village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Hopewell, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 8% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (8th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hopewell?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hopewell, 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 Apr 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 2,664 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,733 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms early Jul – late Jul (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 Hopewell
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.35 mi SE.
How Hopewell ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 80th | 77th | 46th |
| Illinois | 8th | 92nd | 8th | 84th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 16th | 82nd | 18th | 85th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Hopewell: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sparland 3 mi · Lacon 4 mi · Chillicothe 5 mi · Rome 8 mi · Washburn 10 mi · Henry 11 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 Hopewell (40.9842, -89.4571); 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.