Agriculture in Illinois
ZIP codes in our Illinois data
USDA hardiness zones present
Agriculture is one of Illinois's largest industries, with farmland covering roughly three quarters of the state's land area. The deep, fertile prairie soils of central and northern Illinois make it one of the most productive row-crop regions in the country, which shapes both the commercial farm economy and the choices home gardeners make across the state.
Farming in Illinois
Illinois is consistently one of the top corn and soybean producing states in the nation, and these two row crops dominate the rural landscape. Livestock production is led by hogs, in which Illinois ranks among the nation's largest producers, along with beef and dairy cattle. The state also grows winter wheat, hay, sorghum, and a range of specialty crops, and it is a leading grower of pumpkins, particularly the processing pumpkins raised in the central part of the state. Grain elevators, barge traffic on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, and rail links to Chicago tie the state's farms into national and export markets.
Climate and growing conditions
Illinois has a humid continental climate with cold winters, warm to hot summers, and rainfall spread through the year, which supports rain-fed row crops. The frost-free growing season runs roughly 160 days in the north to over 190 days in the far south, so planting and harvest dates shift noticeably from one end of the state to the other. USDA hardiness zones range from about 5a in the northern counties through zone 6 across the middle of the state to zone 7a at the southern tip.
Major agricultural products
- Corn
- Soybeans
- Hogs
- Beef and dairy cattle
- Winter wheat
- Hay
- Pumpkins
Hardiness zones in Illinois
Growers in Illinois fall across these USDA plant hardiness zones (by number of ZIP codes in our data):
Local weather & frost dates in Illinois
Open any location for its live forecast, frost dates, and planting calendar:
Counties in Illinois
Browse local growing conditions, hardiness zones, and weather by county (103 counties):
Market prices & data for Illinois
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.