Upstate New York is generally considered to be the area north of the New York City metropolitan region, covering most of the state and comprising hardiness zones 4a to 7b.
Upstate New York hardiness zone map
In this article, we’ll dive into the hardiness zones encompassing Upstate New York, the entire area north of the New York metropolitan region (from Rockland and Westchester to the north, covering the upper portion of the state).
If you’d like to read more about the hardiness zones of the entire state, visit our other article:
Pro Tip: Knowing your hardiness zone is crucial to picking the right plants for your garden. To learn more, visit our article: “How to Use the Plant Hardiness Zone Map in Your Yard.”
Zone 4a (-30 F to -25 F)
Upstate New York comprises eight different hardiness zones, with zone 4a being the coldest. Zone 4a occupies the central region of the Adirondacks mountains, the portion with the highest elevation. Starting at the southern half of Franklin and Saint Lawrence counties, it spreads west until it reaches the eastern border of Lewis County.
From Franklin and Saint Lawrence counties, zone 4a extends down to the northern half of Hamilton, Herkimer, and the northwestern corner of Essex County, covering the Lake Placid area. Some small areas in Clinton and Warren counties are also in zone 4a.
Zone 4b (-25 F to -20 F)
Zone 4b is the second coldest region of Upstate New York, also encompassing a big portion of the Adirondacks region. The 4b distribution spreads around the 4a region, where the altitudes are not as high and cover most of upper Franklin and Saint Lawrence counties (including Massena).
From Franklin, it extends east and south, reaching Clinton, Essex, and Warren County. From Saint Lawrence, it reaches south and east, covering most of Lewis County, the eastern border of Jefferson County, and the northeastern corner of Oswego and Oneida County.
From Oneida, zone 4b extends east, covering the middle range of Herkimer County and most of southern Hamilton County. It also covers a small portion of north Fulton County.
Zone 5a (-20 F to -15 F)
Zone 5a occupies the perimeter around zone 4b, covering most of the northeastern borders of New York State. Covering most of Clinton County, it runs south along the Poultney River until it reaches the upper half of Washington County.
From Washington County, it extends west through northern Saratoga, covering the eastern portion of Warren, the southeastern corner of Hamilton County, and most of Fulton. Continuing its western distribution, zone 5a covers the middle portion of Herkimer and the northern portion of Oneida (and some isolated areas in the south of both counties).
From Oneida, zone 5a extends north to a small portion of Lewis, part of Oswego, most of Jefferson County (including Watertown), and parts of the northern border of Saint Lawrence and Franklin. Smaller isolated areas in other parts of the state are also in Zone 5a, in the counties of:
- Otsego
- Schoharie
- Albany
- Greene
- Ulster
- Cattaraugus
- Delaware
Zone 5b (-15 F to -10 F)
Zone 5b occupies a big portion of central New York State and other areas in the Catskills, Hudson Valley, and the western parts of the state. From its western reach, zone 5b starts in south Chautauqua and spreads to most of Cattaraugus, Allegany, and Steuben, the southeastern corner of Erie, and the southwestern corner of Wyoming.
From portions of Schuyler and Chemung, it spreads to Tompkins, Tioga, and Broome. From the northeastern corner of Tompkins, it spreads north to the south of Cayuga, Onondaga, and Oswego until it reaches the southern coast of Jefferson County. From Oswego, it spreads east to:
- Southern Oneida
- Herkimer
- Fulton
- Saratoga
- Washington
From Washington, it extends south to most of Rensselaer and northeastern Columbia. At its southernmost reach, zone 5b covers northern Sullivan and Ulster. Zone 5b occupies most of the entire area of the following counties:
- Cortland
- Chenango
- Madison
- Oswego
- Delaware
- Montgomery
- Schoharie
- Schenectady
- Albany
- Greene
Zone 6a (-10 F to -5 F)
Zone 6a covers the upper part of the Greater Niagara and Finger Lakes region and a portion of the Hudson Valley and Albany.
At its western distribution, zone 6a covers most of Chautauqua and extends east to Erie, Niagara, Genesee, southern Orleans, northern Wyoming, Livingston, southern Monroe, most of Ontario, Yates, Schuyler, Seneca, Tompkins, Wayne, Cayuga, Onondaga (including Syracuse), west Oswego and a small portion at the coast of Jefferson County.
From Tompkins, it reaches down to Chemung, Tioga, and Broome (including Binghamton) counties. It also covers small portions of:
- Cattaraugus
- Allegany
- Steuben
- Chenango
- Delaware
Zone 6a also covers the southeastern corner of Upstate New York. Starting at the southernmost corner of Washington County, Saratoga, and Schenectady, zone 6a extends down to eastern Albany (covering the capital city of Albany) and Greene and western Rensselaer to most of Columbia and Dutchess. It also occupies a big portion of Sullivan County and Ulster.
Zone 6b (-5 F to 0 F)
Zone 6b occupies the southern portion of the Hudson Valley and the northwestern border of Upstate New York. At its southern portion, zone 6b starts at central Ulster and reaches north Rockland and Westchester.
At its northwestern distribution, zone 6b covers the northern border of Chautauqua, western Erie (including Buffalo), most of Niagara and then it extends east until it reaches a small portion of Oswego’s coast.
Zone 6b also covers most of Monroe County (including Rochester) and Wayne County, and reaches down to parts of:
- Ontario
- Seneca
- Yates
- Cayuga
- Schuyler
- Tompkins
Zone 6b also covers a small isolated area in Livingston County.
Zone 7a (0 F to 5 F)
Zone 7a starts at the southeastern corner of Orange County and the southwestern corner of Putnam and spans most of Rockland and Westchester.
Zone 7b (5 F to 10 F)
Covering the southernmost part of Upstate New York, zone 7b occupies only a small portion of south Westchester County.
Learn more about Upstate New York
If you’d like to dive into more helpful information on the right grass and the best plants for Upstate New York, take a look at our other articles:
- The Best Grass Seed for Upstate New York
- When to Plant Grass Seed in New York
- The Best Perennials for Upstate New York Landscapes
When to call a pro
Do you need a hand with your day-to-day lawn care? Contact one of our lawn care pros today. We have experienced professionals throughout New York State, including cities such as Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, Binghamton, and Utica, who can promptly help you out.
Main Image Credit: Wing-Booth House, Buffalo, New York | Andre Carrotflower | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0
