California has 13 USDA hardiness zones from 5a to 11a, with average annual winter low temperatures from -20°F at the highest Sierra Nevada elevations to 45°F along the Southern California coast, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Zone 5a (-20°F to -15°F) is rare, occurring only at the highest Sierra Nevada peaks. Truckee anchors California’s populated cold extreme at zones 5b through 7a in Nevada County, with South Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes covering zones 6a to 7a.
California’s Central Valley spans zones 8b to 9b, including Sacramento (zone 9b), Fresno, Modesto, and Stockton. The Sierra foothills cover Auburn, Placerville, and Grass Valley in zones 8b through 9a, with the Sierra mid-elevations at zones 7b to 8b.
Coastal California hosts the warmest zones, with San Diego (zones 8a to 11a), Los Angeles (zones 10a and 10b), Santa Barbara, and Ojai reaching zone 11a. The Bay Area covers San Francisco, San Jose, Mendocino Coast (zones 9b–10a), and Santa Rosa in zones 9a to 10b.
California’s hardiness zones are also called growing zones, gardening zones, planting zones, plant zones, USDA zones, agricultural zones, or climate zones.
Use the ZIP code search and the interactive California planting zones map below to find your specific USDA hardiness zone.
Search California Planting Zones by ZIP Code
California Planting Zones Map
Planting Zones
Planting Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones for California Cities and Towns
| California City/Town | 2023 USDA Hardiness Zone(s) |
|---|---|
| Alameda | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Anaheim | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Apple Valley | Zone 8a, 8b and 9a |
| Arroyo Grande | Zone 10a |
| Atascadero | Zone 9a, 9b and 10a |
| Auburn | Zone 9a and 9b |
| Bakersfield | Zone 9b |
| Berkeley | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Brentwood | Zone 9b |
| Burbank | Zone 10a |
| Camarillo | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Carlsbad | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Castro Valley | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Chula Vista | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Clovis | Zone 9b |
| Concord | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Danville | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Davis | Zone 9b |
| El Cajon | Zone 9b, 10a and 10b |
| El Dorado Hills | Zone 9b |
| Elk Grove | Zone 9b |
| Encinitas | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Escondido | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Eureka | Zone 9b |
| Fairfield | Zone 9a and 9b |
| Fallbrook | Zone 9b, 10a and 10b |
| Folsom | Zone 9b |
| Fontana | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Fremont | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Fresno | Zone 9b |
| Fullerton | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Gilroy | Zone 9a, 9b and 10a |
| Grass Valley | Zone 8b and 9a |
| Hanford | Zone 9a and 9b |
| Hayward | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Hemet | Zone 9b |
| Hollister | Zone 8b, 9a, 9b and 10a |
| Huntington Beach | Zone 10a and 10b |
| La Mesa | Zone 10b |
| Los Angeles | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Lake Arrowhead | Zone 8a, 8b and 9a |
| Lancaster | Zone 8a, 8b and 9a |
| Lincoln | Zone 9a and 9b |
| Livermore | Zone 9b |
| Long Beach | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Manteca | Zone 9b |
| Martinez | Zone 9b |
| Menifee | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Mendocino Coast | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Merced | Zone 9a and 9b |
| Mill Valley | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Mission Viejo | Zone 10b |
| Modesto | Zone 9b |
| Moreno Valley | Zone 9b |
| Morgan Hill | Zone 9a, 9b and 10a |
| Murrieta | Zone 9b, 10a and 10b |
| Napa | Zone 9a, 9b and 10a |
| Nevada City | Zone 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a and 9b |
| Oakland | Zone 9b, 10a and 10b |
| Oceanside | Zone 9b, 10a and 10b |
| Ojai | Zone 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, and 11a |
| Orange County | Zone 8b, 9a, 9b. 10a and 10b |
| Oxnard | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Pacifica | Zone 9b, 10a and 10b |
| Palm Springs | Zone 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b and 10a |
| Palmdale | Zone 8b, 9a and 9b |
| Palo Alto | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Pasadena | Zone 9b, 10a and 10b |
| Paso Robles | Zone 9a |
| Petaluma | Zone 9a, 9b and 10a |
| Placerville | Zone 8b, 9a and 9b |
| Poway | Zone 9b, 10a and 10b |
| Ramona | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Redding | Zone 9a and 9b |
| Redlands | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Riverside | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Roseville | Zone 9a and 9b |
| Sacramento | Zone 9b |
| Salinas | Zone 9b and 10a |
| San Bernardino | Zone 9a, 9b and 10a |
| San Clemente | Zone 10a and 10b |
| San Diego | Zone 8a to 11a |
| San Francisco | Zone 10a and 10b |
| San Francisco Peninsula | Zone 9b and 10a |
| San Jose | Zone 9b and 10a |
| San Marcos | Zone 10a |
| San Mateo | Zone 10a |
| San Rafael | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Santa Barbara | Zone 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b and 11a |
| Santa Clara | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Santa Clarita | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Santa Cruz | Zone 9b and 10a |
| Santa Rosa | Zone 9a, 9b and 10a |
| Sebastopol | Zone 9a, 9b and 10a |
| Simi Valley | Zone 9b, 10a and 10b |
| Stockton | Zone 9a and 9b |
| Tehachapi | Zone 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a |
| Temecula | Zone 10b |
| Thousand Oaks | Zone 10a and 10b |
| Torrance | Zone 10b and 11a |
| Tracy | Zone 9b |
| Truckee | Zone 5b, 6a, 6b and 7a |
| Vacaville | Zone 9a and 9b |
| Vallejo | Zone 9b |
| Ventura | Zone 9b, 10a and 10b |
| Victorville | Zone 8b |
| Visalia | Zone 9b |
| Walnut Creek | Zone 9a, 9b and 10a |
| Yucaipa | Zone 9b |
| Yucca Valley | Zone 8b and 9a |