Fort Worth, Texas: planting zone & frost dates
Fort Worth is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C). The typical last spring frost is around Mar 12 and the first fall frost around Nov 14.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Mar 25 | Nov 3 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Mar 12 | Nov 14 |
| Median (50%) | Mar 5 | Nov 24 |
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 FT WORTH MEACHAM FLD NAAF, TX (USW00093904), 2.4 mi (3.9 km) from the city center and 154 ft higher than the city center (+47 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 11 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Fort Worth
All 38 ZIP codes covering Fort Worth are in zone 8b.
ZIP codes in Fort Worth and their zones
| ZIP | Zone | Share of city land |
|---|---|---|
| 76179 | 8b | 5.8% |
| 76052 | 8b | 4.9% |
| 76177 | 8b | 4.9% |
| 76106 | 8b | 4.1% |
| 76244 | 8b | 4.1% |
| 76108 | 8b | 4.0% |
| 76119 | 8b | 4.0% |
| 76112 | 8b | 3.3% |
| 76126 | 8b | 3.3% |
| 76135 | 8b | 3.3% |
| 76137 | 8b | 3.2% |
| 76116 | 8b | 3.1% |
| 76131 | 8b | 3.1% |
| 76140 | 8b | 3.1% |
| 76107 | 8b | 2.9% |
| 76123 | 8b | 2.8% |
| 76133 | 8b | 2.7% |
| 76036 | 8b | 2.5% |
| 76008 | 8b | 2.3% |
| 76109 | 8b | 2.3% |
| 76120 | 8b | 2.1% |
| 76134 | 8b | 2.1% |
| 76111 | 8b | 2.0% |
| 76132 | 8b | 2.0% |
| 76118 | 8b | 1.9% |
| 76103 | 8b | 1.8% |
| 76104 | 8b | 1.7% |
| 76105 | 8b | 1.7% |
| 76110 | 8b | 1.7% |
| 76028 | 8b | 1.6% |
| 76262 | 8b | 1.4% |
| 76102 | 8b | 1.3% |
| 76115 | 8b | 1.3% |
| 76114 | 8b | 1.2% |
| 76164 | 8b | 1.1% |
| 76247 | 8b | 1.1% |
| 76155 | 8b | 1.0% |
| 76127 | 8b | 0.6% |
Vegetable planting calendar for Fort Worth
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Mar 12, first frost Nov 14). 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 15 – Jan 29 | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 1 – Jan 15 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Feb 26 – Mar 19 | Feb 12 – Mar 26 | Sep 5 – Oct 3 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Mar 19 – Apr 23 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 12 – Feb 19 | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Cucumber | Feb 12 – Feb 19 | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Carrot | — | — | Feb 19 – Mar 26 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Onion | Dec 18 – Jan 1 | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Feb 12 – Mar 5 | — | — |
| Basil | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Mar 26 – Apr 16 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Jan 29 – Feb 26 | Sep 19 – Oct 17 |
| Kale | Jan 15 – Jan 29 | Feb 12 – Mar 5 | Feb 12 – Mar 5 | Sep 5 – Oct 3 |
| Broccoli | Jan 15 – Jan 29 | Feb 26 – Mar 19 | — | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Peas | — | — | Jan 29 – Feb 19 | Sep 5 – Sep 19 |
| Eggplant | Jan 1 – Jan 15 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Jan 15 – Jan 29 | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | — | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Radish | — | — | Feb 5 – Mar 26 | Oct 3 – Oct 31 |
| Strawberry | — | Feb 12 – Mar 5 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Feb 19 – Apr 2 | Sep 5 – Sep 19 |
Nearby cities in Texas
- Arlington — zone 8b, last frost Mar 16, first frost Nov 12
- Mansfield — zone 8b, last frost Mar 16, first frost Nov 12
- Grand Prairie — zone 8b, last frost Mar 29, first frost Nov 5
- Flower Mound — zone 8b, last frost Mar 23, first frost Nov 9
- Irving — zone 8b, last frost Mar 15, first frost Nov 15
- Lewisville — zone 8b, last frost Mar 23, first frost Nov 9
More: all Texas cities · other zone 8b cities: Dallas, TX, El Paso, TX, Virginia Beach, VA, Arlington, TX, Plano, TX, Irving, TX, Garland, TX, Frisco, TX
Fort Worth gardening questions
When is the last frost in Fort Worth, TX?
Plan around Mar 12. At NOAA's Ft Worth Meacham Field Naaf, TX station, 2.4 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 Mar 5, and after Mar 25 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Feb 22. The 90% and 10% dates are 37 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Fort Worth, TX?
Start seeds indoors Jan 15 – Jan 29 and set transplants outside Mar 19 – Apr 2, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 247 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Fort Worth?
About 264 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 237 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 292 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 3 and a 30% chance by Nov 14. That ranks 22nd longest of 55 Texas cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Fort Worth?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 14): transplant broccoli Aug 22 – Sep 5; sow kale Sep 5 – Oct 3; sow lettuce Sep 5 – Oct 3; sow radishes Oct 3 – Oct 31. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Dec 6. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Fort Worth's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Fort Worth was zone 8a on the 2012 map and is zone 8b 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 Fort Worth compare with Arlington, TX?
Both are in zone 8b. The typical last spring frost in Fort Worth (Mar 12) comes about 4 days earlier than in Arlington, TX (Mar 16), 14 miles away, and the first fall frost is Nov 14 versus Nov 12. The two cities use different NOAA stations.