Agriculture in Texas
ZIP codes in our Texas data
USDA hardiness zones present
Texas is the largest farming and ranching state in the country by land area, with more farms and ranches than any other state. Agriculture reaches into nearly every corner of Texas, from cattle ranches and cotton fields to citrus groves and backyard vegetable gardens, making it a cornerstone of both the state economy and rural community life.
Farming in Texas
Cattle ranching is the backbone of Texas agriculture, and the state consistently leads the nation in beef cattle numbers. Texas is also the top cotton-producing state, with much of the crop grown on the High Plains around Lubbock, and it is a major producer of hay, grain sorghum, corn, and wheat. Livestock and dairy are important as well, with a large dairy industry in the Panhandle and the state ranking near the top for sheep, goats, and mohair. Specialty and horticultural crops round out the picture, including pecans, grapefruit and other citrus from the Rio Grande Valley, onions, watermelons, peanuts, and a growing wine grape industry.
Climate and growing conditions
Because Texas is so large, its climate ranges from humid subtropical in the east to semi-arid and arid in the west, and the growing season stretches from roughly 180 days in the northern Panhandle to nearly year-round along the lower Rio Grande. USDA plant hardiness zones span a wide range, from about zone 6b in the far northern Panhandle to zone 9b or 10a in the southern tip near the Gulf and the Rio Grande Valley. Gardeners should expect very different planting dates, heat stress, and frost risk depending on their region, so local Cooperative Extension planting guides are especially useful here.
Major agricultural products
- Cattle and calves
- Cotton
- Dairy and milk
- Broilers and poultry
- Grain sorghum
- Corn
- Hay
- Pecans
Hardiness zones in Texas
Growers in Texas fall across these USDA plant hardiness zones (by number of ZIP codes in our data):
Local weather & frost dates in Texas
Open any location for its live forecast, frost dates, and planting calendar:
Counties in Texas
Browse local growing conditions, hardiness zones, and weather by county (254 counties):
Market prices & data for Texas
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.