Oregon
Planting zones in Tillamook County, Oregon
This county spans USDA zones 8b to 9b, so there is no single zone for Tillamook County and anyone who gives you one is rounding. 69% of its ZIP codes are zone 9a; the rest are not.
Your ZIP code
Get the exact answer for your address
Everything above describes Tillamook County, Oregon as a whole. Hardiness zones and freeze dates are published per ZIP code, so yours is exact β enter it and this page will tell you your zone, which NOAA station it comes from and how far away that station is.
Tillamook County does not have one planting answer
Its own weather stations disagree about 13 of the 32 crops in this table right now, so any single list would be wrong for part of the county. That is not a gap in the data β it is what the data says.
- Shortest season
- 183 days
TILLAMOOK, OR US (USC00358494) - Longest season
- 251 days
CLOVERDALE, OR US (USC00351682)
68 days of growing season separate those two stations, and both serve ZIP codes in Tillamook County. The ZIP lookup above answers for one address instead of averaging a place that has no average.
Why the hardiness zone does not settle this
A USDA zone is a winter-minimum statistic. It was never a growing-season one, and it does not behave like one: within a single zone the growing season runs a median 54 days wider at the 10thβ90th percentile, and annual growing degree days vary by 2.02Γ.
The zones also overlap rather than stack β 30% of zone 6b freezes before the median zone 6a station. The zone tells you what survives your winter; the station tells you what finishes before your autumn.
All 4 stations agreeAt least one station
Every one of the 4 NOAA stations serving this county counts April 22 β October 21 as growing season (182 days). Widening to any single station gives March 17 β November 22 (250 days).
That is a 68-day difference inside one county β 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
Tillamook County covers 3 hardiness zones. A guide that gives the county one zone has picked whichever is largest and rounded everyone else into it β fine for the 69% in zone 9a and wrong for the other 31%. Here is the actual split.
| Zone | ZIP codes | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9a | 9 | 69% | |
| 8b | 3 | 23% | |
| 9b | 1 | 8% |
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
Across the 4 NOAA stations serving this county. These are medians β half of years freeze later than the date shown β so treat the later end of each range as the cautious one.
The growing season runs 183β251 days depending which station you are nearest, as published by NOAA rather than computed from the dates above. Summer highs average 66.9β69.9 Β°F in JuneβAugust. Summer rain over the same months runs 4.9β5.8" across those 4 stations, against the rough inch a week β about 13 inches over the same 92 days β that a vegetable garden is usually reckoned to want. The middle station covers about 42% 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 68 Β°F summer afternoon drying the soil faster than a cool one.
Every ZIP code in Tillamook 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 β 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97107 | 9a | Tillamook, OR | 12.2 km |
| 97108 | 8b | Tillamook 6Se, OR | 18.5 km |
| 97112 | 9a | Cloverdale, OR | 7.9 km |
| 97118 | 9a | Tillamook, OR | 12.5 km |
| 97122 | 8b | Cloverdale, OR | 7.1 km |
| 97130 | 9a | Tillamook, OR | 29.3 km |
| 97131 | 8b | Tillamook, OR | 28.7 km |
| 97134 | 9a | Tillamook, OR | 9.3 km |
| 97135 | 9b | Cloverdale, OR | 5.5 km |
| 97136 | 9a | Tillamook, OR | 20.4 km |
| 97141 | 9a | Tillamook 6Se, OR | 8.9 km |
| 97147 | 9a | Tillamook, OR | 25.9 km |
| 97149 | 9a | Otis 2 NE, OR | 8.9 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 Tillamook County
Every date below is anchored on the last spring freeze at each station and reported as a range across all 4 of them, because no one station speaks for the county.
