Mathews County, in Virginia, sits in USDA hardiness zone 8a — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.
Growers here do well with tomato, grape, peanut, and dogwood — with the usual caveat that any single yard's soil, sun, and drainage cast the deciding vote.
Mathews County lies within Tidewater & Chesapeake — a regional growing area with its own character.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Mathews County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Mathews 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
8a
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Feb 17
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Dec 29
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
55K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Mathews County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Mathews County
Across Mathews County, the ground is predominantly Ultisols, where Fallsington, Dragston, and Kempsville are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally poorly drained with a fine sandy loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 4.6–5.0, very strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group B/D soils.
Soil order
Ultisols
Drainage
Poorly drained
Prime farmland
8%
Hydric soils
67%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Mathews County
Plants matched to Mathews County's USDA zones 8a — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Mathews County?
Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 20; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 17 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 29 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. And with a calendar this mild, the honest answer is that planting barely stops — winter opens seasons colder regions never see.
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 Mathews County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Mathews County — 66 documented sites across 4 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 3 brownfield sites. Former commercial or industrial land where legacy contamination may persist.
The federal record across Mathews County is a modest one — a typical footprint for a growing area. Nothing here calls for alarm; it's worth knowing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and each one on the map carries its type and location. If one turns out to be a near neighbor, a one-time soil test settles the question.
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 Mathews County
Severity Distribution
across Mathews County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Mathews County, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 57 sites nearby. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.
Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.
Check your specific parcel in Mathews 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
Mathews 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 Mathews County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Mathews 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 Mathews County, Virginia
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 8a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 17 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 29 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~315 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 55K 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 Mathews 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 Mathews County, Virginia?
Mathews 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 Mathews County?
Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 20; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 17 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 29 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. And with a calendar this mild, the honest answer is that planting barely stops — winter opens seasons colder regions never see.
When does frost risk typically end in Mathews County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Mathews County typically lands around Feb 17, 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 Mathews County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Mathews County sees about 315 frost-free days — roughly Feb 17 through Dec 29, 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 Mathews County?
Mathews 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 Mathews County, really?
Officially, Mathews 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 Mathews County?
The federal record around Mathews County shows 66 documented sites — a typical footprint for a growing area, and proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. It's worth seeing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and testing the soil before new food beds near any of them.
Just moved to Mathews County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Mathews County sits in USDA zone 8a, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Feb 17, with about 315 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 66 documented sites sit on the federal record — a typical footprint for a growing area, worth a look on the contamination map before food beds. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Mathews 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.