village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Hinckley, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 49% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (80th percentile) and lowest in summer (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hinckley?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hinckley, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, black locust; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Soybeans: about 6,798 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 10,034 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Hinckley
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi N.
How Hinckley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 92nd | 50th | 93rd | 42nd |
| Illinois | 49th | 63rd | 44th | 80th |
| Central Corn Belt Plains | 39th | 81st | 28th | 78th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Hinckley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Big Rock 6 mi · Waterman 6 mi · Kaneville 7 mi · Plano 8 mi · Sandwich 8 mi · Somonauk 10 mi
All towns in Illinois · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Hinckley (41.7714, -88.6404); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.