Aurora, Colorado
Aurora is a city of 394,432 people in Adams County, Colorado, founded in 1891.
Why visit Aurora
Townapedia lists 30 museums and landmarks, 128 parks and trails, 219 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 9 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Movie Tavern Aurora, AMC Southlands Stadium 16, Blanche A. Wilson House and Granville Fuller House.
Weather in Aurora
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Aurora
Aurora () is a home rule city located within Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The city's population was 386,261 at the 2020 census, with 336,035 residing in Arapahoe County, 47,720 in Adams County, and 2,506 in Douglas County. It is the third-most populous city in Colorado and the 50th-most populous city in the United States as of 2025. Aurora is a principal city of the Denver metropolitan area and a major city in the Front Range Urban Corridor.
From the Wikipedia article Aurora, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do9
Aurora Fox Arts Center
Cinema and theater · 10.3 mi
Performing arts center and former cinema in Aurora, Colorado, United States
Museums and landmarks30
Blanche A. Wilson House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 10.3 mi
House
Granville Fuller House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 10.4 mi
Historic house in Colorado, United States
Gully Homestead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.6 mi
Human settlement in United States of America
M.J. Lavina Robidoux House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 10.3 mi
Historic house in Colorado, United States
Melvin School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.4 mi
School building in Colorado, United States of America
Seventeen Mile House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 9.8 mi
Historic site in Centennial, Colorado
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William Smith House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 8.9 mi
Historic house in Aurora, Colorado, USA
DeLaney Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.5 mi
Fairmount Mausoleum
Monument and historic site · 10.9 mi
Cemetery in Denver, Colorado
Smoky Hill Trail Historic Marker
Monument and historic site · 6.3 mi
18 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds128
Plains Conservation Center
Park · 3.4 mi
Park in Colorado, United States of America
Great Plains Park
Park · 3.6 mi
20100 East Jewell Avenue, Aurora
Mo-Su 05:00-23:00
Sterling Hills West Park
Park · 4.3 mi
18701-, 18869 East Lasalle Place, Aurora
Mo-Su 05:00-22:00
116 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes219
Anthony's Pizza
Restaurant · Italian · 5.4 mi
17150 East Iliff Avenue, Aurora
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-21:30
Athenian Restaurant
Restaurant · Greek · 6.4 mi
15350 East Iliff Avenue, Aurora
Mo-Fr 09:00-21:00, Sa 08:00-21:00, Su 08:00-14:00
Baskin-Robbins
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 5.5 mi
16861 East Iliff Avenue, Aurora
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00
China Cafe 4
Restaurant · Chinese · 5.6 mi
16870 East Iliff Avenue, Aurora
Su-Tu, Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30
Dillon's Dumpling House
Restaurant · Chinese · 5.1 mi
3571 South Tower Road, Aurora
Mo, We-Su 11:00-21:30; Tu 16:00-21:30
Garlic Naan
Restaurant · Indian, Nepalese, Bhutanese · 6.3 mi
1706 South Chambers Road, Aurora
Mo-Su 10:00-23:00
Jus Grill
Restaurant · Mexican, American, Breakfast · 5.4 mi
17200 East Iliff Avenue, Aurora
Su,Mo,We,Th 07:00-20:30; Fr,Sa 07:00-21:00
Little Panda
Restaurant · Chinese · 5.2 mi
18121 East Hampden Avenue, Aurora
Su 12:00-22:00, Tu-Sa 11:00-22:00
Monsoon Indian Restaurant
Restaurant · Indian · 5.8 mi
24107 East Commons Avenue, Aurora
11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
207 more on the map.
History
Before European settlement, the land that now makes up Aurora was the territory of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ute, and Sioux tribes. These lands were claimed by France in 1682 and subsequently became part of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.
Aurora originated in the 1890 as the town of Fletcher, taking its name from Denver businessman Donald Fletcher who saw it as a real estate opportunity. He and his partners staked out four square miles (10 km2) east of Denver, but the town—and Colorado—struggled after the Silver Crash of 1893. The Town of Fletcher was incorporated on May 5, 1903. Fletcher skipped town, leaving the community with a huge water debt. Voters decided to rename the town to Aurora after one of the subdivisions composing the town in 1907. The Aurora, Colorado, post office opened on January 15, 1908.
By February 1928, the town of Aurora had reached a population of over 2,000 and it was reincorporated as a city on March 9. Aurora slowly began to grow in Denver's shadow becoming the fastest-growing city in the United States during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Aurora, composed of hundreds of subdivisions, thus carries the name of one of the original development plats from which it sprang.
