Aurora, Missouri
Aurora is a city of 7,397 people in Lawrence County, Missouri, founded in 1870.
Why visit Aurora
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 4 parks and trails, 1 place to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Sunset Drive-in and Lewis Shaw Coleman House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in Aurora
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Aurora
Aurora is a city in Lawrence County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,217.
From the Wikipedia article Aurora, Missouri (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks1
Lewis Shaw Coleman House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Aurora, Missouri, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes1
History
The Honey Creek area, near Aurora, was originally settled by pioneers from Tennessee, including James D. Hillhouse, E. B. Hillhouse, Reverend A. A. Young, James Barrow and James Gibson. They were later instrumental in founding Aurora. Their descendants include actor Brad Pitt and novelist and national security analyst Raelynn Hillhouse.
Aurora was platted in 1870 by Stephen G. Elliott. It was reportedly named after Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn.
Galena ore was discovered in 1885 while digging a well on the farm of Thomas D. Liles in November, marking the beginning of Aurora as a mining town. Mining of surface outcrops began in 1886. Large scale commercial mining began shortly afterwards as the mines grew deeper and zinc and galena were discovered. The zinc from the Aurora mines was of exceptional purity and high grade. By 1893, 12,651 tons of zinc ore were mined and shipped from Aurora. The mines attracted prospectors and miners. Aurora's population peaked at 10,000 circa 1900.
The Frisco Railroad (now Burlington Northern-Santa Fe) and the Missouri Pacific (now Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad) previously had depots in Aurora. The train master for the Missouri Pacific Railroad's White River division was headquartered in Aurora until the mid-1950s.
From the History section of Aurora, Missouri on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Healthcare1
Map of Aurora
22 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°F | 22°F | 2.6 in | 4.7 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 25°F | 2.4 in | 2.5 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 33°F | 3.9 in | 0.9 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 43°F | 4.5 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 76°F | 54°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 62°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 67°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 65°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 57°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 45°F | 3.5 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 34°F | 3.6 in | 0.5 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 26°F | 2.9 in | 3.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Billings 1Sw (10 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
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
Lawrence County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2025-06-09: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-06-02: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding (Flood)
- 2016-01-21: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2016-01-02: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 26 miles away.
- Marionville 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Pierce City 16 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Republic 22 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- Battlefield 22 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- Nixa 24 mi east, about 39 min by car
- Sarcoxie 24 mi west, about 38 min by car
- Ash Grove 25 mi north, about 41 min by car
- Fremont Hills 27 mi east, about 43 min by car
- Springfield 28 mi northeast, about 46 min by car
- Ozark 28 mi east, about 45 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
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- 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
- Lewis Shaw Coleman house in Aurora, MO, Johnston9494, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS065-E-5023 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS067-E-298863 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS067-E-298862 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-5022 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS033-E-7184 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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