Iowa’s impact along RAGBRAI route
As RAGBRAI riders travel across the Hawkeye State this year (July 23–29), 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 Sioux City to Davenport 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 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 2023 route…
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 eight starting point/sleepover/endpoint counties along the 2023 RAGBRAI route:
