Baytown, Texas: planting zone & frost dates
Baytown is in USDA plant hardiness zone 9b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C). The typical last spring frost is around Mar 2 and the first fall frost around Nov 25.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Mar 14 | Nov 12 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Mar 2 | Nov 25 |
| Median (50%) | Feb 20 | Dec 4 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station BAYTOWN, TX (USC00410586), 10.4 mi (16.8 km) from the city center and 3 ft higher than the city center (+1 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 26 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Baytown
All 3 ZIP codes covering Baytown are in zone 9b.
Vegetable planting calendar for Baytown
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Mar 2, first frost Nov 25). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Jan 5 – Jan 19 | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | — | — |
| Pepper | Dec 22 – Jan 5 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | Feb 16 – Mar 9 | Feb 2 – Mar 16 | Sep 16 – Oct 14 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Mar 9 – Apr 13 | Sep 2 – Sep 16 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 9 – Apr 6 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 2 – Feb 9 | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | Mar 9 – Mar 30 | Sep 2 – Sep 16 |
| Cucumber | Feb 2 – Feb 9 | Mar 16 – Mar 23 | Mar 9 – Mar 30 | Sep 2 – Sep 16 |
| Carrot | — | — | Feb 9 – Mar 16 | Sep 2 – Sep 16 |
| Onion | Dec 8 – Dec 22 | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Feb 2 – Feb 23 | — | — |
| Basil | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Jan 19 – Feb 16 | Sep 30 – Oct 28 |
| Kale | Jan 5 – Jan 19 | Feb 2 – Feb 23 | Feb 2 – Feb 23 | Sep 16 – Oct 14 |
| Broccoli | Jan 5 – Jan 19 | Feb 16 – Mar 9 | — | Sep 2 – Sep 16 |
| Peas | — | — | Jan 19 – Feb 9 | Sep 16 – Sep 30 |
| Eggplant | Dec 22 – Jan 5 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Jan 5 – Jan 19 | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | — | Sep 2 – Sep 16 |
| Radish | — | — | Jan 26 – Mar 16 | Oct 14 – Nov 11 |
| Strawberry | — | Feb 2 – Feb 23 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Feb 9 – Mar 23 | Sep 16 – Sep 30 |
Nearby cities in Texas
- Pasadena — zone 9b, last frost Feb 10, first frost Dec 10
- League City — zone 9b, last frost Feb 15, first frost Dec 3
- Pearland — zone 9b, last frost Feb 15, first frost Dec 10
- Houston — zone 9b, last frost Feb 18, first frost Dec 8
- Missouri City — zone 9b, last frost Mar 1, first frost Nov 27
- Sugar Land — zone 9b, last frost Feb 20, first frost Dec 3
More: all Texas cities · other zone 9b cities: Houston, TX, Phoenix, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, San Jose, CA, Fresno, CA, Sacramento, CA, Mesa, AZ, Bakersfield, CA
Baytown gardening questions
When is the last frost in Baytown, TX?
Plan around Mar 2. At NOAA's Baytown, TX station, 10.4 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Feb 20, and after Mar 14 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Jan 30. Springs here are erratic: 50 days separate the 90% and 10% dates, versus a median of 36 days for cities on this site, so watch the forecast rather than the calendar.
When should I plant tomatoes in Baytown, TX?
Start seeds indoors Jan 5 – Jan 19 and set transplants outside Mar 9 – Mar 23, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. With about 268 frost-free days, frost is not the main limit — fruit set drops when nights stay above about 75°F, so early plantings tend to do best. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Baytown?
About 292 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 257 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 329 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 12 and a 30% chance by Nov 25. That ranks 15th longest of 55 Texas cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Baytown?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 25): transplant broccoli Sep 2 – Sep 16; sow kale Sep 16 – Oct 14; sow lettuce Sep 16 – Oct 14; sow radishes Oct 14 – Nov 11. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Dec 28. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Baytown's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Baytown was zone 9a on the 2012 map and is zone 9b on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
How does Baytown compare with Pasadena, TX?
Both are in zone 9b. The typical last spring frost in Baytown (Mar 2) comes about 20 days later than in Pasadena, TX (Feb 10), 13 miles away, and the first fall frost is Nov 25 versus Dec 10. The two cities use different NOAA stations.