Chicago, IL 60614 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Chicago, IL?
Around 04/10 is the usual last spring frost, about 225 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/05, about 208 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Chicago in Zone 6b (-5 to 0°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Chicago before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/10 isn't a guarantee
04/10 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/29 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/25 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Chicago compares
Chicago's growing season runs about 208 days, ranking 15,466 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 62 of 1,548.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Chicago's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Chicago's dates instead of trusting one.