Polk County, in Iowa, sits in USDA hardiness zone 5b — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.
Crops well matched to these conditions include sweet corn, tomato, apple, and hosta — though what thrives on any one site still turns on its specific soil, sun, and drainage.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Polk County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Polk County, so your frost dates and drainage aren't the county average. Enter your address and we'll score 1,112 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Quick Facts
USDA Zones
5b
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Mar 26
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Nov 11
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
367K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Polk County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Polk County
Across Polk County, the ground is predominantly Mollisols, where Clarion, Webster, and Nicollet are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 6.2–6.6, slightly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group B soils.
Soil order
Mollisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
34%
Hydric soils
29%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Polk County
Plants matched to Polk County's USDA zones 5b — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Polk County?
Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 26; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 26 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 11 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the season winds down slowly: late sowings, a real autumn harvest, and garlic in the ground before the first hard freeze.
Growing Challenges in Iowa
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Cold winters reaching -20F or below
Choose perennials rated a zone hardier than yours — Iowa winters test the margins, and the margin is where plants are lost.
Variable spring weather delays planting
Let soil temperature and your local frost normal call the start, not the calendar — a two-week wait beats a replant.
Wind exposure on open prairies desiccates plants
Even a simple windbreak — a shrub row, a snow fence, a tall cover crop — cuts wind desiccation dramatically.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Iowa, the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Polk County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Polk County — 1,963 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 18 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Polk County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
Environmental Intelligence
Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.
Sources Checked
across Polk County
Severity Distribution
across Polk County
Highest-Severity Sites
Know Before You Grow
- •Underground tanks can leak petroleum products. Soil testing near former gas stations is recommended.
- •Raised beds with imported soil can reduce exposure risk near brownfield sites.
- •TRI facilities report chemical releases. Check wind direction — downwind parcels face higher airborne exposure.
Check your specific parcel in Polk County
Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,112 plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Your Specific Parcel Matters
Polk County Average
- ●USDA Zones 5b
- ●Generic soil type for the area
- ●State-average frost dates
YOUR Parcel
- ✓Your exact hardiness zone
- ✓Your SSURGO soil type & pH
- ✓Your sun exposure, cast in 3D
See MY Growing Report
Read your parcel in Polk County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Polk County, Iowa — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Key Growing Facts for Polk County, Iowa
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 5b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 26 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 11 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~230 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 367K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)
Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. County boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.
Frost dates here are the Polk County average. Low spots and tree cover move them by days on any one yard — see your exact frost windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zone is Polk County, Iowa?
Polk County sits in USDA hardiness zone 5b, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.
Is it too late to plant in Polk County?
Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 26; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 26 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 11 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the season winds down slowly: late sowings, a real autumn harvest, and garlic in the ground before the first hard freeze.
When does frost risk typically end in Polk County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Polk County typically lands around Mar 26, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — an earlier marker than the light-frost dates many planting charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — light frosts can still bite for a few more weeks, so tender transplants usually wait another 2–3 weeks.
How long is the growing season in Polk County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Polk County sees about 230 frost-free days — roughly Mar 26 through Nov 11, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops get a somewhat shorter practical window, since lighter frosts reach a few weeks past the hard-freeze dates on both ends.
What vegetables grow in Polk County?
Polk County's zone 5b supports a wide range — strong performers include Sweet Corn, Tomato, Apple, and Hosta. What actually takes on any one site comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage, and we score each plant against the real conditions at your address.
Which hardiness zone is Polk County, really?
Officially, Polk County sits in USDA zone 5b (USDA PHZM 2023) — but a zone is a 30-year average of winter's coldest night across an area, and it can't see any one yard. A south-facing slope, a tree line, or a low frost pocket can shift a single site by half a zone either way, which is why neighboring gardeners often quote different numbers. We read the conditions at your exact address — soil, sun, slope, and frost — and score 1,112 plants against what's actually there.
Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Polk County?
The federal record around Polk County runs heavier than most — 1,963 documented sites — so test the soil before planting food in the ground, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well in the meantime. Even here, proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what's recorded and where.
Just moved to Polk County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Polk County sits in USDA zone 5b, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Mar 26, with about 230 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 1,963 documented sites sit on the federal record here, so a soil test before food beds is the smart first step. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Polk County average. Your yard writes its own version — we read soil, sun, drainage, and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.
Will It Grow Here?
Zone fit is the first question — each answer below reads Iowa's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.