Agriculture in Arizona
ZIP codes in our Arizona data
USDA hardiness zones present
Agriculture is a long-standing part of Arizona's economy, built almost entirely on irrigation that turns desert valleys into highly productive farmland. Water from the Colorado River, the Central Arizona Project, and groundwater lets growers raise high-value vegetables, field crops, and livestock in a place that receives very little rainfall. For farmers and gardeners alike, understanding water use and the intense desert heat matters as much as understanding soil and seed.
Farming in Arizona
Arizona's farm sector is led by livestock, with cattle and a large dairy industry ranking among the state's top commodities. On the crop side, the Yuma area is one of the nation's most important sources of winter lettuce and other leafy greens, and the low deserts also produce cotton, including high-quality Pima cotton, along with alfalfa and other hay, durum wheat, citrus, melons, and dates. Most row-crop farming happens in the irrigated low-desert valleys around Yuma, Phoenix, and the Gila River, while rangeland cattle grazing extends across the drier uplands and high country. The overall character of Arizona farming is defined by long, hot growing seasons and careful, engineered water management rather than rain-fed production.
Climate and growing conditions
Arizona has a mostly arid to semi-arid climate, with hot low deserts in the south and west and cooler, higher country across the northern plateau and mountains. The low deserts around Yuma and Phoenix have a very long, often nearly year-round frost-free growing season, while the high elevations near Flagstaff and the White Mountains have short seasons and cold winters. USDA hardiness zones span a wide range, from roughly zone 4b or 5 in the highest mountains to about zone 10a or 10b in the far southwestern low deserts.
Major agricultural products
- Cattle and calves
- Dairy products (milk)
- Lettuce and leafy greens
- Cotton, including Pima cotton
- Hay and alfalfa
- Durum wheat
- Citrus
- Melons
Hardiness zones in Arizona
Growers in Arizona fall across these USDA plant hardiness zones (by number of ZIP codes in our data):
Local weather & frost dates in Arizona
Open any location for its live forecast, frost dates, and planting calendar:
Counties in Arizona
Browse local growing conditions, hardiness zones, and weather by county (17 counties):
Market prices & data for Arizona
State overviews combine hardiness-zone data from our ZIP database with public USDA market reports and NOAA climate normals. For farm-level decisions, consult your state's Cooperative Extension service. Page updated Aug 4, 2026.