Eight "host communities" are selected each year by RAGBRAI organizers, with the exception of the inaugural route (1973). Two of the communities are beginning or end points, while the other six serve as overnight stops for the participants.
From 1973 to 2016, the distance between consecutive host communities averaged about 67 miles. 1985 was the longest route at 540 miles and 1977 the shortest at 400 miles. On average, the length of the route has been 467 miles.
At the beginning of the ride, riders traditionally dip the rear wheel of their bikes in either the Missouri River or the Big Sioux River (depending on the starting point of the ride), and dip their front wheels in the Mississippi River at the end of the ride. There has been at least one incident of a rider losing his bike after riding into the Mississippi River.
Statistics As of 2022, 14 communities have served as the starting point, and 12 have hosted the finish. 108 communities have been overnight hosts. The ride has passed through all 99 of Iowa's counties in its history. Atlantic has served as an overnight host 8 times (1974, 1980, 1989, 1991, 2001, 2011, 2019, 2024) Two cities have served as the starting point 8 times: Sioux City (1973, 1978, 1988, 1993, 2001, 2010, 2015, 2023) and Glenwood (1980, 1984, 1989, 1992, 2003, 2011, 2016, 2024). In 2019, Burlington became the first community to have been both a finish point as well as an overnight host that was not a finish. 1978 was the first year with recurring host cities (Sioux City and Storm Lake). 1981 was the most recent year with all first-time host cities. 1999 was the first year with no first-time host city. 2022 was the most recent year with a first-time host city (Pocahontas). Iowa City has the distinction of being the city with longest time between hosting an overnight stay, at 42 years (1976 and 2018). Lansing is the next-longest at 40 years (1977 and 2017); and Centerville and Leon are tied for the third-longest at 35 years (both hosted in 1981 and 2016). Willamsburg has the distinction of being the city with longest time without a repeat (1973 to present).
By year Click on column headings to sort. Route (numbers indicate occurrences) Year Dates Num Miles (a) Climb (ft)(a) Starting City Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1973 Aug 26–31 I 412 12,637 Sioux City (1) Storm Lake (1) Fort Dodge (1) Ames (1) Des Moines (1) Williamsburg (1) Davenport (1) N/A 1974 Aug 4–10 II 422 12,648 Council Bluffs (1) Atlantic (1) Guthrie Center (1) Camp Dodge (1) Marshalltown (1) Waterloo (1) Monticello (1) Dubuque (1) 1975 Aug 3-9 III 450 12,573 Hawarden (1) Cherokee (1) Lake View (1) Boone (1) Newton (1) Sigourney (1) Mount Pleasant (1) Fort Madison (1) 1976 Aug 1-7 IV 430 13,737 Sidney (1) Red Oak (1) Harlan (1) Jefferson (1) Nevada (1) Grinnell (1) Iowa City (1) Muscatine (1) 1977 Jul 31-Aug 6 V 400 10,675 Onawa (1) Ida Grove (1) Laurens (1) Algona (1) Clear Lake (1) New Hampton (1) Decorah (1) Lansing (1) 1978 Jul 30-Aug 5 VI 440 11,238 Sioux City (2) Storm Lake (2) Humboldt (1) Iowa Falls (1) Vinton (1) Mount Vernon (1) Maquoketa (1) Clinton (1) 1979 Jul 29-Aug 4 VII 480 11,836 Rock Rapids (1) Spencer (1) Rockwell City (1) Story City (1) Tama-Toledo (1) Fairfield (1) Wapello (1) Burlington (1) 1980 Jul 27-Aug 2 VIII 468 11,912 