Aurora, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Aurora is the second most populous city
in the U.S. state
of Illinois
, and the 112th largest city in the United States
. A suburb of Chicago
, located 40 miles (64.4 km) west of the Loop
, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County
, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past 50 years and now spill over into DuPage
, Will
and Kendall Counties
. In 2010, Kendall
In 1908, Aurora officially adopted the nickname "City of Lights", because it was one of the first cities in the United States to implement an all-electric street lighting system in 1881. Aurora's downtown is located on the Fox River
. As of 2011, the city was undergoing a large-scale renovation of its underdeveloped Stolp Island
business district. There are plans to add 6,000 housing units along the Fox River.
The Aurora area is home to one of the most impressive architectural collections in the Midwest, featuring structures by Frank Lloyd Wright
, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
, Bruce Goff
and George Grant Elmslie
. The Hollywood Casino, a dockside gaming facility with 53000 square feet (4,923.9 m²) and 1,200 gaming positions, is located on the river in downtown Aurora. Like its namesake, the casino also houses original movie memorabilia from films such as Wayne's World
, The Blues Brothers
, The FBI Story
, Titanic
, The Natural
, Misery
and others. Aurora is also home to one of the largest collections of Sears Catalog Home
s (over 50 homes) and Lustron
all-steel homes (seven homes). The Farnsworth House, one of the most significant of Mies van der Rohe’s works, is located in nearby Plano
.
Between 2000 and 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Aurora as the 34th fastest growing city in the United States. From 2000 to 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked the city as the 46th fastest growing city with a population of over 100,000.
village in what is today downtown Aurora, on the banks of the Fox River
. In 1834, following the Black Hawk War
, the McCarty brothers arrived and initially owned land on both sides of the river, but sold their lands on the west side. The Lake Brothers opened a mill on the opposite side of the river. The McCartys lived and operated their mill on the east side. Aurora was originally two villages: one on the East Side of the Fox River, founded by the McCarty brothers and one on the West Side, founded by the Lake brothers. A post office was established in 1837, officially creating Aurora. In 1857, Aurora (then what is now known as the East Side) joined with the West Side and officially incorporated. The Aurora Fire Department was established in 1856, and took ownership of its first fire engine that year. The two sides couldn't agree on which side of the river should house the public buildings, so most public buildings were built on or around Stolp Island
in the middle of the Fox River. (A parking garage stands at the site of the original City Hall and Post Office.)
As the city grew, many factories and jobs came to Aurora, along with many people. In 1856, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
located its roundhouse and locomotive shop in Aurora to become the town's largest employer until the 1960s. Many of the heavy industries were located on the East side which provided employment for many generations of European immigrants. Many immigrants flocked to the city, mainly from Great Britain
, Ireland
, Scandinavia
, Luxembourg
, Germany
, France
, and Italy
. The professional and managerial workers more likely came from Yankee stock and settled across the river, making the West side more affluent. Aurora became main economic center of the Fox Valley area
. The combination of these three factors—a highly industrialized town, a sizable river that divided it, and the Burlington's shops—accounted for much of the dynamics of Aurora's political, economic, and social history. Both sides of Aurora still maintain a rivalry which is enacted through yearly high school football/basketball games. This is the oldest high school rivalry in the state of Illinois.
Beginning in the boom period, the town was inclusive and tolerant, and welcomed a variety of immigrants
and openly supported abolitionism
prior to the American Civil War
. Mexican
migrants began arriving after 1910. Socially, the town was progressive
in its attitude toward education, religion, welfare, and women. The first free public school district in Illinois was established in 1851 and a high school for girls four years later. By 1887, 20 congregations, including two African American churches, representing nine denominations were established, and a YWCA
started in 1893, still in operation today.
The city was a manufacturing powerhouse until 1974, when the railroad shops closed. Soon many other factories and industrial areas relocated or went out of business. By 1980, there were few industrial areas operating in the city, and unemployment soared to 16%. Although development of the Far East side at Westfield Fox Valley
brought stimulus, it helped lead to the decline of the downtown area on Stolp Island. Crime rates increased and street gangs started to form in the mid 1980s. Many Hispanic immigrants also started coming to the city in the 1980s as well. In the late 1980s, several business and industrial parks were established on the outskirts of the city. In 1993, a casino was built downtown, which helped bring the first redevelopment to the downtown area in nearly twenty years. In the late 1990s, more development began in the rural towns outside of Aurora. Subdivisions sprouted up all around the city, especially in Dupage County, and Aurora's population soared. Today, approximately 70,000 of the city's residents live in these subdivisions of the city.
Aurora is located at 41°45′48"N 88°17′24"W (41.7634594 -88.2900680).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 39.42 sq mi (102.1 km²), of which, 38.53 sq mi (99.8 km²) is land and 0.89 sq mi (2.3 km²) or 2.26% is water.
While the city has traditionally been regarded as being in Kane County, Illinois
, Aurora is one of only three cities in Illinois whose city limits actually include parts of four counties (the others are Barrington Hills
and Centralia, Illinois
): Kane
, DuPage
, Kendall
, and Will
. Aurora is the largest city in Kane County, and about 100,000 of the city's residents reside in Kane (and in fact its downtown is still entirely in that county). The DuPage portion of Aurora contains about 60,000 residents. Will and Kendall County together only account for a few thousand of Aurora's total population.
On July 17–18, 1996, a major flood struck Aurora, with 16.9 inches (429.3 mm) of rain in a 24 hour period, which is an Illinois state record, and the second highest ever nationally. Flooding occurred in almost every low lying area, and in the Fox River valley. The flooding was just as bad in Blackberry Creek, on Aurora's far west side.
Aurora has not been struck by any major tornadoes in recent history, although they occur in the area annually. The city can still receive heavy snowfall and experiences blizzards periodically.
Aurora was hit with one of the strongest earthquakes ever to strike Illinois on May 26, 1909. It put cracks through chimneys and could be felt 500000 sq mi (1,294,994.1 km²) around.
In 1906, a tornado went through the Aurora Driving Park, a large recreation/amusement park and race track located where Riddle Highlands now stands. The tornado hit during the afternoon performance of the Ringling Brothers "Greatest Show on Earth" circus, when the park was crowded. It killed 2 people and injured 22, but the grandstand was still filled for the evening performance.
of 2000, there were 142,990 people, 46,489 households, and 34,215 families residing in the city. The average number of residents to one household is 3.6 residents. The population density
was 3711.5 PD/sqmi. There were 48,797 housing units at an average density of 1266.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 51.07% White, 19.06% African American, 0.36% Native American, 3.06% Asian American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 14.52% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 46.56% of the population.
There were 46,489 households, out of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.55.
In the city, the population was spread out with 31.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,861, and the median income for a family was $61,113. Males had a median income of $41,429 versus $30,150 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $22,131. About 6.2% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
. The city has a long tradition of manufacturing as does much of Chicago metropolitan area. Prominent manufacturers, past and present, included: Lyon Workspace Products, The Aurora Silverplate Manufacturing Company, Barber Greene Ltd., the Chicago Corset Company, the Aurora Brewing Company, Stephens-Adamson Company, Caterpillar Inc.
, Allsteel Metals, National Metalwares, and Western Wheeled Scraper Works (later Austin-Western Inc.). The most prominent employer and industry was the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad (later Burlington Northern
) which was headquartered in Aurora. The CB&Q Roundhouse is still standing, and is now the popular restaurant originally called Walter Payton's Roundhouse; after the Payton estate terminated its involvement in 2009 it became known as America's Historic Roundhouse, and (following a 2011 change in ownership) it is now known as Two Brothers Roundhouse.
, Big Rock
, Hinckley, Montgomery
, North Aurora
, Plano
, Sandwich
, Sugar Grove
, and Yorkville
.
temple. Aurora also has its own zoo, Phillips Park Zoo
, located in Phillips Park (Aurora, IL)
.
Downtown
Aurora is home to the Paramount Theatre
, a large live performance theater on the National Register of Historic Places
, and the Hollywood Casino. There is also the Leland Tower
, a former hotel which was the tallest building in Illinois outside the Chicago city limits and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The largest collection of George Grant Elmslie (Prairie architect - studied under Louis Sullivan) commercial buildings is located here. Also located downtown is the main building of Aurora Public Library and a branch campus of Waubonsee Community College
. Downtown Alive, a festival that includes live music and a variety of food booths, is held on three weekends (Friday and Saturday night) in the summer; Blues on the Fox (featuring national blues artists) is held on the Friday and Saturday of Father's Day weekend. Roughly 8,000–13,000 people attend. The quarterly AuroraArtWalk is hosted by the Cultural Creatives
—a grassroots team of local artist, property owners, patrons and the City of Aurora. The Riverfront Playhouse is a not-for-profit theater that has held a storefront location in downtown Aurora since 1978.
A fixture of Downtown Aurora, the Waubonsee Community College Campus, which formerly sat on Stolp Island near the Paramount Theatre, has recently been closed, as a new and greatly expanded campus was built on the Western banks of the river, between the river and IL Route 31. The construction of the campus was part of a larger plan to re-develop the Downtown area, putting in parks and new walking paths, making the area more inviting. The plan also included a pedestrian bridge, which would connect the two banks of the river. Also in the works is a plan to re-do or reconstruct the bridges onto Stolp Island, which have not been taken care of for close to 60 years.
, who played one season with the team before being bought by the Brooklyn Dodgers. Stengel batted .352 and was the batting champion of the league for 1911, and also led the league with 50 stolen bases and had 27 outfield assists. The team played in a stadium on the west side in the former Riverview Park.
Waubonsie Valley High School (IPSD - District 204) Soccer won the Northern Illinois regional championship in this highly competitive region, for both boys and girls, almost every year since 1987. In 2007, the Waubonsie Valley High School girl's team won the state championship and went on to achieve the #1 ranking of all high school girl's soccer teams in the United States, finishing with an undefeated season. Aurora has numerous youth soccer clubs, most of which have teams represented in the top five percent of the Northern Illinois Soccer League. Numerous youth soccer players from Aurora have been awarded college scholarships to major college soccer programs throughout the U.S. In addition to this legacy of success in soccer, Aurora maintains several developmental advantages for soccer enthusiasts. Three high quality indoor soccer venues allow for year-round soccer training and competition for children and adults. Additionally, several area traveling soccer clubs, as well as high schools, boast coaches and trainers who have played soccer professionally or have been starting players for national teams from various countries. Some even played for teams that won the World Cup
. Supplementing the local soccer training regimen are professional soccer trainers from England, Brazil, The Netherlands, Scotland, and various other countries. Several of these trainers played in the Premier League and for the Brazil national team
, and for the Argentina national team
.
Fastpitch softball
has been in Aurora since World War II and gained popularity in 1950 when the Aurora Sealmasters finished fifth in the nation. The Sealmasters went on to win National Championships in 1959, 1961, 1965 and 1967 and World Championships in 1966 and 1968. There were many different and competitive men's leagues in Aurora from the 1960s through the mid-1990s. There are still a few leagues and teams playing to this day.
In golf
, the Stonebridge Country Club, on Aurora's far northeast side, was home to the LPGA Tour's Kellogg-Keebler Classic
from 2002-2004. Stonebridge was also hosted the Ameritech Senior Open from 1991-1995 on the Senior PGA Tour.
Aurora University
has Men's and Women's Basketball, Golf, Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country. It also has a men's football and baseball team, as well as women's softball and volleyball teams. Aurora University athletics are division III.
High school athletics are a major event in the city, as East and West Aurora High Schools have been rivals in all sports for over 100 years.
The city is the final stop of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe
line of the Metra
commuter rail system, allowing rail service into Chicago
. The city also has a stop at the Rt. 59 station
on the BNSF Line. This station is located on the border with Naperville and each city maintains a parking lot on their respective sides of the tracks. PACE operates local bus service within Aurora six days a week (no service on Sundays) and serves other cities such as Naperville, Geneva, Batavia, Oswego, and St. Charles. Along with Metra
trains and PACE buses, Greyhound
buses also stop at the Aurora Transportation Center
. Aurora does not currently have a stop for Amtrak
trains, as the old station where they did stop closed in the 1980s. Aurora City Lines, the old city bus lines, was closed in the late 1980s, in favor of regional bus service. Aurora also used to have an extensive streetcar
system, operated by the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric Company, that served most neighborhoods. Additionally, Aurora was served by a number of interurban
lines. The most prominent of these was the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad
which provided service into Chicago. The STAR Line will have a third station at Ferry Rd. north of the BNSF Line.
The Aurora Municipal Airport
is a general aviation airport located in Sugar Grove, Illinois, just outside of Aurora. Although the airport is located within Sugar Grove, it is owned and operated by the City of Aurora. The Aurora Airport is designed as a reliever airport for Chicago's O'Hare and Midway Airports, and also handles a lot of international cargo. It is capable of landing Boeing 757 aircraft. In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center is located on Aurora's west side.
Aurora currently has two hospitals, one on the west side, Provena Mercy Medical Center, and one in Fox Valley, Rush–Copley Medical Center.
There are other area hospitals, including Edward Hospital in Naperville, Delnor Hospital in Geneva, Central DuPage in Winfield and a Level 1 Trauma center at Good Samaritan in Downers Grove.
Aurora at one point had three hospitals, St. Joseph Hospital, on the west side, St. Charles hospital, east of downtown, and Copley Memorial Hospital, on the east side. St Joseph and St, Charles hospitals have been converted into senior living centers, and the old Copley hospital, which was one of the largest hospitals in the area, sits vacant. The city of Aurora recently demolished the old smokestacks from the hospital, as they were starting to crumble and fall down.
Dreyer Medical Clinic and several other independent clinics and medical groups are spread throughout the city. The area surrounding Provena Mercy has evolved into a diverse healthcare district with services and offices.
The city is the location of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
(IMSA) and Aurora University
. According to the census of Aurora's population over the age of twenty-five, 26% hold a bachelor's degree.
Two main school systems have served the Kane County
core location of Aurora since the 1860s, one on either side of the Fox River
, which physically divides the city. In addition, the far eastern portion of Aurora within DuPage County
, has been served by Indian Prairie School District (IPSD) 204, since that district's formation in 1972. All three districts (Aurora Public Schools: West Side (District 129), Aurora Public Schools: East Side (District 131) and IPSD) have their headquarters and administrative offices within the Aurora city limits. As of 2005, there will be no less than forty public schools within Aurora city limits, serving residents of Aurora and neighboring communities.
Due to the sheer size of the city of Aurora, these are not the only three school systems serving residents - some students in the far north end of the city (north of I88
in Kane County) attend Batavia
public schools, some on the far southwest side attend Kaneland CUSD 302 schools (headquartered in Maple Park
), and some students in the far south end of the city (a small corner of the Kane, Kendall and Will County portions) attend Oswego
public schools. Four of the schools in Oswego CUSD 308, Wheatlands Elementary, Homestead Elementary, Wolf's Crossing Elementary, and Bednarcik Junior High, are located within Aurora's city limits.
The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
(IMSA) is a state-funded residential magnet school
for grades 10 to 12. While IMSA operates under public funds (and uses the site originally designated West Aurora High School North Campus), it is managed independently of the other public schools in the city of Aurora. Any Illinois student who meets admission requirements may apply to attend IMSA, tuition free.
Aurora is also home to a few other private schools. Within Aurora, there are three Roman Catholic High Schools, Aurora Central Catholic
(Diocese of Rockford), Rosary
, and Marmion Academy
(Order of St. Benedict), and 7 Catholic elementary schools operated by the Diocese of Rockford. Along with these three schools is Aurora Christian High School and Elementary School. Aurora is also home to Fox Valley Montessori School, one of the first Montessori schools established in Illinois in 1969, which offers a preschool and elementary program.
The above-named districts have forty-six public schools within the city limits of Aurora (seventeen for District #131, thirteen for District #129, eleven for District #204, four for Oswego District #308 and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy). Aurora is also home to twenty-two private schools including Rasmussen College
, two branches of Waubonsee Community College
, and the main campus of Aurora University.
. The newspaper has two editions: the Aurora edition and the Kendall County edition. The Beacon-News has been recognized repeatedly by the Associated Press, Illinois Press Association, Northern Illinois Newspaper Association and the Chicago Headline Club as one of the best daily newspapers in Illinois.
Environmentally, Aurora has long dealt with pollution of the Fox River
. The river was heavily polluted up until the 1970s by factories that had lined the river for over a century. Cleanup efforts have been successful with the help of state grants and volunteer efforts.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and the 112th largest city in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A suburb of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, located 40 miles (64.4 km) west of the Loop
Chicago Loop
The Loop or Chicago Loop is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas located in the City of Chicago, Illinois. It is the historic commercial center of downtown Chicago...
, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County
Kane County, Illinois
Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...
, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past 50 years and now spill over into DuPage
DuPage County, Illinois
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population...
, Will
Will County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile...
and Kendall Counties
Kendall County, Illinois
Kendall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 114,736, which is an increase of 110% from 54,544 in 2000. It was the fastest-growing county in the United States between the years 2000 and...
. In 2010, Kendall
In 1908, Aurora officially adopted the nickname "City of Lights", because it was one of the first cities in the United States to implement an all-electric street lighting system in 1881. Aurora's downtown is located on the Fox River
Fox River (Illinois River tributary)
The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...
. As of 2011, the city was undergoing a large-scale renovation of its underdeveloped Stolp Island
Stolp Island
Stolp Island is a small island in the Fox River in Aurora, Illinois. In 1986 the island and its 41 buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Stolp Island Historic District. It covers of land area.-History:...
business district. There are plans to add 6,000 housing units along the Fox River.
The Aurora area is home to one of the most impressive architectural collections in the Midwest, featuring structures by Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German architect. He is commonly referred to and addressed as Mies, his surname....
, Bruce Goff
Bruce Goff
Bruce Alonzo Goff was an American architect distinguished by his organic, eclectic, and often flamboyant designs for houses and other buildings in Oklahoma and elsewhere.-Early years:...
and George Grant Elmslie
George Grant Elmslie
George Grant Elmslie was an American, though born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Prairie School architect whose work is mostly found in the Midwestern United States...
. The Hollywood Casino, a dockside gaming facility with 53000 square feet (4,923.9 m²) and 1,200 gaming positions, is located on the river in downtown Aurora. Like its namesake, the casino also houses original movie memorabilia from films such as Wayne's World
Wayne's World (film)
Wayne's World is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Mike Myers in his film debut as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar, hosts of the Aurora, Illinois-based Public-access television cable TV show Wayne's World...
, The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers (film)
The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
, The FBI Story
The FBI Story
The FBI Story is a 1959 American drama film produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Richard L. Breen and John Twist is based on a book by Don Whitehead.-Plot:...
, Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
, The Natural
The Natural (film)
The Natural is a 1984 film adaptation of Bernard Malamud's 1952 baseball novel of the same name, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robert Redford, Glenn Close and Robert Duvall...
, Misery
Misery (film)
Misery is a 1990 American Psychological Horror Film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes...
and others. Aurora is also home to one of the largest collections of Sears Catalog Home
Sears Catalog Home
Sears Catalog Homes were ready-to-assemble kit houses sold through mail order by Sears, Roebuck and Company, an American retailer. Over 70,000 of these were sold in North America between 1908 and 1940. Shipped via railroad boxcars, these kits included all the materials needed to build a house...
s (over 50 homes) and Lustron
Lustron house
Lustron houses are prefabricated enameled steel houses developed in the post-World War II era United States in response to the shortage of houses for returning GIs...
all-steel homes (seven homes). The Farnsworth House, one of the most significant of Mies van der Rohe’s works, is located in nearby Plano
Plano, Illinois
Plano is a city in Kendall County, Illinois, United States near Aurora, with a population of 5,633 at the 2000 census. The city is rapidly growing with new subdivisions such as Lakewood Springs completed and several other developments under construction or in the planning stages. Former Speaker...
.
Between 2000 and 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Aurora as the 34th fastest growing city in the United States. From 2000 to 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked the city as the 46th fastest growing city with a population of over 100,000.
History
Before European settlers arrived, there was a Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
village in what is today downtown Aurora, on the banks of the Fox River
Fox River (Illinois River tributary)
The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...
. In 1834, following the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
, the McCarty brothers arrived and initially owned land on both sides of the river, but sold their lands on the west side. The Lake Brothers opened a mill on the opposite side of the river. The McCartys lived and operated their mill on the east side. Aurora was originally two villages: one on the East Side of the Fox River, founded by the McCarty brothers and one on the West Side, founded by the Lake brothers. A post office was established in 1837, officially creating Aurora. In 1857, Aurora (then what is now known as the East Side) joined with the West Side and officially incorporated. The Aurora Fire Department was established in 1856, and took ownership of its first fire engine that year. The two sides couldn't agree on which side of the river should house the public buildings, so most public buildings were built on or around Stolp Island
Stolp Island
Stolp Island is a small island in the Fox River in Aurora, Illinois. In 1986 the island and its 41 buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Stolp Island Historic District. It covers of land area.-History:...
in the middle of the Fox River. (A parking garage stands at the site of the original City Hall and Post Office.)
As the city grew, many factories and jobs came to Aurora, along with many people. In 1856, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
located its roundhouse and locomotive shop in Aurora to become the town's largest employer until the 1960s. Many of the heavy industries were located on the East side which provided employment for many generations of European immigrants. Many immigrants flocked to the city, mainly from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The professional and managerial workers more likely came from Yankee stock and settled across the river, making the West side more affluent. Aurora became main economic center of the Fox Valley area
Fox Valley (Illinois)
The Fox Valley—also commonly known as the Fox River Valley—is a rural, suburban, and exurban region within Illinois and Wisconsin along the western edges of the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. This region centers on the Fox River of Illinois and Wisconsin...
. The combination of these three factors—a highly industrialized town, a sizable river that divided it, and the Burlington's shops—accounted for much of the dynamics of Aurora's political, economic, and social history. Both sides of Aurora still maintain a rivalry which is enacted through yearly high school football/basketball games. This is the oldest high school rivalry in the state of Illinois.
Beginning in the boom period, the town was inclusive and tolerant, and welcomed a variety of immigrants
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
and openly supported abolitionism
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
prior to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
migrants began arriving after 1910. Socially, the town was progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
in its attitude toward education, religion, welfare, and women. The first free public school district in Illinois was established in 1851 and a high school for girls four years later. By 1887, 20 congregations, including two African American churches, representing nine denominations were established, and a YWCA
World YWCA
The World YWCA is the umbrella organization of the global network of the YWCA, a movement of women working for social and economic change around the world. It advocates for young women’s leadership, peace, justice, human rights and sustainable development, both on a grassroots and global scale...
started in 1893, still in operation today.
The city was a manufacturing powerhouse until 1974, when the railroad shops closed. Soon many other factories and industrial areas relocated or went out of business. By 1980, there were few industrial areas operating in the city, and unemployment soared to 16%. Although development of the Far East side at Westfield Fox Valley
Westfield Fox Valley
Westfield Fox Valley, formerly Fox Valley Center, is a shopping mall in Aurora, Illinois. Its four anchor stores are Carson Pirie Scott, JCPenney, Macy's and Sears....
brought stimulus, it helped lead to the decline of the downtown area on Stolp Island. Crime rates increased and street gangs started to form in the mid 1980s. Many Hispanic immigrants also started coming to the city in the 1980s as well. In the late 1980s, several business and industrial parks were established on the outskirts of the city. In 1993, a casino was built downtown, which helped bring the first redevelopment to the downtown area in nearly twenty years. In the late 1990s, more development began in the rural towns outside of Aurora. Subdivisions sprouted up all around the city, especially in Dupage County, and Aurora's population soared. Today, approximately 70,000 of the city's residents live in these subdivisions of the city.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 39.42 sq mi (102.1 km²), of which, 38.53 sq mi (99.8 km²) is land and 0.89 sq mi (2.3 km²) or 2.26% is water.
While the city has traditionally been regarded as being in Kane County, Illinois
Kane County, Illinois
Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...
, Aurora is one of only three cities in Illinois whose city limits actually include parts of four counties (the others are Barrington Hills
Barrington Hills, Illinois
Barrington Hills is a village located about northwest of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. It straddles approximately over four counties, Cook, Kane, Lake, and McHenry. The population was 4,209 at the 2010 census...
and Centralia, Illinois
Centralia, Illinois
Centralia is a town located in Marion, Washington, Clinton, and Jefferson Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 13,032 at the 2010 census. The town was founded because it was the point where the two original branches of the Illinois Central Railroad, built in 1853, converged....
): Kane
Kane County, Illinois
Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...
, DuPage
DuPage County, Illinois
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population...
, Kendall
Kendall County, Illinois
Kendall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 114,736, which is an increase of 110% from 54,544 in 2000. It was the fastest-growing county in the United States between the years 2000 and...
, and Will
Will County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile...
. Aurora is the largest city in Kane County, and about 100,000 of the city's residents reside in Kane (and in fact its downtown is still entirely in that county). The DuPage portion of Aurora contains about 60,000 residents. Will and Kendall County together only account for a few thousand of Aurora's total population.
Regions of Aurora
Though politically the city is divided into several wards, Aurora is generally divided into three regions:- The West Side, which is located of west of the Fox RiverFox River (Illinois River tributary)The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...
. - The East Side, which spans the region east of the Fox River, stopping at the DuPage County line.
- Fox ValleyFox Valley (Illinois)The Fox Valley—also commonly known as the Fox River Valley—is a rural, suburban, and exurban region within Illinois and Wisconsin along the western edges of the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. This region centers on the Fox River of Illinois and Wisconsin...
, also referred to as the Far East Side, is the portion of Aurora located east of the Dupage County line. Its name is slightly inaccurate because the region is not located on the Fox River. In fact, some parts of Fox Valley actually lie in the DuPage RiverDuPage RiverThe DuPage River is a tributary of the Des Plaines River in the U.S. state of Illinois.-Course:The river begins as two individual streams. The West Branch of the DuPage River, long, starts in Schaumburg at Campanelli Park in Cook County and continues southward through the entire county of DuPage,...
watershed instead. The area acquired its name because of its proximity to the Westfield Fox Valley MallWestfield Fox ValleyWestfield Fox Valley, formerly Fox Valley Center, is a shopping mall in Aurora, Illinois. Its four anchor stores are Carson Pirie Scott, JCPenney, Macy's and Sears....
and Fox Valley Villages, one of the first housing developments to be constructed after the mall.
Climate
The annual precipitation for Aurora is about 40 inches. The record high for Aurora is 111 °F (43.9 °C), on July 14, 1936. The record low is -26 °F, on January 20, 1985. The average high temperature for Aurora in July is 84 °F (28.9 °C), the average January low is 10 °F (-12.2 °C).On July 17–18, 1996, a major flood struck Aurora, with 16.9 inches (429.3 mm) of rain in a 24 hour period, which is an Illinois state record, and the second highest ever nationally. Flooding occurred in almost every low lying area, and in the Fox River valley. The flooding was just as bad in Blackberry Creek, on Aurora's far west side.
Aurora has not been struck by any major tornadoes in recent history, although they occur in the area annually. The city can still receive heavy snowfall and experiences blizzards periodically.
Aurora was hit with one of the strongest earthquakes ever to strike Illinois on May 26, 1909. It put cracks through chimneys and could be felt 500000 sq mi (1,294,994.1 km²) around.
In 1906, a tornado went through the Aurora Driving Park, a large recreation/amusement park and race track located where Riddle Highlands now stands. The tornado hit during the afternoon performance of the Ringling Brothers "Greatest Show on Earth" circus, when the park was crowded. It killed 2 people and injured 22, but the grandstand was still filled for the evening performance.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 142,990 people, 46,489 households, and 34,215 families residing in the city. The average number of residents to one household is 3.6 residents. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3711.5 PD/sqmi. There were 48,797 housing units at an average density of 1266.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 51.07% White, 19.06% African American, 0.36% Native American, 3.06% Asian American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 14.52% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 46.56% of the population.
There were 46,489 households, out of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.55.
In the city, the population was spread out with 31.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,861, and the median income for a family was $61,113. Males had a median income of $41,429 versus $30,150 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $22,131. About 6.2% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Aurora is on the edge of the Illinois Technology and Research CorridorIllinois Technology and Research Corridor
The Illinois Technology and Research Corridor is a region of commerce and industry located along Interstate 88 in the Chicago metropolitan area, primarily in DuPage, Kane, and DeKalb Counties...