From the History section of Aurora, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Fairfield Inn & Suites Denver Aurora/Parker
Motel and hotel · 6.3 mi
24152 East Prospect Avenue, Aurora
Churches and places of worship39
Saint Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 4.6 mi
19099 East Floyd Avenue, Aurora
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 6.0 mi
21750 East Dorado Avenue, Centennial
Shopping33
Gas and EV charging43
Schools, colleges and libraries70
Eaglecrest High School
School · 5.1 mi
5100 Copperleaf Boulevard, Aurora
Smoky Hill Library (Arapahoe Libraries)
Library · 6.4 mi
5430 South Biscay Circle, Centennial
Healthcare24
Action Behavior Centers - ABA Therapy for Autism
Clinic and pharmacy · 5.9 mi
6040 South Gun Club Road, Aurora
AdventHealth Southlands Emergency Room
Clinic and pharmacy · 5.9 mi
6159 South Southlands Parkway, Aurora
UCHealth Emergency Room - Aurora Central
Clinic and pharmacy · 6.4 mi
15300 East Mississippi Avenue, Aurora
AdventHealth Medical Group Primary Care at Southlands
Clinic and pharmacy · 5.8 mi
6069 South Southlands Parkway, Aurora
Childrens Hospital Colorado Outpatient and Urgent Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 6.3 mi
23770 East Smoky Hill Road, Aurora
Map of Aurora
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Adams County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2015-07-16: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2013-09-14: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2013-09-12: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2007-01-07: Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Buckley Space Force Base (BFK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Denver 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Centennial 11 mi southwest, about 18 min by car
- Four Square Mile 11 mi west, about 17 min by car
- Cherry Creek 11 mi southwest, about 17 min by car
- Parker 13 mi south, about 21 min by car
- Greenwood Village 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Commerce City 15 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- Lone Tree 15 mi southwest, about 23 min by car
- Englewood 16 mi west, about 27 min by car
- Highlands Ranch 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Aurora Municipal Center, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Melvin School, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blanche A Wilson House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Granville Fuller House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- M.J. Lavina Robidoux House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 17 Mile House (view 2), Thomas Stockman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- William Smith House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gully Homestead, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS007-E-7838 - View of Colorado, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS014-E-8248 - View of Colorado, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS014-E-10858 - View of Colorado, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Hogna carolinensis female burrow slings, rhizomeric, CC BY 4.0
- Saint Simeon Catholic Cemetery Cross 01, Jeffrey.Wilson.OSF, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Simeon Catholic Cemetery Cross 02, Jeffrey.Wilson.OSF, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Simeon Catholic Cemetery Cross 04, Jeffrey.Wilson.OSF, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Simeon Catholic Cemetery Cross Sunset 01, Jeffrey.Wilson.OSF, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Simeon Catholic Cemetery Cross Sunset 02, Jeffrey.Wilson.OSF, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Simeon Catholic Cemetery Cross 03, Jeffrey.Wilson.OSF, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Simeon Catholic Cemetery Cross Sunset 03, Jeffrey.Wilson.OSF, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Asclepias engelmanniana - Scott Allen Davis 01, Scott Allen Davis, CC BY 4.0
- Plains Conservation Center, Colorado 03, Zenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Plains Conservation Center, Colorado 04, Zenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Plains Conservation Center, Colorado 06, Zenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Plains Conservation Center, Colorado 05, Zenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cheyenne Camp, Plains Conservation Center, Colorado, Zenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Plains Conservation Center, Colorado 02, Zenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Plains Conservation Center, Colorado 01, Zenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gov-john-hickenlooper-presided-over-the-change-of-d5e4bd, U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Ashley Low, Public domain
- Gov-john-hickenlooper-presided-over-the-change-of-247280-1024, U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Ashley Low, Public domain
- Greetings from Buckley Field, East of Denver, Colorado - Large Letter Postcard (6984587107), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Denver, Colorado on Approach to Denver International Airport (21670637176), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Denver, Colorado on Approach to Denver International Airport (21508756190), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Common Yarrow (3754897843), Patrick Standish from Aurora, Colorado, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Two-Row Stonecrop, Patrick Standish from Aurora, Colorado, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Mediterranean Bells (3558182715), Patrick Standish from Aurora, Colorado, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Keller's Yarrow (5389199859), Patrick Standish from Aurora, Colorado, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Dragon's Blood on retaining wall, Patrick Standish from Aurora, Colorado, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Allium (1130714364), Patrick Standish from Aurora, Colorado, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Yarrow (1972159490), Patrick Standish from Aurora, Colorado, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Keller's Yarrow (5389813300), Patrick Standish from Aurora, Colorado, USA, CC BY 2.0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.