Clear Lake offers letter of support for Mason City to host RAGBRAI riders

Clear Lake city leaders formally offered their support for the City of Mason City’s application to be an overnight host community for RAGBRAI 2020.

At Monday’s City Council meeting, a Letter of Support, was unanimously approved by the Council encouraging the Des Moines Register to choose Mason City as an overnight stop on its 2020 bicycle route across the state.

“Clear Lake and Mason City are both located in Cerro Gordo County, just a few miles separating our corporate limits.  However, we view our relationship with one another not competitively, but complimentary.  While Mason City is the retail hit of North Central Iowa, Clear Lake’s economy is strongly rooted in tourism, featuring Iowa’s third largest natural lake and the Surf Ballroom,” the letter states.  “The City of Clear Lake recognizes and applauds the work of Mason City to rebrand its community to include the arts, cultural activities, learning about the history of the community, and ensuring activities for all ages.  Additionally, the revitalization of the North Iowa Fairgrounds has been encouraging.”

Clear Lake was an overnight host for RAGBRAI in 2019 and 2017.  In 2014 Clear Lake was a pass-through community on the RAGBRAI route.  Mason City was an overnight stop that year.

According to the Des Moines Register’s RAGBRAI website, the 2020 route will be announced Jan. 25.

RAGBRAI XLVIII is set for July 19-25, 2020.