As RAGBRAI riders travel across Iowa, from the west to the east, it’s common for them to see plenty of black and gold. Hawkeye pride often takes center stage, whether displayed on the gear of cyclists or adorned on homes and vehicles along the route.

The University of Iowa’s holistic impact on the communities along the route—which spans Le Mars to Clinton this year—isn’t always made obvious by visual cues or color schemes. But what is known is that Iowa alumni are creating a positive social and economic impact within these towns and across the state.

While the students stay on campus only for a short period, the influence they have back in their communities lasts a lifetime. These are the doctors, nurses, librarians, lawyers, pharmacists, and much more that you interact with every day.

Here is a breakdown of the “Hometown Hawkeyes”—University of Iowa alumni living in the seven counties that have overnight stops for RAGBRAI 2021…

Iowa has myriad health care connections throughout the state as well. University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics serves thousands of Iowans from near and far. The State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa identifies infants at risk for more than 50 inherited conditions, while also monitoring water, air, soil, and food for contaminants of public health concern.

Here’s a yearly snapshot of numbers from the seven counties hosting 2021 RAGBRAI riders: