From the west to the east, the University of Iowa and its alumni provide expertise in areas as varied as health care, education, and law.

As RAGBRAI riders travel across the Hawkeye State this year (July 21–27), 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 Glenwood to Burlington 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.

RGBRAI route map, connecting the communities of Glenwood, Red Oak, Atlantic, Winterset, Knoxville, Ottawa, Mount Pleasant, and Burlington

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 whom you interact with every day.

Here is a breakdown of University of Iowa alumni and students affiliated with the eight counties that hold the starting point, the overnight stops, and the endpoint of the RAGBRAI 2024 route…

graduate icon
3,040
alumni living in the eight counties
classroom icon
601
current students from the eight counties
105
physicians and physician assistants
tooth
54
dentists
pharmacist
50
pharmacists
scrubs icon
14
advanced practicing nurses

Iowa has myriad health care connections throughout the state as well. University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center 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 eight starting point/sleepover/endpoint counties along the 2024 RAGBRAI route:

70,214
patient visits to UI Health Care Medical Center
stethoscope
8,494
clinical tests
leaf
6,670
environmental tests
microscope
16,751
newborn screenings
Produced by the UI Office of Strategic Communication
Photography
Tim Schoon