Cedar Rapids, IA · zone 5a · ~166 frost-free days
When to plant in Cedar Rapids: frost dates and zone 5a.
In Cedar Rapids, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 28 and the first fall frost around Oct 11, giving you about 166 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 Cedar Rapids, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 24 to May 24 | May 5 to Jul 5 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 21 to May 5 | Jul 28 to Sep 26 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 21 to Apr 23 | Jul 16 to Aug 11 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 28 to Jun 18 | Jun 27 to Jul 30 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | May 5 to Jul 25 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Apr 2 to May 24 | May 14 to Jul 5 | — |
| Kale | Feb 7 to Mar 7 | Mar 21 to Apr 18 | Jul 11 to Aug 26 |
| Spinach | — | Mar 7 to Apr 18 | Jul 28 to Sep 15 |
Cedar Rapids sits in Zone 5a, 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 Cedar Rapids 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 52401 in about 60 seconds.
Cedar Rapids planting questions
What planting zone is Cedar Rapids, IA?+
Cedar Rapids is in USDA hardiness zone 5a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 5a 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 Cedar Rapids?+
The typical last spring frost in Cedar Rapids, IA is around Apr 28. 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 Cedar Rapids?+
The typical first fall frost in Cedar Rapids, IA arrives around Oct 11, closing a growing season of roughly 166 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Cedar Rapids?+
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 28. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.