Frost dates · USDA zone 6a
Frost dates for Champaign, IL
Champaign, IL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 15 and its first of fall around October 24 — a 190-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Apr 1 | Nov 5 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 15 | Oct 24 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 29 | Oct 11 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 190 days median, at least 171 in 9 years of 10, at least 209 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Apr 4 and first of Nov 2.
Champaign planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 15) and median first frost (Oct 24) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Jan 21 | Mar 18 | Jul 6 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 15 | May 15 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 1 | Apr 1 | May 16 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 18 | Apr 29 | Jun 28 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 18 | Apr 22 | Jul 6 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 4 | Apr 29 | Aug 2 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 18 | Apr 22 | Jul 6 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 18 | Apr 22 | Jul 11 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 18 | Apr 22 | Jul 11 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 1 | Apr 1 | Jun 10 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 4 | Apr 22 | Jul 1 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 4 | Apr 22 | Jul 6 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 4 | Apr 22 | Jul 11 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Champaign grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Champaign container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Champaign frost questions
When is the last frost in Champaign, IL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at CHAMPAIGN 3S, IL is April 15: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 29; nine years in ten, it comes after April 1. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Champaign, IL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 24. One year in ten it arrives before October 11; nine years in ten, before November 5.
How long is the growing season in Champaign, IL?
190 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 171 days; one year in ten, at least 209 days.
What growing zone is Champaign, IL?
USDA hardiness zone 6a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 61821. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Champaign, IL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 4 and transplant around Apr 22, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 29. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 6.
When should I plant peppers in Champaign, IL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 18; transplant no earlier than Apr 22, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 6.
Nearby in Illinois
- Decaturlast frost Apr 14
- Bloomingtonlast frost Apr 21
- Normallast frost Apr 25
- Springfieldlast frost Apr 15
- Peorialast frost Apr 16
- Jolietlast frost Apr 19
All Illinois frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →