RAGBRAI history: Tracking every RAGBRAI route from 1973 to 2023

This summer marks the golden anniversary of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. The first RAGBRAI in 1973 started in Sioux City and ended in Davenport. This year's ride, the 50th, will do the same.Over the years, the ride that goes west-to-east from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River has become part of Iowa's culture. It's passed through about 800 towns and overnighted in more than 125 others.Here's a list of each of RAGBRAI's 50 routes, including every overnight town.RAGBRAI routes, 1973-20231973: Sioux City, Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Ames, Des Moines, Williamsburg, DavenportMiles: 412Feet of climb: 12,637 Riders: 1301974: Council Bluffs, Atlantic, Guthrie Center, Camp Dodge, Marshalltown, Waterloo, Monticello, DubuqueMiles: 422Feet of climb: 12,648Riders: 2,0001975: Hawarden, Cherokee, Lake View, Boone, Newton, Sigourney, Mount Pleasant, Fort MadisonMiles: 450Feet of climb: 12,573Riders: 3,000Video: Lynyrd Skynyrd headlines RAGBRAI concert in Des Moines1976: Sidney, Red Oak, Harlan, Jefferson, Nevada, Grinnell, Iowa City, MuscatineMiles: 430Feet of climb: 13,737Riders: 4,0001977: Onawa, Ida Grove, Laurens, Algona, Clear Lake, New Hampton, Decorah, LansingMiles: 400Feet of climb: 8,479Riders: 6,0001978: Sioux City, Storm Lake, Humboldt, Iowa Falls, Vinton, Mount Vernon, Maquoketa, ClintonMiles: 440Feet of climb: 11,238Riders: 6,0001979: Rock Rapids, Spencer, Rockwell City, Story City, Tama, Fairfield, Wapello, BurlingtonMiles: 480Feet of climb: 11,836Riders: 6,0001980: Glenwood, Atlantic, Carroll, Perry, Webster City, Waverly, Elkader, GuttenbergMiles: 468Feet of climb: 11,912Riders: 6,0001981: Missouri Valley, Mapleton, Lake City, Greenfield, Leon, Centerville, Keosauqua, KeokukMiles: 490Feet of climb: 14,372Riders: 6,0001982: Akron, Cherokee, Estherville, Forest City, Charles City, Independence, Tipton, DavenportMiles: 523Feet of climb: 10,935Riders: 6,0001983: Onawa, Harlan, Guthrie Center, Ames, Clarion, Grundy Center, Manchester, DubuqueMiles: 492Feet of climb: 13,010Riders: 6,0001984: Glenwood, Shenandoah, Creston, Adel, Pella, Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant, BurlingtonMiles: 474Feet of climb: 11,221Riders: 8,0001985: Hawarden, Sibley, Emmetsburg, Humboldt, Mason City, Waterloo, Monticello, ClintonMiles: 540Feet of climb: 10,741Riders: 10,000KCCI archive video: Story City played host to RAGBRAI in 19891986: Council Bluffs, Red Oak, Audubon, Perry, Eldora, Belle Plaine, Washington, MuscatineMiles: 479Feet of climb: 12,861Riders: 8,0001987: Onawa, Denison, Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Forest City, Osage, West Union, GuttenbergMiles: 437Feet of climb: 10,165Riders: 8,0001988: Sioux City, Ida Grove, Carroll, Boone, Des Moines, Oskaloosa, Fairfield, Fort MadisonMiles: 433Feet of climb: 11,609Riders: 8,0001989: Glenwood, Clarinda, Atlantic, Jefferson, Story City, Cedar Falls, Dyersville, BellevueMiles: 479Feet of climb: 13,357Riders: 8,0001990: Sioux Center, Spencer, Algona, Hampton, Oelwein, Cedar Rapids, Washington, BurlingtonMiles: 495Feet of climb: 9,064Riders: 8,0001991: Missouri Valley, Atlantic, Winterset, Knoxville, Grinnell, Amana, Anamosa, BellevueMiles: 432Feet of climb: 14,990Riders: 8,0001992: Glenwood, Shenandoah, Bedford, Osceola, Des Moines, Oskaloosa, Mount Pleasant, KeokukMiles: 494Feet of climb: 13,455Riders: 8,0001993: Sioux City, Sheldon, Emmetsburg, Clarion, Osage, Decorah, Manchester, DubuqueMiles: 525Feet of climb: 11,047Riders: 8,0001994: Council Bluffs, Harlan, Carroll, Perry, Marshalltown, Marion, Maquoketa, ClintonMiles: 511Feet of climb: 12,420Riders: 8,0001995: Onawa, Lake View, Fort Dodge, Iowa Falls, Tama-Toledo, Sigourney, Coralville, MuscatineMiles: 493Feet of climb: 10,674Riders: 8,000KCCI archive video: West Bend's Grotto steals the show1996: