Norfolk County, in Virginia, sits in USDA hardiness zone 8b — a band that supports both cool-season staples and warm-season crops chosen to fit the local frost window.
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.
Norfolk 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
Norfolk County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Norfolk 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
8b
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Feb 1
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Frost (state avg.)
Oct 1 - Nov 10
County Area
34K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Growing Season (statewide frost window)
Zone maps are averages across Norfolk County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Norfolk County
Across Norfolk County, the ground is predominantly Ultisols, where Chickahominy, Axis, and Craven are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally moderately well drained with a fine sandy loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 4.2–5.8, very strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group D soils.
Soil order
Ultisols
Drainage
Moderately well drained
Hydric soils
40%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Norfolk County
Plants matched to Norfolk County's USDA zones 8b — each links to its full growing profile.
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 Norfolk County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Norfolk County — 1,123 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 2 Superfund sites. 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 Norfolk 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 Norfolk County
Severity Distribution
across Norfolk County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Norfolk County, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 712 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 Norfolk 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
Norfolk County Average
- ●USDA Zones 8b
- ●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 Norfolk County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Norfolk 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 Norfolk County, Virginia
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 8b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 1 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Fall Frost (state avg.): Oct 1 - Nov 10 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 34K 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 Norfolk 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 Norfolk County, Virginia?
Norfolk County sits in USDA hardiness zone 8b, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.
When does frost risk typically end in Norfolk County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Norfolk County typically lands around Feb 1, 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.
What vegetables grow in Norfolk County?
Norfolk County's zone 8b 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 Norfolk County, really?
Officially, Norfolk County sits in USDA zone 8b (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 Norfolk County?
The federal record around Norfolk County is a meaningful one — 1,123 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 Norfolk County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Norfolk County sits in USDA zone 8b, which sets what survives winter; the statewide frost window runs about Mar 20 - May 10 to Oct 1 - Nov 10 (NOAA 30-year climate normals); and 1,123 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 Norfolk 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.