Chittenden County, in Vermont, sits in USDA hardiness zone 5a — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.
Well-matched crops include sugar maple, apple, garlic, and blueberry, 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
Chittenden County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Chittenden 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
5a
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Apr 15
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Nov 8
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
344K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Chittenden County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Chittenden County
Across Chittenden County, the ground is predominantly Spodosols, where Lyman, Peru, and Marlow are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally somewhat excessively drained with a fine sandy loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 4.8–6.1, strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group D soils.
Soil order
Spodosols
Drainage
Somewhat excessively drained
Prime farmland
5%
Hydric soils
18%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Chittenden County
Plants matched to Chittenden County's USDA zones 5a — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Chittenden 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 Mar 18; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 15 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 8 — 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 Vermont
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Short growing season (100-130 frost-free days)
Indoor starts, fast varieties, and a cold frame on each shoulder — the Vermont formula for making 110 days feel like 150.
Rocky soils throughout the Green Mountains
Raised beds spare you the stone harvest — build up over cleared ground and plant the same weekend.
Heavy clay in the Champlain Valley
Champlain clay holds spring water late — raised or mounded beds dry out and warm up weeks earlier for planting.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Vermont, the UVM Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Chittenden County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Chittenden County — 1,312 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 9 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Chittenden 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 Chittenden County
Severity Distribution
across Chittenden County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Chittenden County, Brownfields runs higher than the national average — 702 sites nearby. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
Brownfields: Brownfield sites are former commercial or industrial properties where legacy soil contamination (heavy metals, PAHs, petroleum compounds) may persist.
Check EPA brownfield remediation status — many sites have completed cleanup with institutional controls.
Check your specific parcel in Chittenden 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
Chittenden County Average
- ●USDA Zones 5a
- ●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 Chittenden County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Chittenden County, Vermont — 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 Chittenden County, Vermont
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 5a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 15 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 8 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~207 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 344K 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 Chittenden 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 Chittenden County, Vermont?
Chittenden County sits in USDA hardiness zone 5a, 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 Chittenden 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 Mar 18; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 15 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 8 — 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 Chittenden County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Chittenden County typically lands around Apr 15, 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 Chittenden County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Chittenden County sees about 207 frost-free days — roughly Apr 15 through Nov 8, 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 Chittenden County?
Chittenden County's zone 5a supports a wide range — strong performers include Sugar Maple, Apple, Garlic, Blueberry, and Kale. 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 Chittenden County, really?
Officially, Chittenden County sits in USDA zone 5a (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 Chittenden County?
The federal record around Chittenden County runs heavier than most — 1,312 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 Chittenden County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Chittenden County sits in USDA zone 5a, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Apr 15, with about 207 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 1,312 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 Chittenden 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 Vermont's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.