| Crop | Job | When | Offset |
|---|---|---|---|
| π§ Green Onions | Start indoors | January 20 β February 25 | 8 wk before |
| πΆοΈ Peppers | Start indoors | January 20 β February 25 | 8 wk before |
| π₯¦ Broccoli | Start indoors | February 3 β March 11 | 6 wk before |
| π₯¬ Cabbage | Start indoors | February 3 β March 11 | 6 wk before |
| π₯¬ Collards | Start indoors | February 3 β March 11 | 6 wk before |
| π₯¬ Kale | Start indoors | February 3 β March 11 | 6 wk before |
| π₯¬ Leaf Lettuce | Start indoors | February 3 β March 11 | 6 wk before |
| π« Peas | Direct sow | February 3 β March 11 | 6 wk before |
| π₯¬ Spinach | Direct sow | February 3 β March 11 | 6 wk before |
| π Sweet Potato | Start indoors | February 3 β March 11 | 6 wk before |
| π Tomatoes | Start indoors | February 3 β March 11 | 6 wk before |
| π₯¬ Bok Choy | Start indoors | February 10 β March 18 | 5 wk before |
| π₯¬ Kohlrabi | Start indoors | February 10 β March 18 | 5 wk before |
| π₯¬ Swiss Chard | Start indoors | February 10 β March 18 | 5 wk before |
| π₯¬ Arugula | Direct sow | February 17 β March 25 | 4 wk before |
| π₯¬ Baby Salad Greens | Direct sow | February 17 β March 25 | 4 wk before |
| π₯ Beets | Direct sow | February 17 β March 25 | 4 wk before |
| π§ Green Onions | Direct sow | February 17 β March 25 | 4 wk before |
| π₯¬ Mustard Greens | Direct sow | February 17 β March 25 | 4 wk before |
| πΆοΈ Okra | Start indoors | February 17 β March 25 | 4 wk before |
| π± Radishes | Direct sow | February 17 β March 25 | 4 wk before |
| π₯ Turnips | Direct sow | February 17 β March 25 | 4 wk before |
| π₯¬ Cabbage | Set out | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π₯ Carrots | Direct sow | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π₯¬ Collards | Direct sow | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π₯¬ Collards | Set out | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π₯ Cucumbers | Start indoors | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π§ Green Onions | Set out | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π₯¬ Kale | Direct sow | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π₯¬ Kale | Set out | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π₯¬ Kohlrabi | Direct sow | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π₯¬ Kohlrabi | Set out | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π₯¬ Leaf Lettuce | Direct sow | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π Pumpkins | Start indoors | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π Summer Squash | Start indoors | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π Winter Squash | Start indoors | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π₯ Zucchini | Start indoors | February 24 β April 1 | 3 wk before |
| π₯¬ Bok Choy | Direct sow | March 3 β April 8 | 2 wk before |
| π₯¬ Bok Choy | Set out | March 3 β April 8 | 2 wk before |
| π₯¦ Broccoli | Set out | March 3 β April 8 | 2 wk before |
| πΏ Cilantro | Direct sow | March 3 β April 8 | 2 wk before |
| π₯¬ Leaf Lettuce | Set out | March 3 β April 8 | 2 wk before |
| π₯¬ Swiss Chard | Direct sow | March 3 β April 8 | 2 wk before |
| π₯¬ Swiss Chard | Set out | March 3 β April 8 | 2 wk before |
| πΏ Dill | Direct sow | March 10 β April 15 | 1 wk before |
| π« Bush Beans | Direct sow | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π₯ Cucumbers | Set out | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π Pumpkins | Direct sow | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π Pumpkins | Set out | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π Summer Squash | Direct sow | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π Summer Squash | Set out | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π½ Sweet Corn | Direct sow | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π Tomatoes | Set out | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π Winter Squash | Direct sow | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π Winter Squash | Set out | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π₯ Zucchini | Direct sow | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π₯ Zucchini | Set out | March 24 β April 29 | 1 wk after |
| π₯ Cucumbers | Direct sow | March 31 β May 6 | 2 wk after |
| πΆοΈ Okra | Direct sow | March 31 β May 6 | 2 wk after |
| πΆοΈ Okra | Set out | March 31 β May 6 | 2 wk after |
| πΆοΈ Peppers | Set out | March 31 β May 6 | 2 wk after |
| π« Southern Peas | Direct sow | March 31 β May 6 | 2 wk after |
| π Sweet Potato | Set out | March 31 β May 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 Tillamook County
Zone 8b carries 54 of 74 perennial edibles; zone 9b carries 40. The best number is not always the warmest zone β 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 β a coastal zone 8 and an inland zone 8 are not the same summer.
Cautious β shortens the seasonMedian across stationsOptimistic
- Last spring freeze
- Plan to May 13 to be careful. Median March 17 β April 22 across 4 stations; February 9 is the optimistic end.
- First fall freeze
- Plan to September 27 to be careful. Median October 21 β November 22 across 4 stations; December 31 is the optimistic end.
NOAA publishes these as probabilities, not averages β 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 4 stations behind these numbers
All 4 NOAA stations whose normals this page quotes, spanning about 47 km north to south. Every one is named with its identifier in the station list below β 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 β 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloverdale, OR | USC00351682 | March 17 | November 22 | 251 days |
| Otis 2 NE, OR | USC00356366 | April 4 | November 16 | 227 days |
| Tillamook 6Se, OR | USC00358498 | April 5 | November 4 | 219 days |
| Tillamook, OR | USC00358494 | April 22 | October 21 | 183 days |
These are medians, not averages β 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
Tillamook County sits in Oregon. That page carries the whole state's zone spread, its metro areas, and every other county in it with a page here.
More of Oregon
- Umatilla County, OR 6bβ7b
- Grant County, OR 5b, 6b, 7a
- Baker County, OR 6aβ7a
- Harney County, OR 6aβ6b
- Coos County, OR 9aβ9b
- Wasco County, OR 6bβ7b
- Curry County, OR 9aβ9b
- Douglas County, OR 8bβ9a
- Klamath County, OR 6aβ7a
- Lincoln County, OR 8bβ9b
- Malheur County, OR 6aβ7a
Counties with the same zones β 8bβ9b
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 β the search is the honest version, and you choose.
- Row cover and frost clothThe season here closes at the first fall freeze dated above β a cover buys back some of those days at the end.
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 1991β2020 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 β 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.