Virginia Beach, Virginia: planting zone & frost dates
Virginia Beach 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 Apr 3 and the first fall frost around Nov 7.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 11 | Nov 1 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 3 | Nov 7 |
| Median (50%) | Mar 29 | Nov 12 |
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 OCEANA NAS, VA (USW00013769), 2.6 mi (4.2 km) from the city center and 10 ft higher than the city center (+3 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 20 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 12 ZIP codes): 8b (93%), 8a (7%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Virginia Beach
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 3, first frost Nov 7). 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 6 – Feb 20 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Apr 17 – May 1 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | Mar 6 – Apr 17 | Aug 29 – Sep 26 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Apr 10 – May 15 | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 6 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | Apr 10 – May 1 | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Cucumber | Mar 6 – Mar 13 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Apr 10 – May 1 | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 13 – Apr 17 | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Onion | Jan 9 – Jan 23 | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 6 – Mar 27 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 17 – May 1 | Apr 17 – May 8 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 20 – Mar 20 | Sep 12 – Oct 10 |
| Kale | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | Mar 6 – Mar 27 | Mar 6 – Mar 27 | Aug 29 – Sep 26 |
| Broccoli | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | — | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 20 – Mar 13 | Aug 29 – Sep 12 |
| Eggplant | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Apr 17 – May 1 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | — | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Radish | — | — | Feb 27 – Apr 17 | Sep 26 – Oct 24 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 6 – Mar 27 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 13 – Apr 24 | Aug 29 – Sep 12 |
Nearby cities in Virginia
- Norfolk — zone 8b, last frost Mar 23, first frost Nov 18
- Chesapeake — zone 8a, last frost Mar 29, first frost Nov 12
- Portsmouth — zone 8b, last frost Mar 30, first frost Nov 11
- Hampton — zone 8b, last frost Mar 30, first frost Nov 10
- Newport News — zone 8a, last frost Apr 7, first frost Nov 4
- Suffolk — zone 8a, last frost Apr 1, first frost Nov 9
More: all Virginia cities · other zone 8b cities: Dallas, TX, Fort Worth, TX, El Paso, TX, Arlington, TX, Plano, TX, Irving, TX, Garland, TX, Frisco, TX
Virginia Beach gardening questions
When is the last frost in Virginia Beach, VA?
Plan around Apr 3. At NOAA's Oceana NAS, VA station, 2.6 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 29, and after Apr 11 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Mar 14. 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 Virginia Beach, VA?
Start seeds indoors Feb 6 – Feb 20 and set transplants outside Apr 10 – Apr 24, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 218 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 Virginia Beach?
About 230 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 210 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 254 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 1 and a 30% chance by Nov 7. That ranks 7th longest of 11 Virginia cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Virginia Beach?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 7): transplant broccoli Aug 15 – Aug 29; sow kale Aug 29 – Sep 26; sow lettuce Aug 29 – Sep 26; sow radishes Sep 26 – Oct 24. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 25. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Virginia Beach's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Virginia Beach 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.
Is all of Virginia Beach in zone 8b?
No. Zone 8b covers about 93% of the city's land; the rest is in 8a (7%), measured across the city's 12 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.