Sioux Center, Sibley, Estherville, Lake Mills, Charles City, Cresco, Fayette, GuttenbergMiles: 437Feet of climb: 9,869Riders: 8,0001997: Missouri Valley, Red Oak, Creston, Des Moines, Chariton, Bloomfield, Fairfield, Fort MadisonMiles: 464Feet of climb: 14,523Riders: 10,0001998: Hawarden, Cherokee, Rockwell City, Boone, Eldora, Cedar Falls, Monticello, SabulaMiles: 488Feet of climb: 11,857Riders: 10,0001999: Rock Rapids, Spencer, Algona, Clear Lake, Waverly, Decorah, Manchester, BellevueMiles: 487Feet of climb: 13,490Riders: 8,5002000: Council Bluffs, Harlan, Greenfield, Ankeny, Knoxville, Ottumwa, Washington, BurlingtonMiles: 450Feet of climb: 17,612Riders: 10,0002001: Sioux City, Storm Lake, Denison, Atlantic, Perry, Grinnell, Coralville, MuscatineMiles: 506Feet of climb: 17,841Riders: 10,0002002: Sioux Center, Cherokee, Emmetsburg, Forest City, Charles City, Oelwein, Anamosa, BellevueMiles: 480Feet of climb: 13,712Riders: 10,0002003: Glenwood, Shenandoah, Bedford, Osceola, Oskaloosa, Bloomfield, Mount Pleasant, Fort MadisonMiles: 450Feet of climb: 17,368Riders: 10,0002004: Onawa, Lake View, Fort Dodge, Iowa Falls, Marshalltown, Hiawatha, Maquoketa, ClintonMiles: 490Feet of climb: 12,570Riders: 10,0002005: Le Mars, Sheldon, Estherville, Algona, Northwood, Cresco, West Union, GuttenbergMiles: 485Feet of climb: 12,874Riders: 10,000KCCI archive video: Former ride director credited with saving RAGBRAI2006: Sergeant Bluff, Ida Grove, Audubon, Waukee, Newton, Marengo, Coralville, MuscatineMiles: 444Feet of climb: 16,149Riders: 10,0002007: Rock Rapids, Spencer, Humboldt, Hampton, Cedar Falls, Independence, Dyersville, BellevueMiles: 477Feet of climb: 11,349Riders: 10,0002008: Missouri Valley, Harlan, Jefferson, Ames, Tama-Toledo, North Liberty, Tipton, Le ClaireMiles: 471Feet of climb: 16,465Riders: 10,0002009: Council Bluffs, Red Oak, Greenfield, Indianola, Chariton, Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant, BurlingtonMiles: 422Feet of climb: 17,494Riders: 10,0002010: Sioux City, Storm Lake, Algona, Clear Lake, Charles City, Waterloo, Manchester, DubuqueMiles: 442Feet of climb: 10,601Riders: 10,0002011: Glenwood, Atlantic, Carroll, Boone, Altoona, Grinnell, Coralville, DavenportMiles: 454Feet of climb: 13,447Riders: 10,0002012: Sioux Center, Cherokee, Lake View, Webster City, Marshalltown, Cedar Rapids, Anamosa, ClintonMiles: 471Feet of climb: 12,981Riders: 10,0002013: Council Bluffs, Harlan, Perry, Des Moines, Knoxville, Oskaloosa, Fairfield, Fort MadisonMiles: 407Feet of climb: 10,506Riders: 10,0002014: Rock Valley, Okoboji, Emmetsburg, Forest City, Mason City, Waverly, Independence, GuttenbergMiles: 428Feet of climb: 8,057Riders: 10,0002015: Sioux City, Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Eldora, Cedar Falls, Hiawatha, Coralville, DavenportMiles: 462Feet of climb: 12,879Riders: 10,000KCCI archive video: Adaptive bikes allow cyclists of all abilities to join RAGBRAI2016: Glenwood, Shenandoah, Creston, Leon, Centerville, Ottumwa, Washington, MuscatineMiles: 420Feet of climb: 16,644Riders: 10,0002017: Orange City, Spencer, Algona, Clear Lake, Charles City, Cresco, Waukon, LansingMiles: 411Feet of climb: 10,698Riders: 10,0002018: Onawa, Denison, Jefferson, Ames, Newton, Sigourney, Iowa City, DavenportMiles: 428Feet of climb: 12,782Riders: 10,0002019: Council Bluffs, Atlantic, Winterset, Indianola, Centerville, Fairfield, Burlington, KeokukMiles: 427Feet of climb: 15,011Riders: 10,0002020: Ride canceled due to COVID-192021: Le Mars, Sac City, Fort Dodge, Iowa Falls, Waterloo, Anamosa, DeWitt, ClintonMiles: 454Feet of climb: 11,500Riders: 10,0002022: Sergeant Bluff, Ida Grove, Pocahontas, Emmetsburg, Mason City, Charles City, West Union, LansingMiles: 430Feet of climb: 11,900Riders: 10,0002023: Sioux City, Storm Lake, Carroll, Ames, Des Moines, Tama-Toledo, Coralville, DavenportMiles: 500Feet of climb: 16,549Riders: TBASource: RAGBRAI.com