. The city has a long tradition of manufacturing as does much of Chicago metropolitan area. Prominent manufacturers, past and present, included: Lyon Workspace Products, The Aurora Silverplate Manufacturing Company, Barber Greene Ltd., the Chicago Corset Company, the Aurora Brewing Company, Stephens-Adamson Company, Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
, Allsteel Metals, National Metalwares, and Western Wheeled Scraper Works (later Austin-Western Inc.). The most prominent employer and industry was the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad (later Burlington Northern
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
) which was headquartered in Aurora. The CB&Q Roundhouse is still standing, and is now the popular restaurant originally called Walter Payton's Roundhouse; after the Payton estate terminated its involvement in 2009 it became known as America's Historic Roundhouse, and (following a 2011 change in ownership) it is now known as Two Brothers Roundhouse.
Tourism
Formed in 1987, the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (AACVB) is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to aggressively promoting and marketing the area as a premier overnight destination. The goal of the AACVB is to enhance the economic and environmental well-being of a region comprising ten communities: Aurora, BataviaBatavia, Illinois
Batavia was founded in 1833, and is the oldest city in Kane County, Illinois, with a small portion in DuPage County. During the Industrial Revolution, Batavia became known as ‘The Windmill City’ for being the largest windmill producer of the time...
, Big Rock
Big Rock, Illinois
Big Rock is a small village located at 41.759308 N, 88.537617 W in Kane County, Illinois located approximately fifty miles due west of Chicago, Illinois. It is between the villages of Hinckley and Sugar Grove....
, Hinckley, Montgomery
Montgomery, Illinois
Montgomery is a village in Kane and Kendall County, Illinois. The population was 5,471 at the 2000 census, and was 14,407 in a 2006 special census...
, North Aurora
North Aurora, Illinois
North Aurora is village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. A suburb of Chicago, its population was 15,848 at the 2009 census.In its early history, North Aurora was known as "Schneider's Mill" or "Schneider's Crossing" after John Peter Schneider, a German immigrant who established a mill and...
, Plano
Plano, Illinois
Plano is a city in Kendall County, Illinois, United States near Aurora, with a population of 5,633 at the 2000 census. The city is rapidly growing with new subdivisions such as Lakewood Springs completed and several other developments under construction or in the planning stages. Former Speaker...
, Sandwich
Sandwich, Illinois
Sandwich is a city in DeKalb, Kendall, and LaSalle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 6,509 at the 2000 census. The 2008 population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau for the city is 7,337.-History:...
, Sugar Grove
Sugar Grove, Illinois
Sugar Grove is a far west suburban Chicago village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,909 at the 2000 census. The population was 6,016 in the 2003 special census. The population was 7,958 in the 2005 special census...
, and Yorkville
Yorkville, Illinois
Yorkville is a city located in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,189 at the 2000 United States Census and is estimated to be 16,505, . It is the county seat of Kendall County...
.
Largest employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caterpillar Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas... |
3,000 |
| 2 | Hollywood Casino | 1,600 |
| 3 | Rush–Copley Medical Center | 1,400 |
| 4 | Indian Prairie School District 204 Indian Prairie School District 204 Indian Prairie School District 204 serves students from the Illinois communities of Aurora, Bolingbrook, Plainfield and Naperville. Currently one preschool, twenty-one elementary schools, seven middle schools, three high schools, and one alternative high school are in the district... |
1,200 |
| 5 | West Aurora Public School District 129 West Aurora Public School District 129 West Aurora Public School District 129 has a tradition in Aurora, Illinois going back to the 1860s. The West Side High School and East Side High Schools have played an annual football game against each other since 1893. Four of the current elementary buildings are reported to be four of the oldest... |
1,153 |
| 6 | Dreyer Medical Clinic | 1,000 |
| 7 | East Aurora Public School District 131 East Aurora Public School District 131 East Aurora Public School District 131 has a long history serving students in Aurora, Illinois... |
950 |
| 8 | Provena Mercy Medical Center | 945 |
| 9 | MetLife | 800 |
| 10 | Farmers Insurance Group | 520 |
| 11 | Hipp Temporary Skills | 500 |
Arts and culture
Aurora's downtown is full of architectural landmarks and historic places. A non-profit organization, Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple of Greater Chicago, is a major HinduHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
temple. Aurora also has its own zoo, Phillips Park Zoo
Phillips Park Zoo
Phillips Park Zoo is located on the grounds of Phillips Park, in Aurora, Illinois, USA. It was originally established in 1915, and is still open year-round with no admission charge...
, located in Phillips Park (Aurora, IL)
Phillips Park (Aurora, IL)
Phillips Park is located on over 325 acres in Aurora, Illinois, USA. This park is a municipal park managed by the Department of Parks & Recreation of the city of Aurora, and has co-owned areas with the Fox Valley Park District.-History:...
.
Downtown Aurora
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Aurora is home to the Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre (Aurora, Illinois)
The Paramount Theater, also known as the Paramount Arts Center, opened in Aurora, Illinois in 1931. It was designed by Rapp and Rapp in the Art Deco style with Venetian elements. Over the years, it has hosted films, plays, musicals, concerts, comedy shows, and other acts. The structure was restored...
, a large live performance theater on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, and the Hollywood Casino. There is also the Leland Tower
Leland Tower
Leland Tower is a twenty-two story tall building located on Stolp Island in Aurora, Illinois.Stolp Island is recognized as a Historical District by the National Register of Historical Places. Leland Tower was at one time the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago and dominates the downtown...
, a former hotel which was the tallest building in Illinois outside the Chicago city limits and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The largest collection of George Grant Elmslie (Prairie architect - studied under Louis Sullivan) commercial buildings is located here. Also located downtown is the main building of Aurora Public Library and a branch campus of Waubonsee Community College
Waubonsee Community College
Waubonsee Community College is a two-year community college, founded in 1966, located in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Its four campuses are located in Sugar Grove, Aurora, and Plano....
. Downtown Alive, a festival that includes live music and a variety of food booths, is held on three weekends (Friday and Saturday night) in the summer; Blues on the Fox (featuring national blues artists) is held on the Friday and Saturday of Father's Day weekend. Roughly 8,000–13,000 people attend. The quarterly AuroraArtWalk is hosted by the Cultural Creatives
Cultural Creatives
Cultural Creatives is a term coined by sociologist Paul H. Ray and psychologist Sherry Ruth Anderson to describe a large segment in Western society that has recently developed beyond the standard paradigm of Modernists or Progressives versus Traditionalists or Conservatives...
—a grassroots team of local artist, property owners, patrons and the City of Aurora. The Riverfront Playhouse is a not-for-profit theater that has held a storefront location in downtown Aurora since 1978.
A fixture of Downtown Aurora, the Waubonsee Community College Campus, which formerly sat on Stolp Island near the Paramount Theatre, has recently been closed, as a new and greatly expanded campus was built on the Western banks of the river, between the river and IL Route 31. The construction of the campus was part of a larger plan to re-develop the Downtown area, putting in parks and new walking paths, making the area more inviting. The plan also included a pedestrian bridge, which would connect the two banks of the river. Also in the works is a plan to re-do or reconstruct the bridges onto Stolp Island, which have not been taken care of for close to 60 years.
