Hamilton County, in Ohio, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.
Well-matched crops include tomato, sweet corn, apple, and pawpaw, and the gap between "grows in the area" and "grows in your yard" is closed by soil, sun, and drainage.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Hamilton County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Hamilton 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
6b
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Mar 11
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Nov 27
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
259K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Hamilton County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Hamilton County
Across Hamilton County, the ground is predominantly Alfisols, where Eden, Switzerland, and Rossmoyne are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a silty clay loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.5–6.8, slightly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group D soils.
Soil order
Alfisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
7%
Hydric soils
0%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Hamilton County
Plants matched to Hamilton County's USDA zones 6b — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Hamilton County?
For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 11; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 11 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 27 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. With almost year-round growing weather, timing is about heat and rainfall more than frost — some bench is always in play.
Growing Challenges in Ohio
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Heavy clay soils across much of northern Ohio require amendment for drainage
A raised bed fixes the drainage in one weekend — and amended clay repays the effort as some of the richest soil there is.
Variable spring weather with late frost risk through mid-May
Watch your local last-frost normal, not the region's — holding tender plants two extra weeks beats replanting a bed.
Japanese beetles and tomato hornworms are common garden pests
Hand-pick early, row-cover young plants, and skip broad sprays — extension IPM guides keep the beneficial insects on your side.
Wet springs can delay planting and promote root rot
Raised or mounded rows shed spring water and warm earlier — where puddles linger, drainage is the first project worth doing.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Ohio, the Ohio State University Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Hamilton County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Hamilton County — 3,081 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 51 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Hamilton 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 Hamilton County
Severity Distribution
across Hamilton County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Hamilton County, two things run higher than the national average — Toxic Release Inventory (313 sites) and Superfund (51 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
Toxic Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.
Superfund: Superfund sites represent the most severe contamination in the federal system.
Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.
Commission professional soil testing before any food production (test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs).
Check your specific parcel in Hamilton 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
Hamilton County Average
- ●USDA Zones 6b
- ●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 Hamilton County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Hamilton County, Ohio — 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 Hamilton County, Ohio
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 6b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 11 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 27 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~261 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 259K 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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton County, Ohio?
Hamilton County sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b, 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 Hamilton County?
For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 11; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 11 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 27 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. With almost year-round growing weather, timing is about heat and rainfall more than frost — some bench is always in play.
When does frost risk typically end in Hamilton County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Hamilton County typically lands around Mar 11, 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 Hamilton County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Hamilton County sees about 261 frost-free days — roughly Mar 11 through Nov 27, 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 Hamilton County?
Hamilton County's zone 6b supports a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Sweet Corn, Apple, Pawpaw, and Buckeye. 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 Hamilton County, really?
Officially, Hamilton County sits in USDA zone 6b (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 Hamilton County?
The federal record around Hamilton County runs heavier than most — 3,081 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 Hamilton County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Hamilton County sits in USDA zone 6b, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Mar 11, with about 261 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 3,081 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 Hamilton 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 Ohio's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.