28Oct 24
Saline 4SW6a−10°F to −5°F840May 2Oct 11
Sandusky6a−10°F to −5°F774May 2Oct 16
Sault Ste Marie Sanderson Field4b−25°F to −20°F722May 9Oct 11
St Ignace5b−15°F to −10°F661May 16Oct 13
St Ignace Mackinac Br5b−15°F to −10°F595May 7Oct 23
St James 4SSW Beaver6a−10°F to −5°F672May 11Oct 19
Stambaugh 2SSE4a−30°F to −25°F1,450Jun 4Sep 10
Standish 4NE5b−15°F to −10°F615May 5Oct 10
Stephenson 5WSW5a−20°F to −15°F690May 22Sep 27
Tecumseh6a−10°F to −5°F780May 3Oct 13
Three Rivers6a−10°F to −5°F810Apr 30Oct 17
Tipton 2WNW6a−10°F to −5°F970May 5Oct 10
Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport5b−15°F to −10°F618May 12Oct 16
Traverse City Munson6a−10°F to −5°F635May 9Oct 15
Trout Lake 1SW5a−20°F to −15°F823May 21Oct 1
Vanderbilt 11ENE5a−20°F to −15°F905Jun 7Sep 14
Vassar6a−10°F to −5°F630May 9Oct 7
W Branch 3SE5a−20°F to −15°F885May 15Oct 4
Watton 2WSW4b−25°F to −20°F1,394May 25Sep 25
Wellston 1N5b−15°F to −10°F773May 28Sep 25
White Lake 4E6a−10°F to −5°F1,053May 10Oct 6
Whitmore Lake 1NW6a−10°F to −5°F906May 5Oct 13
Yale 1 NNW6a−10°F to −5°F820May 12Oct 5

Frequently asked questions

What hardiness zone is Michigan?

Michigan is in USDA hardiness zones 4a–7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zone 6a is the most common, covering 55% of Michigan's ZIP codes, and zone 6b covers 19%. Enter your ZIP code for your exact zone.

What does zone 6a mean?

Zone 6a means the average annual extreme minimum temperature, the coldest night of a typical winter, is −10°F to −5°F (−23°C to −21°C). Perennials, shrubs and trees rated for zone 6a or colder should survive winter there.

What is the coldest hardiness zone in Michigan?

Zone 4a is the coldest zone mapped in Michigan, found around Covington 1NNW, and zone 7a is the warmest, found around Holland Wtp.

Did Michigan'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 6a?

Hardiness zones don't set planting dates; frost dates do. Inside zone 6a in Michigan, the median last spring frost varies from April 22 to May 20. 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 Michigan 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.

Hardiness zones in other states