Schaumburg, Illinois: planting zone & frost dates
Schaumburg is in USDA plant hardiness zone 5b, where the average coldest winter night reaches -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C). The typical last spring frost is around May 6 and the first fall frost around Oct 8.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 16 | Sep 29 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | May 6 | Oct 8 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 30 | Oct 13 |
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 STREAMWOOD, IL (USC00118324), 4.8 mi (7.8 km) from the city center and 23 ft higher than the city center (+7 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 12 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Schaumburg
Schaumburg spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 6 ZIP codes): 5b (99%), 6a (1%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Schaumburg
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost May 6, first frost Oct 8). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | May 13 – May 27 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 20 – Jun 3 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | Apr 22 – May 13 | Apr 8 – May 20 | Jul 30 – Aug 27 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 13 – Jun 17 | Jul 16 – Jul 30 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 13 – Jun 10 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 16 – Jul 30 |
| Cucumber | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 20 – May 27 | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 16 – Jul 30 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 15 – May 20 | Jul 16 – Jul 30 |
| Onion | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 20 – Jun 3 | May 20 – Jun 10 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | Aug 13 – Sep 10 |
| Kale | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jul 30 – Aug 27 |
| Broccoli | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 13 | — | Jul 16 – Jul 30 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Jul 30 – Aug 13 |
| Eggplant | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 20 – Jun 3 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | — | Jul 16 – Jul 30 |
| Radish | — | — | Apr 1 – May 20 | Aug 27 – Sep 24 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 15 – May 27 | Jul 30 – Aug 13 |
Nearby cities in Illinois
- Elgin — zone 5b, last frost May 1, first frost Oct 12
- Naperville — zone 5b, last frost May 4, first frost Oct 11
- Aurora — zone 5b, last frost Apr 25, first frost Oct 18
- Cicero — zone 6a, last frost Apr 17, first frost Oct 26
- Evanston — zone 6a, last frost May 2, first frost Oct 14
- Waukegan — zone 6a, last frost May 4, first frost Oct 12
More: all Illinois cities · other zone 5b cities: Madison, WI, Des Moines, IA, Aurora, IL, Fort Collins, CO, Naperville, IL, Rockford, IL, Elgin, IL, Greeley, CO
Schaumburg gardening questions
When is the last frost in Schaumburg, IL?
Plan around May 6. At NOAA's Streamwood, IL station, 4.8 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 30, and after May 16 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 20. The 90% and 10% dates are 29 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Schaumburg, IL?
Start seeds indoors Mar 11 – Mar 25 and set transplants outside May 13 – May 27, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 155 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 Schaumburg?
About 163 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 143 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 182 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Sep 29 and a 30% chance by Oct 8. That is the shortest of the 14 Illinois cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Schaumburg?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 8): transplant broccoli Jul 16 – Jul 30; sow kale Jul 30 – Aug 27; sow lettuce Jul 30 – Aug 27; sow radishes Aug 27 – Sep 24. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Oct 24. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Schaumburg's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
No. Going by the zone that covers most of the city's land, Schaumburg is zone 5b on both the 2012 and the 2023 USDA maps (PRISM/OSU ZIP listings). About 42% of U.S. ZIP codes kept their half-zone in 2023. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Schaumburg in zone 5b?
No. Zone 5b covers about 99% of the city's land; the rest is in 6a (1%), measured across the city's 6 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.