Accomack County, in Virginia, sits in USDA hardiness zone 8a — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.
A short list that earns its place here — tomato, grape, peanut, and dogwood — with any one site's soil, sun, and drainage making the final cut.
Accomack County lies within Delmarva Peninsula and Tidewater & Chesapeake — a regional growing area with its own character.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Accomack County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Accomack 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.
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Quick Facts
USDA Zones
8a
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Feb 24
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Dec 25
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
288K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Accomack County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Accomack County
Across Accomack County, the ground is predominantly Ultisols, where Bojac, Nimmo, and Chincoteague are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally very poorly drained with a sandy loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.0–6.5, moderately acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group B/D soils.
Soil order
Ultisols
Drainage
Very poorly drained
Prime farmland
25%
Hydric soils
56%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Accomack County
Plants matched to Accomack County's USDA zones 8a — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Accomack County?
Almost never — the real question is what to plant next. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 27; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 24 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 25 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. In a climate this gentle, “too late” hardly applies — the question becomes which crops prefer the cooler months ahead.
Growing Challenges in Virginia
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Heavy Piedmont red clay requires amendment
Red clay turns from obstacle to asset with compost and time — and a raised bed lets you harvest while it happens.
Humidity and heat in summer promote disease
Space for airflow, water mornings at the base, and plant resistant varieties — your extension's humid-summer playbook.
Deer pressure is heavy in suburban and rural areas
A proper fence settles it; outside the fence, genuinely deer-resistant plants are the next best defense.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Virginia, the Virginia Cooperative Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Accomack County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Accomack County — 356 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 1 Superfund site. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
There's a meaningful federal record across Accomack County — worth a look before you plant food, not a reason to hold back from growing. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. A soil test before new food beds is the sensible precaution here, and the map shows exactly which sites sit where, so you can see what's actually near you.
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 Accomack County
Severity Distribution
across Accomack County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Accomack County, two things run higher than the national average — CAFO (16 sites) and Underground Storage Tanks (238 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.
Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.
Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.
Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.
Check your specific parcel in Accomack 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
Accomack County Average
- ●USDA Zones 8a
- ●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 Accomack County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Accomack County, Virginia — 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 Accomack County, Virginia
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 8a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 24 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 25 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~304 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 288K 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 Accomack 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 Accomack County, Virginia?
Accomack County sits in USDA hardiness zone 8a, 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 Accomack County?
Almost never — the real question is what to plant next. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 27; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 24 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 25 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. In a climate this gentle, “too late” hardly applies — the question becomes which crops prefer the cooler months ahead.
When does frost risk typically end in Accomack County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Accomack County typically lands around Feb 24, 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 Accomack County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Accomack County sees about 304 frost-free days — roughly Feb 24 through Dec 25, 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 Accomack County?
Accomack County's zone 8a supports a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Grape, Peanut, Dogwood, and Apple. 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 Accomack County, really?
Officially, Accomack County sits in USDA zone 8a (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 Accomack County?
The federal record around Accomack County is a meaningful one — 356 documented sites — so a soil test before new food beds is a sensible precaution here, not a reason to hold back from growing. Remember that proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what sits where.
Just moved to Accomack County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Accomack County sits in USDA zone 8a, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Feb 24, with about 304 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 356 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 Accomack 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 Virginia's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.