village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in North City, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi W); corn (nearest 0.7 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in North City?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of North City, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra 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 753 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms late May – 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 North City
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.09 mi N.
How North City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 94th | 93rd | 88th | 32nd |
| Illinois | 58th | 98th | 21st | 67th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 73rd | 96th | 37th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 39% 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 North City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Christopher 2 mi · Valier 2 mi · Mulkeytown 3 mi · Buckner 3 mi · Zeigler 6 mi · West City 6 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 North City (37.9912, -89.0639); 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.