Atlantic City, NJ Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Gardening in Atlantic City
The Shore's famous city has a food culture that extends beyond casino buffets to community gardens that grow food in sandy coastal soil.
Zone 7b with 225 frost-free days. The Atlantic maritime influence provides the longest growing season on the Jersey Shore. Sandy barrier island soil needs constant organic amendment.
Atlantic City's diverse community grows food traditions from around the world in coastal New Jersey's mild, maritime climate.
What This Means for Atlantic City Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Atlantic City is around March 28, and the average first fall frost arrives around November 8. That gives you approximately 225 frost-free days to work with.
That's a generous season. You have time for full-size tomatoes, long-season peppers, and even watermelons without the anxiety of racing the frost. Start warm-season seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost to hit the ground running. Fall planting is your second opportunity — garlic, kale, lettuce, and broccoli all go in 8-10 weeks before your first frost for harvest into late autumn.
These dates are based on NOAA 30-year Climate Normal data for the Atlantic City area. Your actual frost dates could shift 2-3 weeks in either direction in any given year. Learn more about our data sources.
What to Grow in Atlantic City
Atlantic City's 225-day growing season is generous — long enough for two full growing windows (spring and fall) with warm-season crops between them. You can grow the full range of vegetables, herbs, and flowers with proper timing. Focus on heat-tolerant varieties for midsummer and cool-season crops for extended fall harvests. Recommended starting points: tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash, garlic, kale, and sunflowers.
See the full New Jersey planting guide for all 40 plants: New Jersey Planting Calendar. Or enter your zip code for exact planting dates personalized to Atlantic City.
More About Zone 7B
Atlantic City is in USDA Hardiness Zone 7B, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between 5°F to 10°F. View the full Zone 7B planting guide.
See the complete planting calendar for New Jersey: New Jersey Planting Calendar.
Other Cities in New Jersey
Frequently Asked Questions
These dates are based on NOAA's 30-year Climate Normal data for the Atlantic City area. They represent historical averages, not predictions. In any given year, the actual last frost could be 2-3 weeks earlier or later. Microclimates within Atlantic City (urban heat islands, hilltops, low-lying valleys) can also shift your local frost dates by a week or more.
Cool-season crops go in 3-4 weeks before your last frost (March 28). Warm-season crops wait until 2 weeks after. You have time for a fall round too — plant cool-season crops again in late summer for harvest into autumn. Enter your zip code for exact dates.