What Grows in Campbell County, Wyoming

USDA Zones 5a · 3.1M acres

Campbell County, in Wyoming, sits in USDA hardiness zone 5a — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.

Expect cabbage, cranberry, lavender, and collard greens to be strong candidates here; the deciding factors on any one parcel stay local — soil, sun, and drainage.

Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Score your parcel · free

Campbell County holds more than one microclimate.

Soils and elevations shift across Campbell County, so your frost dates and drainage aren't the county average. Enter your address and we'll score 1,086 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.

We read public map data around Campbell County — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

No card required · your full report in seconds

Campbell County — the short answer

Campbell County, Wyoming: USDA zone 5a, about 157 days between hard freezes, across 3.1M acres.

USDA zone
5a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
May 7
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F
First hard freeze (28°F)
Oct 11
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F
Days between freezes
~157
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F
County area
3.1M acres
US Census TIGER/Line 2025

Every figure names the dataset it came from. Hard-freeze dates are county 28°F normals: light frosts run a few weeks past them, and tender transplants usually wait 2–3 weeks after the last hard freeze.

Hardiness Zone Range

5a5a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 5a is Campbell County's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Campbell County's 157-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Heat in Campbell County

Across a year, Campbell County accumulates about 1,926 growing degree days above 50°F, about 52 more than the middle Wyoming county — ahead of 13 of Wyoming’s 23 counties. Degree days are the heat a crop actually gets to work with — more of them is more room to ripen a long-season crop before the freeze closes the window.

Grounded in PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University — 1991–2020 monthly normals

Soil in Campbell County

Across Campbell County, the ground is predominantly Entisols, where Theedle, Forkwood, and Fairburn are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 7.0–7.8, slightly alkaline. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group C soils.

Soil order

Entisols

Drainage

Well drained

Prime farmland

0%

Hydric soils

0%

Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

How the ground varies across Campbell County

The USDA soil survey maps 96% of Campbell County as well drained — but another 1% drains differently: 1% excessively drained.

Theedle is the most extensive named soil at 9% of mapped acres, then Forkwood (6%) and Fairburn (5%).

Which of them your own lot sits on is a parcel question, not a county one. Check your address for the survey at your boundary.

What this means for growing in Campbell County

Each reading below is measured for Campbell County itself — here is what it means for a garden here, and the move an experienced grower makes about it.

Drainage

Measured

The dominant soils across Campbell County are well drained, in hydrologic group C — ground that drains quickly.

The upside is soil you can work early in spring and roots that never drown; the cost is that fast-draining ground dries out fast and leaches nutrients away before plants can use them.

Work in compost and mulch to hold moisture and feed, and water more often in short doses than deep and rarely.

USDA NRCS SSURGO

Surface pH

Measured

Topsoil across Campbell County runs about pH 7.0–7.8, on the alkaline side.

Many vegetables cope, but acid-lovers like blueberries struggle, and iron and manganese lock up above about pH 7.5 — leaves yellow between the veins even in rich soil.

Elemental sulfur and generous organic matter lower pH slowly for the beds that need it; test first so you add only what the soil actually calls for.

USDA NRCS SSURGO

Season length

Measured

Campbell County runs about 157 days between hard freezes — a moderate growing season.

There is room for the full run of cool-season crops plus a warm-season main crop, but the calendar is tight enough that a late spring or early fall frost still decides how much finishes.

Time warm-season transplants to your last hard freeze, and a few weeks of season extension turns a near-miss harvest into a sure one.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Campbell County sits in USDA hardiness zone 5a.

The zone sets which perennials, shrubs, and fruit trees live through an average winter here — a plant rated for a colder zone is a safe bet, one rated warmer needs winter protection or gets treated as an annual.

Match perennials and fruit to the zone before you buy, so nothing you plant is a gamble against the cold.

