Based on the meteorological data of Northeast China during 1961-2013, combined with the biology-based thermal index and SPSS cluster analysis method, the classification of maize chilling damage in Northeast China were established and the temporal-spatial dynamics of maize chilling damage frequency were analyzed. The results indicated that the frequency of different maize chilling damages (mild, moderate, severe) in Northeast China presented a time-dependent reduced-enhanced-reduced trend, and has reduced significantly since 1999. The decreased amplitude of chilling damage frequency was ranged as moderate> severe> mild chilling damage. The mild chilling damage occurred occasionally during recent 10 years, while the moderate and severe chilling damages seldom occurred in Northeast China. The chilling damage frequency decreased from north to south in the three provinces of northeast China, and the high frequency areas of mild, moderate and severe chilling damages were located at Yingkou, Harbin and Daxinganling districts, respectively. The occurrence area of decadal severe chilling damage changed less than those of decadal moderate and mild chilling damages. The results will provide scientific reference for maize chilling damage risk assessment and policy-makers.