Kansas City, Kansas: planting zone & frost dates
Kansas City is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6b, where the average coldest winter night reaches -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C). The typical last spring frost is around Apr 10 and the first fall frost around Oct 29.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 20 | Oct 21 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 10 | Oct 29 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 4 | Nov 2 |
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 KANSAS CITY DOWNTOWN AP, MO (USW00013988), 7.8 mi (12.5 km) from the city center and 240 ft lower than the city center (-73 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 29 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Kansas City
Kansas City spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 11 ZIP codes): 6b (97%), 7a (3%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Kansas City
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 10, first frost Oct 29). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Apr 17 – May 1 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Apr 24 – May 8 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Mar 13 – Apr 24 | Aug 20 – Sep 17 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Apr 17 – May 22 | Aug 6 – Aug 20 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | Apr 17 – May 8 | Aug 6 – Aug 20 |
| Cucumber | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 24 – May 1 | Apr 17 – May 8 | Aug 6 – Aug 20 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 20 – Apr 24 | Aug 6 – Aug 20 |
| Onion | Jan 16 – Jan 30 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Apr 24 – May 15 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 27 – Mar 27 | Sep 3 – Oct 1 |
| Kale | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Aug 20 – Sep 17 |
| Broccoli | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | — | Aug 6 – Aug 20 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 27 – Mar 20 | Aug 20 – Sep 3 |
| Eggplant | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Apr 24 – May 8 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | — | Aug 6 – Aug 20 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 6 – Apr 24 | Sep 17 – Oct 15 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 20 – May 1 | Aug 20 – Sep 3 |
Nearby cities in Kansas
- Overland Park — zone 6b, last frost Apr 16, first frost Oct 23
- Olathe — zone 6b, last frost Apr 16, first frost Oct 23
- Lawrence — zone 6b, last frost Apr 17, first frost Oct 22
- Topeka — zone 6b, last frost Apr 20, first frost Oct 17
- Wichita — zone 7a, last frost Apr 16, first frost Oct 21
More: all Kansas cities · other zone 6b cities: Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Boston, MA, Detroit, MI, Kansas City, MO, Cincinnati, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, Buffalo, NY
Kansas City gardening questions
When is the last frost in Kansas City, KS?
Plan around Apr 10. At NOAA's Kansas City Downtown Airport, MO station, 7.8 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 Apr 4, and after Apr 20 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Mar 26. The 90% and 10% dates are 34 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Kansas City, KS?
Start seeds indoors Feb 13 – Feb 27 and set transplants outside Apr 17 – May 1, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 202 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 Kansas City?
About 211 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 191 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 234 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 21 and a 30% chance by Oct 29. That is the longest of the 6 Kansas cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Kansas City?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 29): transplant broccoli Aug 6 – Aug 20; sow kale Aug 20 – Sep 17; sow lettuce Aug 20 – Sep 17; sow radishes Sep 17 – Oct 15. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 11. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Kansas City's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Kansas City was zone 6a on the 2012 map and is zone 6b 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.
Is all of Kansas City in zone 6b?
No. Zone 6b covers about 97% of the city's land; the rest is in 7a (3%), measured across the city's 11 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.