Vilas County, in Wisconsin, sits in USDA hardiness zone 4b — 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 cranberry, cherry, potato, and ginseng — with the usual caveat that any single yard's soil, sun, and drainage cast the deciding vote.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Vilas County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Vilas 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
4b
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Apr 30
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Oct 20
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
549K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Vilas County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Vilas County
Across Vilas County, the ground is predominantly Spodosols, where Rubicon, Sayner, and Pence are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally excessively drained with a sand surface. Topsoil pH runs about 4.8–5.5, strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group A soils.
Soil order
Spodosols
Drainage
Excessively drained
Prime farmland
5%
Hydric soils
20%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Vilas County
Plants matched to Vilas County's USDA zones 4b — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Vilas County?
Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Apr 2; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 30 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 20 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Late in the year the fall bench takes over — quick greens, radishes, and garlic that repays you next summer.
Growing Challenges in Wisconsin
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Cold winters (-30F in northern WI)
Plant perennials rated for the cold you actually get — northern Wisconsin rewards zone honesty with decades of returns.
Short growing season (110-140 frost-free days)
Indoor starts plus a cold frame stretch the season on both ends — standard practice from Madison to Superior.
Sandy central soils drain too quickly
The Central Sands fix is organic matter — compost and cover crops, every year, until the ground holds its own water.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Wisconsin, the UW–Madison Division of Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Vilas County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Vilas County — 682 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 4 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Vilas 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 Vilas County
Severity Distribution
across Vilas County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Vilas County, Nitrate runs higher than the national average — 214 sites nearby. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.
Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).
Check your specific parcel in Vilas 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
Vilas County Average
- ●USDA Zones 4b
- ●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 Vilas County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Vilas County, Wisconsin — 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 Vilas County, Wisconsin
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 30 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 20 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~173 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 549K 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 Vilas 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 Vilas County, Wisconsin?
Vilas County sits in USDA hardiness zone 4b, 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 Vilas County?
Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Apr 2; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 30 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 20 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Late in the year the fall bench takes over — quick greens, radishes, and garlic that repays you next summer.
When does frost risk typically end in Vilas County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Vilas County typically lands around Apr 30, 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 Vilas County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Vilas County sees about 173 frost-free days — roughly Apr 30 through Oct 20, 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 Vilas County?
Vilas County's zone 4b supports a wide range — strong performers include Cranberry, Cherry, Potato, Ginseng, and Sugar Maple. 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 Vilas County, really?
Officially, Vilas County sits in USDA zone 4b (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 Vilas County?
The federal record around Vilas County runs heavier than most — 682 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 Vilas County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Vilas County sits in USDA zone 4b, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Apr 30, with about 173 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 682 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 Vilas 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 Wisconsin's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.