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Maine

Planting zones in Oxford County, Maine

This county spans USDA zones 4b to 5b, so there is no single zone for Oxford County and anyone who gives you one is rounding. 79% of its ZIP codes are zone 5a; the rest are not.

USDA zones 4b–5b 3 zones across 33 ZIP codes
ZIP codes 33 33 have a NOAA station within range
Weather stations 13 NOAA 1991–2020 normals, across 2,077 sq mi

Your ZIP code

Get the exact answer for your address

Everything above describes Oxford County, Maine as a whole. Hardiness zones and freeze dates are published per ZIP code, so yours is exact — enter it and this page will tell you your zone, which NOAA station it comes from and how far away that station is.

Works for all 40,502 US ZIP codes. Freeze dates need a NOAA station within 100 km; where there is none, the page says so rather than estimating one.

The growing season in Oxford County is closing

Nothing in the 32-crop table still has time to mature here. The first fall freeze normally arrives September 22 – October 10 across the 13 NOAA stations serving this county .

Your next season already has a date

The first job of it is 🧅 Green Onions, start indoors, around March 6 – March 28 — counted back from a last spring freeze of May 1 – May 23 here.

Every spring date for your ZIP →

These are ranges across the whole county. The ZIP lookup above gives the dates from your own nearest station instead.

Growing season across Oxford County A one-year bar. Every one of the 13 NOAA stations serving this county counts May 23 to September 22 as growing season, 122 days. At least one counts May 1 to October 10, 162 days. The same figures are written out below this chart. JFMAMJJASONDMay 23September 22

All 13 stations agreeAt least one station

Every one of the 13 NOAA stations serving this county counts May 23 – September 22 as growing season (122 days). Widening to any single station gives May 1 – October 10 (162 days).

That is a 40-day difference inside one county — which is why this page gives ranges rather than a single planting date. The ZIP lookup above resolves it to one station.

Which zone you are in depends where you are

Oxford County covers 3 hardiness zones. A guide that gives the county one zone has picked whichever is largest and rounded everyone else into it — fine for the 79% in zone 5a and wrong for the other 21%. Here is the actual split.

Zone ZIP codes Share  
5a 26 79%
5b 4 12%
4b 3 9%

Zones are published per ZIP code, so yours is exact even though the county's is not. The hardiness tool will tell you which one you are in.

Your freeze dates

Last spring freeze May 1 – May 23
First fall freeze September 22 – October 10

Across the 13 NOAA stations serving this county. These are medians — half of years freeze later than the date shown — so treat the later end of each range as the cautious one.

The growing season runs 123–162 days depending which station you are nearest, as published by NOAA rather than computed from the dates above. Summer highs average 72.5–79.8 °F in June–August. Summer rain over the same months runs 11.6–15.4" across those 13 stations, against the rough inch a week — about 13 inches over the same 92 days — that a vegetable garden is usually reckoned to want. The middle station covers about 98% of it, so expect to make up the rest. The inches are NOAA's published normals; the inch a week is a rule of thumb, and it takes no account of a 77 °F summer afternoon drying the soil faster than a cool one.

Every ZIP code in Oxford County

Zones are published per ZIP code, not per county, so this is the exact answer rather than the county's average. The station column is the nearest one to that ZIP code's centroid and how far away it is — the same figure the tools use, shown here so you can see which ZIP codes are well covered and which are reaching.

ZIP code USDA zone Nearest NOAA station Distance
03579 4b Errol AP, NH 18.5 km
04010 5a Fryeburg E Slopes AP, ME 7.0 km
04022 5a Bridgton 3 NW, ME 9.8 km
04037 5a Fryeburg E Slopes AP, ME 12.4 km
04041 5a East Hiram, ME 7.0 km
04051 5a Bethel 6 Sse, ME 17.5 km
04068 5a East Hiram, ME 16.1 km
04088 5a Bethel 6 Sse, ME 13.3 km
04216 4b Andover 2, ME 5.1 km
04217 5a Bethel 6 Sse, ME 10.4 km
04219 5a Rumford 6Sw, ME 13.0 km
04220 5b Hartford, ME 4.3 km
04221 5a Livermore Falls 1 E, ME 10.9 km
04224 5a Rumford 1 Sse, ME 10.4 km
04226 5a Andover 2, ME 7.5 km
04227 5a Livermore Falls 1 E, ME 15.2 km
04231 5a Bethel 6 Sse, ME 11.4 km
04237 5a Rumford 6Sw, ME 6.2 km
04238 5b Turner, ME 14.4 km
04255 5a Bethel 6 Sse, ME 7.8 km
04257 5a Rumford 1 Sse, ME 4.2 km
04261 5a Andover 2, ME 16.5 km
04267 5a Bethel 6 Sse, ME 10.6 km
04268 5a Bethel 6 Sse, ME 15.7 km
04270 5b Poland, ME 18.1 km
04275 5a Andover 2, ME 12.8 km
04276 5a Rumford 1 Sse, ME 7.7 km
04281 5b Turner, ME 19.1 km
04286 5a Bethel 6 Sse, ME 12.4 km
04289 5a Hartford, ME 17.5 km
04290 5a Rumford 1 Sse, ME 10.3 km
04292 5a Hartford, ME 10.5 km
04964 4b Rangeley 2 NW, ME 13.2 km

ZIP-code positions are area centroids, so a large rural ZIP code's listed distance is measured from the middle of its area rather than from any particular address in it.

