Deconstruct SunHardiness Zone 5b: Temperature, States & Cities
In USDA zone 5b, the coldest night of a typical winter falls between −15 and −10 °F (−26.1 to −23.3 °C).
average annual extreme minimum
Where is zone 5b?
On the 2023 USDA map, zone 5b appears in Illinois, New York, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Indiana, Vermont, Utah, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Alaska, Nevada, West Virginia, South Dakota, Kansas.
Cities in zone 5b
- Anchorage, AK
- Fort Collins, CO
- Greeley, CO
- Idaho Falls, ID
- Aurora, IL
- Naperville, IL
- Joliet, IL
- Rockford, IL
- Elgin, IL
- Des Moines, IA
- Cedar Rapids, IA
- Davenport, IA
- Iowa City, IA
- Ames, IA
- Lewiston, ME
- Augusta, ME
- Marquette, MI
- Missoula, MT
- Kalispell, MT
- Bellevue, NE
- Grand Island, NE
- Kearney, NE
- North Platte, NE
- Elko, NV
- Concord, NH
- Utica, NY
- Rapid City, SD
- Park City, UT
- Burlington, VT
- Green Bay, WI
- Kenosha, WI
- Appleton, WI
- Cheyenne, WY
Gardening in zone 5b
Pick perennials, shrubs and trees labeled for zone 5b or a lower number. Then match the light: every plant tag also lists full sun, part sun or shade, and that depends on the exact spot, not the zone.
Check your zone
Zone checked. Now measure the sun.
Deconstruct Sun shows how many hours of direct sun one exact spot gets, today and in every season. Free on iPhone.
Questions
What is the temperature range for zone 5b?
In zone 5b, the average coldest winter night is −15 to −10 °F (−26.1 to −23.3 °C). That is the average of each year’s lowest temperature from 1991 to 2020.
What is the difference between zone 5b and 5a?
Both are part of zone 5. The “a” half is 5 °F colder than the “b” half. Zone 5a averages −20 to −15 °F and zone 5b averages −15 to −10 °F.
Can I grow zone 6a plants in zone 5b?
A plant rated for a warmer zone may survive a mild winter, but one hard freeze can kill it. Choose plants rated for your zone or colder for permanent plantings, and treat warmer-zone plants as annuals or grow them in pots you can move.
This is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones are derived from the official 2023 dataset, resampled to about 2 km.