USDA PHZM 2023

The kind of country Campbell County is in

Campbell County sits in the Northwestern Great Plains — EPA Level III, inside the wider Great Plains. One consistent ecological setting across the whole county.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Campbell County

We scored all 1,086 plants against Campbell County's own USDA zone 5a and its own 157-day season between hard freezes, using the same matching engine that runs a full parcel report. These cleared both. Sun, soil pH and drainage vary lot by lot — those are the parcel questions below. Each card opens that plant's Wyoming profile.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in WyomingZones 2–11Campbell County's 5a — 3 zones of cold margin.
cranberry, photograph
Wyoming cranberry guideZones 2–7Campbell County's 5a — 3 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in WyomingZones 5–8Campbell County's 5a is its exact cold limit.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Wyoming growing notesZones 2–11Campbell County's 5a — 3 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Growing hazelnut in WyomingZones 4–9Campbell County's 5a — 1 zone of cold margin.
French tarragon, photograph
Wyoming french tarragon guideZones 3–7Campbell County's 5a — 2 zones of cold margin.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in WyomingZones 2–10Campbell County's 5a — 3 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Blackberry: Wyoming growing notesZones 5–8Campbell County's 5a is its exact cold limit.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in WyomingZones 3–8Campbell County's 5a — 2 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Wyoming kale guideZones 2–11Campbell County's 5a — 3 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw in WyomingZones 5–9Campbell County's 5a is its exact cold limit.
lentil, photograph
Lentil: Wyoming growing notesZones 2–11Campbell County's 157 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Growing okra in WyomingZones 2–12Campbell County's 157 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Wyoming potato guideZones 2–11Campbell County's 5a — 3 zones of cold margin.
pumpkin, photograph
Pumpkin in WyomingZones 3–11Campbell County's 157 days clear the ~40 it needs.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Wyoming growing notesZones 3–8Campbell County's 5a — 2 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in WyomingZones 2–11Campbell County's 157 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
Wyoming azalea guideZones 4–8Campbell County's 5a — 1 zone of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in WyomingZones 3–8Campbell County's 5a — 2 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Wyoming growing notesZones 3–10Campbell County's 5a — 2 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in WyomingCampbell County's 157 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Wyoming lilac guideZones 4–10Campbell County's 5a — 1 zone of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in WyomingZones 3–8Campbell County's 5a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Canada anemone, photograph
Canada anemone: Wyoming growing notesZones 3–8Campbell County's 5a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in WyomingZones 3–9Campbell County's 5a — 2 zones of cold margin.
annual ryegrass, photograph
Wyoming annual ryegrass guideZones 3–10Campbell County's 157 days clear the ~90 it needs.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in WyomingZones 2–7Campbell County's 5a — 3 zones of cold margin.
blue spruce, photograph
Blue spruce: Wyoming growing notesZones 2–8Campbell County's 5a — 3 zones of cold margin.
balansa clover, photograph
Growing balansa clover in WyomingZones 3–9Campbell County's 157 days clear the ~90 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
Wyoming canada wild rye guideZones 3–8Campbell County's 5a — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Campbell County?

Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Apr 9; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near May 7 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 11 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Even past midsummer there is room for a true fall garden here, and garlic planted near the close carries the momentum into next year.

What gets applied to farmland in Campbell County

USGS estimates 15,005 lb of Glyphosate on Campbell County farmland in 2019, its largest by weight, ahead of 2,4-d (9,413 lb) and Dicamba (4,608 lb).

Farmland across the whole county, not any one lot. Check your address for the site-by-site record.

Safe to Grow Here?

What the federal record shows across Campbell County — and how to grow with it.

Federal record: Elevated

We checked the federal record across Campbell County748 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track.

The most significant on record: 2 Superfund sites (none NPL-listed). 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 Campbell 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, USGS1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.

What's on the federal record near Campbell County

Closest first, across Campbell County. Listing isn't leaking, and distance isn't exposure.

  1. 49-072-35cda01Nitrate · 2.5 mi
  2. MC'S AUTO AND TRUCK REPAIRBrownfields · 3.0 mi
  3. 49-072-09bcb01Nitrate · 3.6 mi
  4. CATERPILLAR (CAT)Brownfields · 3.7 mi
  5. HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC. - GILLETTEBrownfields · 3.9 mi
  6. HANOVER COMPRESSOR COMPANYBrownfields · 4.0 mi
  7. Freund Construction CompanyUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.0 mi
  8. Roy E. KnutsonUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.1 mi
  9. NALCO CHAMPIONToxics Release Inventory · 4.1 mi
  10. NALCO CHAMPIONBrownfields · 4.1 mi
  11. PATS OFFROADBrownfields · 4.2 mi
  12. MULTI-CHEM GROUP, LLC GILLETTE FACILITYBrownfields · 4.2 mi

6 more sites are on the record inside the same radius. See them on the map

Measured from Campbell County's center, not your beds. Run your own address for what's upwind of you specifically.

