Aurora, Illinois
Aurora, Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Nickname: City of Lights | |
| Motto: A City Second to None | |
Location of Aurora in DuPage and Kane Counties, Illinois. | |
| Coordinates: 41°45′50″N 88°17′24″W / 41.76389°N 88.29000°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| Counties | DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Will |
| Townships | Aurora (Kane), Batavia (Kane), Sugar Grove (Kane), Naperville (DuPage), Winfield (DuPage), Oswego (Kendall), Wheatland (Will) |
| Settled | 1834 |
| Incorporated (village) | 1845 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1857 |
| Founded by | McCarty Brothers |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Mayor | John Laesch (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 45.91 sq mi (118.91 km2) |
| • Land | 44.97 sq mi (116.47 km2) |
| • Water | 0.94 sq mi (2.45 km2) |
| Elevation | 719 ft (219 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 180,542 |
| • Rank | US: 144th |
| • Density | 4,014.81/sq mi (1,550.13/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 60502–60507, 60568, 60569, 60572, 60598 |
| Area codes | 630, 331 |
| FIPS code | 17-03012 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2394031 |
| Demonym | Auroran |
| Wikimedia Commons | Aurora, Illinois |
| Website | www |
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Aurora is a city in northeastern Illinois, United States. It is located along the Fox River 35 miles (56 km) west of Chicago. It is the second-most populous city in Illinois, with a population of 180,542 at the 2020 census. Founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded into DuPage, Kendall, and Will counties.
Founded in the early 1830s and incorporated in 1857, Aurora rapidly industrialized, becoming one of the first cities in the United States to adopt an all-electric street lighting system in 1881, earning it the nickname "City of Lights". The arrival of major railroads, such as the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, further stimulated economic growth and positioned Aurora as a significant transportation and industrial hub in northern Illinois. Over time, the city diversified economically and demographically, reflecting broader suburbanization in the Chicago metropolitan area in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Aurora's historic downtown is centered on Stolp Island. The city is divided into three regions, the West Side, East Side, and Far East Side/Fox Valley. Institutions such as Hollywood Casino Aurora, Paramount Theater and Aurora University contribute to its cultural and educational landscape. The Aurora area has architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Bruce Goff and George Grant Elmslie. Aurora is also home to over 50 Sears Catalog Homes and seven Lustron all-steel homes.