city in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Charles Town, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 100% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (100th percentile) and lowest in spring (17th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Charles Town?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Charles Town, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 339 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 570 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 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 Charles Town
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.31 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi NE.
How Charles Town ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 74th | 88th | 45th |
| West Virginia | 100th | 17th | 100th | 63rd |
| Ridge and Valley | 100th | 46th | 98th | 56th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Charles Town: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Shannondale 5 mi · Middleway 6 mi · Shenandoah Junction 6 mi · Bolivar 8 mi · Harpers Ferry 9 mi · Inwood 11 mi
All towns in West Virginia · 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 Charles Town (39.264, -77.8813); 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.