Mayor Bill Schickel held Mason City's first annual State of the City Address on Tuesday, Jan. 8.
The theme of the night was "Keep Moving and Keep Improving."
As part of his opening remarks Mayor Schickel said he believed Mason City has laid the groundwork to make it a new hub for outdoor recreation.
"2024 was a breakout year for Mason City, in the new year Mason City is poised to become America's new outdoor recreation destination," Schickel said.
Schickel says the Prairie Rock Trails system , the Destination Iowa Bike Park and the Riverwalk Trail system will give the city a number of outdoor cycling and other recreational opportunities to rival Bentonville Arkansas which draws an average of 1,000 cyclists a week.
The city also announced that the Iowa Expo in Des Moines will be feature Mason City as part of an economic impact study conducted by the Iowa Bicycle Coalition to study effects of its investment in the space.