city in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Hinton, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 37% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it ranks highest in summer (49th percentile) and lowest in fall (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hinton?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hinton, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), 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
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.1 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 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 Hinton
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.3 mi N.
How Hinton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 53rd | 84th | 34th | 37th |
| West Virginia | 37th | 39th | 49th | 25th |
| Central Appalachians | 47th | 43rd | 61st | 17th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 71% 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 Hinton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Shady Spring 12 mi · Ghent 13 mi · Meadow Bridge 13 mi · Alderson 14 mi · Daniels 14 mi · Beaver 16 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 Hinton (37.6746, -80.8811); 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.