Museums
- Aurora Historical Society
- Aurora Regional Fire MuseumAurora Regional Fire MuseumThe Aurora Regional Fire Museum is a non-profit, tax exempt, educational institution located in Aurora, Illinois, USA. Its purpose is to preserve and exhibit the artifacts and history of Aurora and surrounding area fire departments, as well as teach and promote fire safety and prevention.-External...
- The Aurora Public Arts Commission
- Grand Army of the Republic HallGrand Army of the Republic Hall (Aurora, Illinois)The Grand Army of the Republic Hall is an historic building located at 23 East Downer Place on Stolp Island in Aurora, Illinois, in the United States.-History:...
- Phillips Park ZooPhillips Park ZooPhillips Park Zoo is located on the grounds of Phillips Park, in Aurora, Illinois, USA. It was originally established in 1915, and is still open year-round with no admission charge...
- David L. Pierce Art and History Center
- SciTech Interactive Science Museum.
- Schingoethe Museum of Native American Culture
Entertainment
Aurora has a rich history of entertainment. There were several theaters in the downtown area and several large community parks with baseball stadiums, circus acts, and race tracks. Some of the more popular were:| Theater | Opened | Closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coulter Opera House | 1874 | 1899 | This was Aurora's first major Playhouse/Opera House/Theater. The building is still standing today as the Fifth Third Bank Fifth Third Bank Fifth Third Bank is a U.S. regional banking corporation, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and is the principal subsidiary of holding company Fifth Third Bancorp .... , formerly Merchants Bank, in downtown. |
| Evans Grand Opera House | 1891 | 1915 | |
| Aurora Coliseum / Fox Theater | 1900 | 1915 | Changed Name to Fox Theater in 1910. Condemned by the city in 1930. |
| Taylorville Theater / Star Theater | 1901 | 1930 | |
| The Strand Theater | 1915 | 1929 | Burned down in 1929. |
| Coliseum Theater | 1923 | 1951 | Eighteen city blocks from the original Aurora Coliseum. Was converted into apartments and shops after 1951. |
| Sylvandell Dance Hall / Rialto Theater | 1915 | 1928 | Changed its name to the Rialto Theater in 1919. This was the most popular theater in Aurora at the time, but it unfortunately burned down in 1928. It was nicknamed the "Million Dollar Fire" because of the large amount of money the owners Frank Thielen and Jules J. Rubens spent converting the Dance hall to a top quality theater. It even had a bowling alley in the basement. The Paramount stands on the Rialto's former site. |
| Tivoli Theater | 1928 | 1981 | Demolished soon after closing. Was one of the more popular Aurora Theaters of all time and gave competition to the Paramount theater. Also had a bowling alley. |
| Paramount Theatre Paramount Theatre (Aurora, Illinois) The Paramount Theater, also known as the Paramount Arts Center, opened in Aurora, Illinois in 1931. It was designed by Rapp and Rapp in the Art Deco style with Venetian elements. Over the years, it has hosted films, plays, musicals, concerts, comedy shows, and other acts. The structure was restored... |
1931 | The longest lived Aurora Theater. Was built on the site of the old Rialto Theater. Underwent a complete renovation in the 1970s and later in the 2000s. | |
| New Fox Theater | 1935 | 1978 | A third theater in Aurora for several decades. Is closed now, but the building still stands. The building has been incorporated into the Paramount since 2006. |
| Isle Theater | 1938 | 1982 | A smaller theater next to the Leland Hotel, was demolished in 1982 and now is a park. |
Commemorative street names
| Street name | Location |
|---|---|
| Blues Alley | Stolp Avenue between Galena Boulevard and Downer Place |
| Dr. William Bonner Avenue | Pond Avenue changed to Bonner Avenue |
| D. Lloyd A. Hall Avenue | Beach Street between Claim Street and Delius Street |
| Vernon Louis Parrington Drive | White Avenue between Hartford Avenue and Terry Avenue |
| Reverent Oliver Shackleford Jr. Way | Sumner Avenue between New York Street and Grand Boulevard |
| Reverend Robert Wesby Avenue | SLincoln Avenue between New York Street and Galena Boulevard |
| Marie Wilkinson Boulevard | View Street between Illinois Avenue and Plum Street |
| Rich Ebbey Way | White Avenue between Terry and Hartford |
Popular culture
- Wayne's WorldWayne's WorldWayne's World was originally a recurring sketch from the NBC television series Saturday Night Live. It evolved from a segment titled "Wayne's Power Minute" on the CBC Television series It's Only Rock & Roll, as the main character first appeared in that show...
(1992) is about two men, Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers), and Garth Algar (Dana CarveyDana CarveyDana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for playing the role of Garth in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...
) who live in Aurora. The characters emerged from the television show Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
; one of the original authors of the skit was from neighboring Naperville, IllinoisNaperville, IllinoisNaperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
, and thought Aurora had the appropriate blue-collarBlue-collar workerA blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled, manufacturing, mining, construction, mechanical, maintenance, technical installation and many other types of physical work...
feel desired for the characters. Though most of the movie was filmed elsewhere, there are at least one or two bits that were filmed on location in Aurora, most notably the scene in which a White CastleWhite Castle (restaurant)White Castle is an American regional fast food hamburger restaurant chain in the Midwestern United States and in the New York metropolitan area, and the first of its kind in the US. It is known for its small, square hamburgers. Sometimes referred to as "sliders", the burgers were priced at five...
is shown. Its sequel, Wayne's World 2Wayne's World 2Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a Public-access television cable TV show from Aurora, Illinois. The film was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World....
is also set in Aurora. - Prison BreakPrison BreakPrison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
, a Fox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
TV show has several references about Aurora, sometimes multiple times in an episode, as the show is filmed in the area. - Recently, former Kentucky Governor Ernie FletcherErnie FletcherErnest Lee "Ernie" Fletcher is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. In 1999, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives; he resigned in 2003 after being elected the 60th governor of Kentucky and served in that office...
used Aurora in an anti-casino ad in his unsuccessful re-election campaign. Governor Fletcher referred to Aurora as a good town gone bad, because of the casino. Contrary to the ad, the casino helped revitalize Aurora after the industrial recession of the 1980s. - The 1986 film Let's Get HarryLet's Get HarryLet's Get Harry is a 1986 action film directed by Stuart Rosenberg. It stars Michael Schoeffling, Thomas F. Wilson, Glenn Frey, Rick Rossovich, Gary Busey, Mark Harmon and Robert Duvall...
used some establishing shots of the New York Street Memorial Bridge. - Alkaline TrioAlkaline TrioAlkaline Trio is an American punk rock band that formed in McHenry, Illinois, in 1996. The band's line-up consists of Matt Skiba , Dan Andriano , and Derek Grant...
, ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
based punk-rock band release a song on their 2000 album, Maybe I'll Catch FireMaybe I'll Catch FireMaybe I'll Catch Fire is the second album by the Chicago-based punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released March 14, 2000 through Asian Man Records...
