Aurora, IL · zone 6a · ~187 frost-free days
When to plant in Aurora: frost dates and zone 6a.
In Aurora, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 19 and the first fall frost around Oct 23, giving you about 187 frost-free days. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost; warm-season crops wait until after it.
The 2026 windows
Sow dates for Aurora, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 15 to May 15 | Apr 26 to Jun 26 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 12 to Apr 26 | Aug 9 to Oct 8 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 12 to Apr 14 | Jul 28 to Aug 23 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 19 to Jun 9 | Jul 9 to Aug 11 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 26 to Jul 26 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 24 to May 15 | May 5 to Jun 26 | — |
| Kale | Jan 29 to Feb 26 | Mar 12 to Apr 9 | Jul 23 to Sep 7 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 26 to Apr 9 | Aug 9 to Sep 27 |
Aurora sits in Zone 6a, but two gardens in the same city can be a week or two apart. The planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not the zone, so the dates land right for your block, not the metro average.
Build your Aurora garden plan.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for ZIP 60505 in about 60 seconds.
Aurora planting questions
What planting zone is Aurora, IL?+
Aurora is in USDA hardiness zone 6a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 6a here. It tells you what survives winter, not when to plant. Frost dates set your planting time, and the free planner uses your exact ZIP code's frost dates, which can differ by weeks across one metro.
When is the last frost date in Aurora?+
The typical last spring frost in Aurora, IL is around Apr 19. That is an average from local history, not a guarantee, so tender crops like tomatoes and peppers are safer with a week of buffer after it.
When is the first frost date in Aurora?+
The typical first fall frost in Aurora, IL arrives around Oct 23, closing a growing season of roughly 187 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Aurora?+
It depends on the date. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and spinach go out weeks before the last frost; warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers wait until after Apr 19. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.