diff --git a/.changeset/c3-frameworks-update-16342.md b/.changeset/c3-frameworks-update-16342.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b1bee05f5b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/c3-frameworks-update-16342.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+"create-cloudflare": patch
+---
+
+Use create-astro 5.3.0 for new Astro projects. If your Node.js version is older than 22.22.0, C3 now explains the required upgrade before starting the Astro generator.
+
+The following dependency versions have been updated:
+
+| Dependency   | From  | To    |
+| ------------ | ----- | ----- |
+| create-astro | 5.2.6 | 5.3.0 |
diff --git a/packages/create-cloudflare/src/frameworks/__tests__/index.test.ts b/packages/create-cloudflare/src/frameworks/__tests__/index.test.ts
index 501f3b2ce56..c0daba36ca7 100644
--- a/packages/create-cloudflare/src/frameworks/__tests__/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/create-cloudflare/src/frameworks/__tests__/index.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { join, resolve } from "node:path";
 import { runCommand } from "@cloudflare/cli-shared-helpers/command";
 import { runInTempDir } from "@cloudflare/workers-utils/test-helpers";
 import { mockPackageManager } from "helpers/__tests__/mocks";
+import astro from "templates/astro/c3";
 import nuxt from "templates/nuxt/c3";
 import { afterEach, describe, test, vi } from "vitest";
 import { getFrameworkCli, runFrameworkGenerator } from "..";
@@ -62,6 +63,50 @@ describe("framework CLI Node.js requirements", () => {
 		vi.unstubAllGlobals();
 	});
 
+	describe.each(Object.entries(astro.platformVariants))(
+		"Astro (%s)",
+		(_, template) => {
+			test.for(["22.0.0", "22.21.99"])(
+				"rejects Node.js %s before running create-astro",
+				async (nodeVersion, { expect }) => {
+					vi.stubGlobal("process", {
+						...process,
+						versions: { ...process.versions, node: nodeVersion },
+					});
+					const ctx = createTestContext();
+					ctx.template = template;
+
+					await expect(
+						runFrameworkGenerator(ctx, [ctx.project.name])
+					).rejects.toThrow(
+						`Astro requires Node.js >=22.22.0. You are using Node.js ${nodeVersion}. Please upgrade Node.js and try again.`
+					);
+					expect(runCommand).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+				}
+			);
+
+			test.for(["22.22.0", "24.0.0", "26.0.0"])(
+				"runs create-astro on Node.js %s",
+				async (nodeVersion, { expect }) => {
+					vi.stubGlobal("process", {
+						...process,
+						versions: { ...process.versions, node: nodeVersion },
+					});
+					mockPackageManager("pnpm");
+					const ctx = createTestContext();
+					ctx.template = template;
+
+					await runFrameworkGenerator(ctx, [ctx.project.name]);
+
+					expect(runCommand).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+						["pnpx", getFrameworkCli(ctx), ctx.project.name],
+						{ env: {} }
+					);
+				}
+			);
+		}
+	);
+
 	describe.each(Object.entries(nuxt.platformVariants))(
 		"Nuxt (%s)",
 		(_, template) => {
diff --git a/packages/create-cloudflare/src/frameworks/package.json b/packages/create-cloudflare/src/frameworks/package.json
index 8eee034a396..a6b87690835 100644
--- a/packages/create-cloudflare/src/frameworks/package.json
+++ b/packages/create-cloudflare/src/frameworks/package.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 		"@angular/create": "22.2.2",
 		"@tanstack/cli": "0.71.1",
 		"create-analog": "2.8.1",
-		"create-astro": "5.2.6",
+		"create-astro": "5.3.0",
 		"create-docusaurus": "3.10.2",
 		"create-hono": "0.19.5",
 		"create-next-app": "16.4.1",
diff --git a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/astro/pages/c3.ts b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/astro/pages/c3.ts
index 2242faf5c8b..5ecf103fc20 100644
--- a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/astro/pages/c3.ts
+++ b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/astro/pages/c3.ts
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ const config: TemplateConfig = {
 	configVersion: 1,
 	id: "astro",
 	frameworkCli: "create-astro",
+	frameworkCliNodeVersion: ">=22.22.0",
 	platform: "pages",
 	hidden: true,
 	displayName: "Astro",
diff --git a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/astro/workers/c3.ts b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/astro/workers/c3.ts
index 3afe411f614..7bb997963fb 100644
--- a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/astro/workers/c3.ts
+++ b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/astro/workers/c3.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ const config: TemplateConfig = {
 	configVersion: 1,
 	id: "astro",
 	frameworkCli: "create-astro",
+	frameworkCliNodeVersion: ">=22.22.0",
 	platform: "workers",
 	displayName: "Astro",
 	copyFiles: {