Glenwood (1) Atlantic (2) Carroll (1) Perry (1) Webster City (1) Waverly (1) Elkader (1) Guttenberg (1) 1981 Jul 26-Aug 1 IX 490 14,372 Missouri Valley (1) Mapleton (1) Lake City (1) Greenfield (1) Leon (1) Centerville (1) Keosauqua (1) Keokuk (1) 1982 Jul 25-31 X 523 10,935 Akron (1) Cherokee (2) Estherville (1) Forest City (1) Charles City (1) Independence (1) Tipton (1) Davenport (2) 1983 Jul 24-30 XI 492 13,010 Onawa (2) Harlan (2) Guthrie Center (2) Ames (2) Clarion (1) Grundy Center (1) Manchester (1) Dubuque (2) 1984 Jul 22-28 XII 474 11,221 Glenwood (2) Shenandoah (1) Creston (1) Adel (1) Pella (1) Ottumwa (1) Mount Pleasant (2) Burlington (2) 1985 Jul 21-27 XIII 540 10,741 Hawarden (2) Sibley (1) Emmetsburg (1) Humboldt (2) Mason City (1) Waterloo (2) Monticello (2) Clinton (2) 1986 Jul 20-26 XIV 479 12,861 Council Bluffs (2) Red Oak (2) Audubon (1) Perry (2) Eldora (1) Belle Plaine (1) Washington (1) Muscatine (2) 1987 Jul 19-25 XV 437 10,165 Onawa (3) Denison (1) Storm Lake (3) Fort Dodge (2) Forest City (2) Osage (1) West Union (1) Guttenberg (2) 1988 Jul 24-30 XVI 433 11,609 Sioux City (3) Ida Grove (2) Carroll (2) Boone (2) Des Moines (2) Oskaloosa (1) Fairfield (2) Fort Madison (2) 1989 Jul 23-29 XVII 479 13,357 Glenwood (3) Clarinda (1) Atlantic (3) Jefferson (2) Story City (2) Cedar Falls (1) Dyersville (1) Bellevue (1) 1990 Jul 22-28 XVIII 495 9,064 Sioux Center (1) Spencer (2) Algona (2) Hampton (1) Oelwein (1) Cedar Rapids (1) Washington (2) Burlington (3) 1991 Jul 21-27 XIX 432 14,990 Missouri Valley (2) Atlantic (4) Winterset (1) Knoxville (1) Grinnell (2) Amana (1) Anamosa (1) Bellevue (2) 1992 Jul 19-25 XX 494 13,455 Glenwood (4) Shenandoah (2) Bedford (1) Osceola (1) Des Moines (3) Oskaloosa (2) Mount Pleasant (3) Keokuk (2) 1993 Jul 25-31 XXI 525 11,047 Sioux City (4) Sheldon (1) Emmetsburg (2) Clarion (2) Osage (2) Decorah (2) Manchester (2) Dubuque (3) 1994 Jul 24-30 XXII 511 12,420 Council Bluffs (3) Harlan (3) Carroll (3) Perry (3) Marshalltown (2) Marion (1) Maquoketa (2) Clinton (3) 1995 Jul 23-29 XXIII 493 10,674 Onawa (4) Lake View (2) Fort Dodge (3) Iowa Falls (2) Tama-Toledo (2) Sigourney (2) Coralville (1) Muscatine (3) 1996 Jul 21-27 XXIV 437 9,869 Sioux Center (2) Sibley (2) Estherville (2) Lake Mills (1) Charles City (2) Cresco (1) Fayette (1) Guttenberg (3) 1997 Jul 20-26 XXV 464 14,523 Missouri Valley (3) Red Oak (3) Creston (2) Des Moines (4) Chariton (1) Bloomfield (1) Fairfield (3) Fort Madison (3) 1998 Jul 19-25 XXVI 488 11,857 Hawarden (3) Cherokee (3) Rockwell City (2) Boone (3) Eldora (2) Cedar Falls (2) Monticello (3) Sabula (1) 1999 Jul 25-31 XXVII 487 13,490 Rock Rapids (2) Spencer (3) Algona (3) Clear Lake (2) Waverly (2) Decorah (3) Manchester (3) Bellevue (3) 2000 Jul 23-29 XXVIII 450 17,612 Council Bluffs (4) Harlan (4) Greenfield (2) Ankeny (1) Knoxville (2) Ottumwa (2) Washington (3) Burlington (4) 2001 Jul 22-28 XXIX 506 17,841 Sioux City (5) Storm Lake (4) Denison (2) Atlantic (5) Perry (4) Grinnell (3) Coralville (2) Muscatine (4) 2002 Jul 21-27 XXX 480 13,712 Sioux Center (3) Cherokee (4) Emmetsburg (3) Forest City (3) Charles City (3) Oelwein (2) Anamosa (2) Bellevue (4) 2003 Jul 20-26 XXXI 452 (477) TBD Glenwood (5) Shenandoah (3) Bedford (2) Osceola (2) Oskaloosa (3) Bloomfield (2) Mount Pleasant (4) Fort Madison (4) 2004 Jul 25-31 XXXII 490 (517) TBD Onawa (5) Lake View (3) Fort Dodge (4) Iowa Falls (3) Marshalltown (3) Hiawatha (1) Maquoketa (3) Clinton (4) 2005 Jul 24-30 XXXIII 485 TBD Le Mars (1) Sheldon (2) Estherville (3) Algona (4) Northwood (1) Cresco (2) West Union (2) Guttenberg (4) 2006 Jul 23-29 XXXIV 444 TBD Sergeant Bluff (1) Ida Grove (3) Audubon (2) Waukee (1) Newton (2) Marengo (1) Coralville (3) Muscatine (5) 2007 Jul 22-28 XXXV 479 TBD Rock Rapids (3) Spencer (4) Humboldt (3) Hampton (2) Cedar Falls (3) Independence (2) Dyersville (2) Bellevue (5) 2008 Jul 20-26 XXXVI 471 TBD Missouri Valley (4) Harlan (5) Jefferson (3) Ames (3) Tama-Toledo (3) North Liberty (1) Tipton (2) LeClaire (1) 2009 Jul 19-25 XXXVII 442 TBD Council Bluffs (5) Red Oak (4) Greenfield (3) Indianola (1) Chariton (2) Ottumwa (3) Mount Pleasant (5) Burlington (5) 2010 Jul 25-31 XXXVIII 450 14,502 Sioux City (6) Storm Lake (5) Algona (5) Clear Lake (3) Charles City (4) Waterloo (3) Manchester (4) Dubuque (4) 2011 Jul 24-30 XXXIX 454 20,197 Glenwood (6) Atlantic (6) Carroll (4) Boone (4) Altoona (1) Grinnell (4) Coralville (4) Davenport (3) 2012 Jul 22-28 XL 471 12,981 Sioux Center (4) Cherokee (5) Lake View (4) Webster City (2) Marshalltown (4) Cedar Rapids (2) Anamosa (3) Clinton (5) 2013 Jul 21-27 XLI 407 10,506 Council Bluffs (6) Harlan (6) Perry (5) Des Moines (5) Knoxville (3) Oskaloosa (4) Fairfield (4) Fort Madison (5) 2014 Jul 20-26 XLII 418 8,057 Rock Valley (1) Okoboji (1)ǂ Emmetsburg (4) Forest City (4) Mason City (2) Waverly (3) Independence (3) Guttenberg (5) 2015 Jul 19-25 XLIII 462 (489) 12,879 Sioux City (7) Storm Lake (6) Fort Dodge (5) Eldora (3) Cedar Falls (4) Hiawatha (2) Coralville (5) Davenport (4) 2016 Jul 24-30 XLIV 417 (452)16,644 Glenwood (7) Shenandoah (4) Creston (3) Leon (2) Centerville (2) Ottumwa (4) Washington (4) Muscatine (6) 2017 Jul 23-29 XLV 403 (433) 10,698 Orange City (1) Spencer (5) Algona (6) Clear Lake (4) Charles City (5) Cresco (3) Waukon (1) Lansing (2) 2018 Jul 22-28 XLVI 432 (450) 12,782 Onawa (6) Denison (3) Jefferson (4) Ames (4) Newton (3) Sigourney (3) Iowa City (2) Davenport (5) 2019 Jul 21-27 XLVII 446 (499) 15,011 Council Bluffs (7) Atlantic (7) Winterset (2) Indianola (2) Centerville (3) Fairfield (5) Burlington (6) Keokuk (3) 2020 ǂǂ ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 2021 Jul 25-31 XLVIII 454 (482) 11,379 (13,086) Le Mars (2) Sac City (1) Fort Dodge (6) Iowa Falls (4) Waterloo (4) Anamosa (4) DeWitt(1) Clinton (6) 2022 Jul 24-30 XLIX 462 11,900 Sergeant Bluff (2) Ida Grove (4) Pocahontas (1) Emmetsburg (5) Mason City (3) Charles City (6) West Union (3) Lansing (3) 2023 Jul 23-29 L 511 17,167 Sioux City (8) Storm Lake (7) Carroll (5) Ames (5) Des Moines (6) Tama-Toledo (4) Coralville (6) Davenport (6) 2024 Jul 21-27 LI 434 18,375 Glenwood (8) Red Oak (5) Atlantic (8) Winterset (3) Knoxville (4) Ottumwa (5) Mount Pleasant (6) Burlington (7) 2025 Jul 20-26 LII 406 10,487 Orange City (2) Milford (1) Estherville (4) Forest City (5) Iowa Falls (5) Cedar Falls (5) Oelwein (3) Guttenberg (6) 2026 Jul 18-25 LIII 391 16,027 Onawa (7) Harlan (7) Guthrie Center (3) Boone (5) Marshalltown (5) Independence (4) Dyersville (3) Dubuque (5)
By city Click on column headings to sort.