When to start seeds in Oxford County

Every date below is anchored on the last spring freeze at each station and reported as a range across all 13 of them, because no one station speaks for the county.

Crop Job When Offset
🧅 Green Onions Start indoors March 6 – March 28 8 wk before
🌶️ Peppers Start indoors March 6 – March 28 8 wk before
🥦 Broccoli Start indoors March 20 – April 11 6 wk before
🥬 Cabbage Start indoors March 20 – April 11 6 wk before
🥬 Collards Start indoors March 20 – April 11 6 wk before
🥬 Kale Start indoors March 20 – April 11 6 wk before
🥬 Leaf Lettuce Start indoors March 20 – April 11 6 wk before
🫛 Peas Direct sow March 20 – April 11 6 wk before
🥬 Spinach Direct sow March 20 – April 11 6 wk before
🍠 Sweet Potato Start indoors March 20 – April 11 6 wk before
🍅 Tomatoes Start indoors March 20 – April 11 6 wk before
🥬 Bok Choy Start indoors March 27 – April 18 5 wk before
🥬 Kohlrabi Start indoors March 27 – April 18 5 wk before
🥬 Swiss Chard Start indoors March 27 – April 18 5 wk before
🥬 Arugula Direct sow April 3 – April 25 4 wk before
🥬 Baby Salad Greens Direct sow April 3 – April 25 4 wk before
🥕 Beets Direct sow April 3 – April 25 4 wk before
🧅 Green Onions Direct sow April 3 – April 25 4 wk before
🥬 Mustard Greens Direct sow April 3 – April 25 4 wk before
🌶️ Okra Start indoors April 3 – April 25 4 wk before
🌱 Radishes Direct sow April 3 – April 25 4 wk before
🥔 Turnips Direct sow April 3 – April 25 4 wk before
🥬 Cabbage Set out April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🥕 Carrots Direct sow April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🥬 Collards Direct sow April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🥬 Collards Set out April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🥒 Cucumbers Start indoors April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🧅 Green Onions Set out April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🥬 Kale Direct sow April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🥬 Kale Set out April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🥬 Kohlrabi Direct sow April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🥬 Kohlrabi Set out April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🥬 Leaf Lettuce Direct sow April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🎃 Pumpkins Start indoors April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🎃 Summer Squash Start indoors April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🎃 Winter Squash Start indoors April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🥒 Zucchini Start indoors April 10 – May 2 3 wk before
🥬 Bok Choy Direct sow April 17 – May 9 2 wk before
🥬 Bok Choy Set out April 17 – May 9 2 wk before
🥦 Broccoli Set out April 17 – May 9 2 wk before
🌿 Cilantro Direct sow April 17 – May 9 2 wk before
🥬 Leaf Lettuce Set out April 17 – May 9 2 wk before
🥬 Swiss Chard Direct sow April 17 – May 9 2 wk before
🥬 Swiss Chard Set out April 17 – May 9 2 wk before
🌿 Dill Direct sow April 24 – May 16 1 wk before
🫘 Bush Beans Direct sow May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🥒 Cucumbers Set out May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🎃 Pumpkins Direct sow May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🎃 Pumpkins Set out May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🎃 Summer Squash Direct sow May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🎃 Summer Squash Set out May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🌽 Sweet Corn Direct sow May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🍅 Tomatoes Set out May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🎃 Winter Squash Direct sow May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🎃 Winter Squash Set out May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🥒 Zucchini Direct sow May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🥒 Zucchini Set out May 8 – May 30 1 wk after
🥒 Cucumbers Direct sow May 15 – June 6 2 wk after
🌶️ Okra Direct sow May 15 – June 6 2 wk after
🌶️ Okra Set out May 15 – June 6 2 wk after
🌶️ Peppers Set out May 15 – June 6 2 wk after
🫘 Southern Peas Direct sow May 15 – June 6 2 wk after
🍠 Sweet Potato Set out May 15 – June 6 2 wk after

Offsets are published guidance; the dates they land on are computed from measured NOAA normals. The seed-starting tool does this for your own ZIP code and counts the days.

What survives the winter changes across Oxford County

Zone 5a carries 48 of 74 perennial edibles; zone 4b carries 34. The best number is not always the warmest zone — the count peaks in the middle and falls both ways, because the warm end loses plants to insufficient winter chill and summer heat, not to cold.

Hardiness ranges are a judgement, published by growers rather than measured; the zone they are compared against is measured. On a warm-end verdict, check with your local extension service — a coastal zone 8 and an inland zone 8 are not the same summer.

How certain the freeze dates are in Oxford County Two rows. Each runs from the cautious date, which shortens the growing season, to the optimistic one. The median dates sit between them. Every figure is repeated in the text below this chart. JFMAMJJASONDLast spring freezeFirst fall freeze

Cautious — shortens the seasonMedian across stationsOptimistic

Last spring freeze
Plan to June 5 to be careful. Median May 1 – May 23 across 13 stations; April 19 is the optimistic end.
First fall freeze
Plan to September 9 to be careful. Median September 22 – October 10 across 13 stations; October 27 is the optimistic end.

NOAA publishes these as probabilities, not averages — the middle figure is a median, so half of years fall either side of it. The cautious end is the 10% tail: in roughly nine years in ten the freeze falls on the safe side of it.

The 13 stations behind these numbers

The 13 NOAA stations serving Oxford County A relative sketch of where the stations sit, about 123 kilometres north to south. Each is named with its NOAA identifier in the station list on this page, which carries the same information as text. ANDOVER 2, ME US (USC00170217)BETHEL 6 SSE, ME US (USC00170583)BRIDGTON 3 NW, ME US (USC00170844)EAST HIRAM, ME US (USC00172238)ERROL AP, NH US (USC00272846)FRYEBURG E SLOPES AP, ME US (USW00054772)HARTFORD, ME US (USC00173570)LIVERMORE FALLS 1 E, ME US (USC00174745)POLAND, ME US (USC00176856)RANGELEY 2 NW, ME US (USC00177039)RUMFORD 1 SSE, ME US (USC00177325)RUMFORD 6SW, ME US (USC00177336)TURNER, ME US (USC00178817) ~123 km north to south

All 13 NOAA stations whose normals this page quotes, spanning about 123 km north to south. Every one is named with its identifier in the station list below — this page does not single one out, because no one station speaks for a whole county.

A relative sketch, not a map with a projection: longitude is adjusted for latitude so the shape is not stretched, and there is no basemap. For the one station nearest a specific address, with its real distance, use the ZIP lookup above.

These are the stations this county's ZIP codes actually cite as nearest — not a claim that each one sits inside its boundary, since a rural ZIP legitimately reaches over it. Every figure above comes from them, and each is named so you can check it.

Station NOAA ID Last spring freeze First fall freeze Season
Andover 2, ME USC00170217 May 19 September 25 129 days
Bethel 6 Sse, ME USC00170583 May 6 October 2 147 days
Bridgton 3 NW, ME USC00170844 May 5 October 5 151 days
East Hiram, ME USC00172238 May 12 October 1 140 days
Errol AP, NH USC00272846 May 21 September 22 123 days
Fryeburg E Slopes AP, ME USW00054772 May 17 September 25 128 days
Hartford, ME USC00173570 May 6 October 3 148 days
Livermore Falls 1 E, ME USC00174745 May 11 September 29 138 days
Poland, ME USC00176856 May 3 October 7 157 days
Rangeley 2 NW, ME USC00177039 May 23 September 24 123 days
Rumford 1 Sse, ME USC00177325 May 4 October 6 155 days
Rumford 6Sw, ME USC00177336 May 12 September 29 139 days
Turner, ME USC00178817 May 1 October 10 162 days

These are medians, not averages — NOAA publishes freeze dates as a probability distribution, and half of years freeze later than the date shown.

Your own ZIP

Work out your own dates

This page describes a whole county. Every tool below answers for one ZIP code, which is the grain the underlying data is published at.

Other places to compare

Oxford County sits in Maine. That page carries the whole state's zone spread, its metro areas, and every other county in it with a page here.

More of Maine

Counties with the same zones — 4b–5b

Matched on the exact zone set, not a dominant zone, so the winter answer on these pages really is the same one as here.

Gear

If you want to act on this

Each link opens an Amazon search rather than a product we picked. We have not tested these and do not rank them — the search is the honest version, and you choose.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. That costs you nothing extra, and it buys no influence over anything on this site: the dates come from NOAA normals and the zones from the USDA, and no product affects either.

Sources

Where these numbers come from

Hardiness zones are the USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, published per ZIP code by PRISM at Oregon State. Freeze dates and growing-season lengths are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, taken per station and cited above by name and NOAA ID.

County boundaries come from the Census ZCTA-to-county relation, which is what places each ZIP code — and which treats parishes, boroughs and census areas as county equivalents. No station is chosen to represent this county: every range above is taken across all of them and the count is stated, because picking one would be a judgement dressed as a measurement.