, entitled "Fuck You Aurora." - The 2002 Film Children on Their BirthdaysChildren on Their BirthdaysChildren on Their Birthdays is a 2002 American independent film directed by Mark Medoff. The screenplay written by Douglas Sloan is based on "Children on Their Birthdays", the short story of the same title by Truman Capote.-Plot:...
was filmed in a large Victorian-era home on Aurora's West side, although the story is supposed to have taken place in AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. - PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
was the second sitting president to visit Aurora, Illinois on July 7, 2006. The first was Theodore RooseveltTheodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
in 1904. - Summer 2007: LaSalle St. is used as downtown Uniontown, PennsylvaniaUniontown, PennsylvaniaUniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
for the movie The ExpressThe ExpressThe Express is a 2008 American sports film produced by John Davis and directed by Gary Fleder. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Charles Leavitt from a book titled Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, authored by Robert C. Gallagher...
. - Johnny DeppJohnny DeppJohn Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
filmed a scene from one of his movies Public Enemies at Aurora's downtown Paramount Theater.
Sports
Aurora was once home to the Aurora Islanders/Blues/Foxes, a minor league baseball franchise that played from 1910-1915 in the Illinois-Wisconsin League. Their most famous player was Casey StengelCasey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
, who played one season with the team before being bought by the Brooklyn Dodgers. Stengel batted .352 and was the batting champion of the league for 1911, and also led the league with 50 stolen bases and had 27 outfield assists. The team played in a stadium on the west side in the former Riverview Park.
Waubonsie Valley High School (IPSD - District 204) Soccer won the Northern Illinois regional championship in this highly competitive region, for both boys and girls, almost every year since 1987. In 2007, the Waubonsie Valley High School girl's team won the state championship and went on to achieve the #1 ranking of all high school girl's soccer teams in the United States, finishing with an undefeated season. Aurora has numerous youth soccer clubs, most of which have teams represented in the top five percent of the Northern Illinois Soccer League. Numerous youth soccer players from Aurora have been awarded college scholarships to major college soccer programs throughout the U.S. In addition to this legacy of success in soccer, Aurora maintains several developmental advantages for soccer enthusiasts. Three high quality indoor soccer venues allow for year-round soccer training and competition for children and adults. Additionally, several area traveling soccer clubs, as well as high schools, boast coaches and trainers who have played soccer professionally or have been starting players for national teams from various countries. Some even played for teams that won the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. Supplementing the local soccer training regimen are professional soccer trainers from England, Brazil, The Netherlands, Scotland, and various other countries. Several of these trainers played in the Premier League and for the Brazil national team
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, and for the Argentina national team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
.
Fastpitch softball
Fastpitch softball
Fast-pitch softball is a form of softball played commonly by women and men, though coed fast-pitch leagues also exist. The International Softball Federation is the international governing body of softball...
has been in Aurora since World War II and gained popularity in 1950 when the Aurora Sealmasters finished fifth in the nation. The Sealmasters went on to win National Championships in 1959, 1961, 1965 and 1967 and World Championships in 1966 and 1968. There were many different and competitive men's leagues in Aurora from the 1960s through the mid-1990s. There are still a few leagues and teams playing to this day.
In golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, the Stonebridge Country Club, on Aurora's far northeast side, was home to the LPGA Tour's Kellogg-Keebler Classic
Kellogg-Keebler Classic
The Kellogg-Keebler Classic was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour from 2002 to 2004. It was played at the Stonebridge Country Club in Aurora, Illinois.-External links:*...
from 2002-2004. Stonebridge was also hosted the Ameritech Senior Open from 1991-1995 on the Senior PGA Tour.
Aurora University
Aurora University
Aurora University is a private, not-for-profit, co-educational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Illinois, 40 miles west of Chicago, Illinois. Additional university locations include the George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wisconsin and the Woodstock Center in Woodstock, Illinois...
has Men's and Women's Basketball, Golf, Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country. It also has a men's football and baseball team, as well as women's softball and volleyball teams. Aurora University athletics are division III.
High school athletics are a major event in the city, as East and West Aurora High Schools have been rivals in all sports for over 100 years.
Transportation
The city is the final stop of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe
BNSF Railway Line
The BNSF Railway Line is a commuter rail line in the United States, provided by Metra and operated by the BNSF Railway in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs...
line of the Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
commuter rail system, allowing rail service into Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The city also has a stop at the Rt. 59 station
Route 59 (Metra)
Route 59 Station is a Metra station along the BNSF Railway Line on the border of Aurora, Illinois and Naperville, Illinois. The station is named for and located on Illinois Route 59 in order to distinguish itself from Naperville Metra Station to the east and Aurora Transportation Center to the west...
on the BNSF Line. This station is located on the border with Naperville and each city maintains a parking lot on their respective sides of the tracks. PACE operates local bus service within Aurora six days a week (no service on Sundays) and serves other cities such as Naperville, Geneva, Batavia, Oswego, and St. Charles. Along with Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
trains and PACE buses, Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
buses also stop at the Aurora Transportation Center
Aurora (Metra)
The Aurora Transportation Center is a station on Metra's BNSF Railway Line in Aurora, Illinois. The station is from Union Station, the east end of the line. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Aurora is in zone H. There is a staffed station building....
. Aurora does not currently have a stop for Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
trains, as the old station where they did stop closed in the 1980s. Aurora City Lines, the old city bus lines, was closed in the late 1980s, in favor of regional bus service. Aurora also used to have an extensive streetcar
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
system, operated by the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric Company, that served most neighborhoods. Additionally, Aurora was served by a number of interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
lines. The most prominent of these was the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad
Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad
The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad , known colloquially as the "Roarin' Elgin" or the "Great Third Rail", was an interurban railroad that operated passenger and freight service on its line between Chicago, Illinois and Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and Elgin. The railroad also operated...
which provided service into Chicago. The STAR Line will have a third station at Ferry Rd. north of the BNSF Line.
The Aurora Municipal Airport
Aurora Municipal Airport (Illinois)
Chicago/Aurora Municipal Airport is a public airport opened in April 1966, located in the village of Sugar Grove, Illinois, United States, west of the city of Aurora, both in Kane County. The airport is owned and operated by the City of Aurora. It is west of Chicago and is designated as a...
is a general aviation airport located in Sugar Grove, Illinois, just outside of Aurora. Although the airport is located within Sugar Grove, it is owned and operated by the City of Aurora. The Aurora Airport is designed as a reliever airport for Chicago's O'Hare and Midway Airports, and also handles a lot of international cargo. It is capable of landing Boeing 757 aircraft. In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center is located on Aurora's west side.
Healthcare
There are other area hospitals, including Edward Hospital in Naperville, Delnor Hospital in Geneva, Central DuPage in Winfield and a Level 1 Trauma center at Good Samaritan in Downers Grove.
Aurora at one point had three hospitals, St. Joseph Hospital, on the west side, St. Charles hospital, east of downtown, and Copley Memorial Hospital, on the east side. St Joseph and St, Charles hospitals have been converted into senior living centers, and the old Copley hospital, which was one of the largest hospitals in the area, sits vacant. The city of Aurora recently demolished the old smokestacks from the hospital, as they were starting to crumble and fall down.
Dreyer Medical Clinic and several other independent clinics and medical groups are spread throughout the city. The area surrounding Provena Mercy has evolved into a diverse healthcare district with services and offices.
Education
Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, or IMSA, is a three-year residential public high school located in Aurora, Illinois, USA, with an enrollment of approximately 650 students...
(IMSA) and Aurora University
Aurora University
Aurora University is a private, not-for-profit, co-educational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Illinois, 40 miles west of Chicago, Illinois. Additional university locations include the George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wisconsin and the Woodstock Center in Woodstock, Illinois...