Environmental Intelligence

The counts behind that headline — every source type on the record near Campbell County.

Total Sites

748

across Campbell County

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

2 Superfund sites (none NPL-listed)

Severity Distribution

across Campbell County

High2Moderate414Low332

Highest-Severity Sites

Black Thunder Coal Mine
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Gillette, City of
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
41-073-06bdbd01
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
41-073-06bdbd01
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
42-072-01aba01
Nitrate Monitoring · Well

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Campbell County, Nitrate runs higher than the national average — 356 sites across Campbell County. 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).

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Campbell County

Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,086 plant recommendations.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Campbell County average

Your land is one point inside Campbell County

Everything above resolves to Campbell County as a whole — one PHZM band and one county frost record, read across 3.1M acres. Your parcel is one point inside that footprint. Slope, tree cover, a low spot that pools cold air, and what is in the soil are all resolved at the address, and none of them are visible at county scale. That is the honest boundary of this page, and the reason the next step is a reading of your own ground rather than a better county average.

Your Lot vs the Campbell County Average

Campbell County Average

  • USDA Zones 5a, averaged across Campbell County
  • One soil character for all of Campbell County
  • Frost dates read at Campbell County's scale: May 7 to Oct 11

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Campbell County's 5a
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your parcel in Campbell County

Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Campbell County, Wyoming — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.

Three things about your lot that Campbell County averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Campbell County averages 157Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Campbell County — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Campbell County average

How we know this about Campbell County

The datasets: hardiness from the USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, read at county grain; hard-freeze dates from NOAA 1991–2020 28°F normals at this county’s own record where one resolves, and the labelled statewide window where none does; soils from the USDA NRCS SSURGO survey, area-weighted across the county’s own map units; boundaries and acreage from US Census TIGER/Line 2025; the contamination and pesticide records from the federal sources named in their beats above. Where Campbell County carries no record of its own, the figure is inherited and labelled — the resolution ledger below names each.

Common questions about Campbell County

When does frost risk typically end in Campbell County?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Campbell County typically lands around May 7, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — earlier than the light-frost dates most charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — lighter frosts keep biting past it, which is why tender transplants here wait until about May 28.

How long is the growing season in Campbell County?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Campbell County sees about 157 frost-free days — roughly May 7 through Oct 11, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 28 to Sep 27, about 122 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Campbell County?

The federal record around Campbell County is a meaningful one — 748 documented sites, mostly Nitrate entries (356), the nearest Nitrate record about 2.5 miles out — 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.

Everything above is measured at Campbell County's scale — its 5a band and its 157-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Campbell County's numbers: we read soil, sun, drainage and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.

What this page reads at Campbell County’s own scale

8 of the readings below were taken at Campbell County's own scale — its own ~157-day span between 28°F freezes, the 3 most extensive soil series mapped here and 748 documented sites inside its boundary; one is borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Campbell County's own USDA hardiness band, zones 5aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Campbell County's own 28°F hard-freeze dates and its ~157-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • The soil order, drainage, surface pH, and the 3 most extensive named soil series mapped in Campbell CountyUSDA NRCS SSURGO
  • 748 documented contamination sites inside the county boundary, distance-sorted from its center — the closest Nitrate record about 2.5 miles outFederal environmental registers
  • Campbell County's boundary and the 3,073,319 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 5a and a ~157-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • Campbell County sitting wholly inside the Northwestern Great PlainsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • Which agricultural compounds go onto Campbell County farmland, and roughly how muchUSGS NAWQA EPest county estimates

Inherited from a wider read

  • The growing challenges every Wyoming grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Wyoming

What this page can’t tell you

  • How the season shifts across Campbell County — the ~157 days above is one reading at its centre; the 12 towns below each carry their owntowns in this county
  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Campbell County's 3,073,319 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which of those 748 documented sites actually reaches your soil — that needs your address, the wind, and the groundwater directionhow we read the record
  • Where cold air settles, which slopes face the sun, and which way the wind runs on your own ground — none of it survives being averaged over Campbell Countyread your own land
Go one step finer: towns in Campbell County