Peoria, IL · zone 5b · ~189 frost-free days
When to plant in Peoria: frost dates and zone 5b.
In Peoria, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 16 and the first fall frost around Oct 22, giving you about 189 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 Peoria, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 12 to May 12 | Apr 23 to Jun 23 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 9 to Apr 23 | Aug 8 to Oct 7 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 9 to Apr 11 | Jul 27 to Aug 22 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 16 to Jun 6 | Jul 8 to Aug 10 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 23 to Jul 23 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 21 to May 12 | May 2 to Jun 23 | — |
| Kale | Jan 26 to Feb 23 | Mar 9 to Apr 6 | Jul 22 to Sep 6 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 23 to Apr 6 | Aug 8 to Sep 26 |
Peoria sits in Zone 5b, 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 Peoria 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 61602 in about 60 seconds.
Peoria planting questions
What planting zone is Peoria, IL?+
Peoria is in USDA hardiness zone 5b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 5b 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 Peoria?+
The typical last spring frost in Peoria, IL is around Apr 16. 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 Peoria?+
The typical first fall frost in Peoria, IL arrives around Oct 22, closing a growing season of roughly 189 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Peoria?+
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 16. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.