. According to the census of Aurora's population over the age of twenty-five, 26% hold a bachelor's degree.
Two main school systems have served the Kane County
Kane County, Illinois
Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...
core location of Aurora since the 1860s, one on either side of the Fox River
Fox River (Illinois River tributary)
The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...
, which physically divides the city. In addition, the far eastern portion of Aurora within DuPage County
DuPage County, Illinois
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population...
, has been served by Indian Prairie School District (IPSD) 204, since that district's formation in 1972. All three districts (Aurora Public Schools: West Side (District 129), Aurora Public Schools: East Side (District 131) and IPSD) have their headquarters and administrative offices within the Aurora city limits. As of 2005, there will be no less than forty public schools within Aurora city limits, serving residents of Aurora and neighboring communities.
Due to the sheer size of the city of Aurora, these are not the only three school systems serving residents - some students in the far north end of the city (north of I88
Interstate 88 (west)
Interstate 88 is an intrastate Interstate Highway in the state of Illinois. It runs from an interchange with Interstate 80 near Silvis and Moline to an interchange with Interstates 290 and 294 in Hillside, near Chicago...
in Kane County) attend Batavia
Batavia, Illinois
Batavia was founded in 1833, and is the oldest city in Kane County, Illinois, with a small portion in DuPage County. During the Industrial Revolution, Batavia became known as ‘The Windmill City’ for being the largest windmill producer of the time...
public schools, some on the far southwest side attend Kaneland CUSD 302 schools (headquartered in Maple Park
Maple Park, Illinois
Maple Park is a village in DeKalb and Kane Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 1,310 at the 2010 census, up from 765 at the 2000 census...
), and some students in the far south end of the city (a small corner of the Kane, Kendall and Will County portions) attend Oswego
Oswego, Illinois
Oswego is a village in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 30,355. Its population has more than doubled since the 2000 census count of 13,326...
public schools. Four of the schools in Oswego CUSD 308, Wheatlands Elementary, Homestead Elementary, Wolf's Crossing Elementary, and Bednarcik Junior High, are located within Aurora's city limits.
The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, or IMSA, is a three-year residential public high school located in Aurora, Illinois, USA, with an enrollment of approximately 650 students...
(IMSA) is a state-funded residential magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
for grades 10 to 12. While IMSA operates under public funds (and uses the site originally designated West Aurora High School North Campus), it is managed independently of the other public schools in the city of Aurora. Any Illinois student who meets admission requirements may apply to attend IMSA, tuition free.
Aurora is also home to a few other private schools. Within Aurora, there are three Roman Catholic High Schools, Aurora Central Catholic
Aurora Central Catholic High School
Aurora Central Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic secondary school under the direction of the Diocese of Rockford. ACC began as two separate secondary schools in 1926. Madonna Catholic High School, a girls school, and Roncalli High School, a boys school, merged in 1968 to become Aurora...
(Diocese of Rockford), Rosary
Rosary High School (Aurora, Illinois)
Rosary High School was established in 1963 by the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois as a private, all-girls, Roman Catholic high school. It is located in Aurora, Illinois, and part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford...
, and Marmion Academy
Marmion Academy
Marmion Academy is a Roman Catholic high school for young men located in Aurora, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford.The academy is run by the Benedictine monks of Marmion Abbey, located on campus...
(Order of St. Benedict), and 7 Catholic elementary schools operated by the Diocese of Rockford. Along with these three schools is Aurora Christian High School and Elementary School. Aurora is also home to Fox Valley Montessori School, one of the first Montessori schools established in Illinois in 1969, which offers a preschool and elementary program.
The above-named districts have forty-six public schools within the city limits of Aurora (seventeen for District #131, thirteen for District #129, eleven for District #204, four for Oswego District #308 and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy). Aurora is also home to twenty-two private schools including Rasmussen College
Rasmussen College
Rasmussen College is a 110-year old for-profit private college offering Bachelor's and Associate's degrees at multiple campuses in Minnesota including Blaine, Brooklyn Park, Eagan, Bloomington, Lake Elmo, Mankato, Moorhead and St...
, two branches of Waubonsee Community College
Waubonsee Community College
Waubonsee Community College is a two-year community college, founded in 1966, located in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Its four campuses are located in Sugar Grove, Aurora, and Plano....
, and the main campus of Aurora University.
Library
The Aurora Public Library includes the main library, two branches, a support facility and a bookmobile. The current library operations budget is $10 million and the staff numbers 85 full-time and 89 part-time employees.Television
- WXFT-DT - TeleFutura Channel 50/60.1, Aurora/Chicago
- WPVN-CAWPVN-CAWPVN-CD is a Class A Digital television station that is licensed to Aurora, Illinois and serves the Chicago area, and is owned by ethnic broadcaster Polnet Communications...
- Polnet CommunicationsPolnet CommunicationsPolnet Communications, Ltd. is a Chicago, Illinois-based company that owns 8 AM radio stations in the United States. Many stations run Polish language or other multicultural programming...
Channel 24, Aurora - Aurora Community TV (ACTV) - Channel 10
- Total Living NetworkTotal Living NetworkTotal Living Network is a religious broadcasting channel based in Aurora, Illinois which carries a wide variety of family and ministry programs, including Ten Keys for Unlocking the Bible; Newsmakers, where leading Christian experts debate issues of interest to the Church; Inspiration Sensation, a...
(TLN) - Waubonsee Community CollegeWaubonsee Community CollegeWaubonsee Community College is a two-year community college, founded in 1966, located in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Its four campuses are located in Sugar Grove, Aurora, and Plano....
Educational Television - ComcastComcastComcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
Channel 99
Newspapers
The Beacon News is Aurora's oldest business, first published in 1846, and is part of the Sun-Times Media GroupSun-Times Media Group
Sun-Times Media Group is a Chicago-based newspaper publisher. It is known for its prior association with controversial Canadian businessman Conrad Black.-History:...
. The newspaper has two editions: the Aurora edition and the Kendall County edition. The Beacon-News has been recognized repeatedly by the Associated Press, Illinois Press Association, Northern Illinois Newspaper Association and the Chicago Headline Club as one of the best daily newspapers in Illinois.
Crime and social issues
In 2008, reported major crimes in Aurora were at their lowest level in nearly three decades. The Chief of Police attributed the drop to a number of factors but especially credited the hard work of the city's police officers and the increase in anti-gang priorities. Gang violence had reached a high in the 1990s, with the city averaging nearly 30 murders per year. In 2008, Aurora only had 2 murders. In July 2007, the Aurora Police Department and the FBI conducted "Operation First Degree Burn," a sweep that resulted in the successful arrest of 31 alleged Latin Kings gang members suspected of 22 murders dating back to the mid-1990s. Aurora has also adopted programs such as CeaseFire to reduce gang violence and prevent youths from joining gangs.Environmentally, Aurora has long dealt with pollution of the Fox River
Fox River (Illinois River tributary)
The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...
. The river was heavily polluted up until the 1970s by factories that had lined the river for over a century. Cleanup efforts have been successful with the help of state grants and volunteer efforts.
Gallery
External links
- Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Aurora, Illinois in the Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago
- Aurora Fire Department history honoring its 150th anniversary, in 2006.
- City-data.com: Aurora, IL