Aurora Arapahoe

The City of Aurora (/əˈroʊrə/, /əˈrɔːrə/) is a home rule municipality located in Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties, Colorado, United States. The city of Aurora is the third most populous in the state of Colorado and the 51st most populous in the United States. Aurora is one of the principal cities of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), and one of the largest cities along the Front Range Urban Corridor. With 102,851 acres (416,223 km2) of land and 368 acres (1.489 km2) of water, the city covers a total area of 102,851 acres (416,223 km2).

Aurora is located at the intersection of Interstate 70 and Colorado E470. Major highways of Interstate 70, Interstate 225 and Colorado State Highway 30 pass through the city. It borders Denver to the north, Greenwood Village, Centennial, Foxfield, and Parker to the south, Glendale to the west and Watkins, Bennett and Strasburg to the east.

Aurora has more than 100 parks, more than 6,000 acres (24 km2) of open space and natural areas, and six award-winning municipal golf courses (Aurora Hills, Meadow Hills, Murphy Creek, Saddle Rock, Springhill and Fitzsimons). Aurora is also home to several privately owned golf courses, including CommonGround Golf Course, Heather Ridge Country Club, Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club and Valley Country Club.

Morrison Nature Center, located on the Star K Ranch, is an important habitat for wildlife in Aurora. There are several trails for nature exploration here, including the Sand Creek Greenway Trail. Jewell Wetland, a wooded wetland covering 50 acres (200,000 m2), includes trails, a boardwalk and a butterfly garden. Water activities can be enjoyed at Aurora Reservoir and Quincy Reservoir.

The former Guiraud Ranch in Park County is owned by the city of Aurora. Now known as Buffalo Peaks Ranch, it is located on Colorado State Highway 9 between Fairplay and Hartsel near the ghost town of Garo. In addition to Aurora’s famous historic round barn, DeLaney Farm includes 130 acres (0.53 km2) of open space, trails with access to the High Line Canal, an organic garden managed by Denver Urban Gardens, and two structures on the National Register of Historic Places. Plains Conservation Center, located on 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) of native shortgrass prairie, offers a variety of educational programs.

Aurora manages 27 historic sites and landmarks, including the Gully Homestead of 1870, the Victorian-style Centennial House of 1890, the privately-owned American War Mothers National Memorial Home, the Art Deco-style KOA Building of 1934, the DeLaney Round Barn of 1902, the Lowry Building 800, the interim headquarters for the US Air Force Academy from 1955 to 1958, and Stanley Marketplace. This historic landmark, along East Colfax Avenue, is a 245-seat performing arts center in the Aurora Cultural Arts District. A performing arts venue with flexible space is located in the same area, The People’s Building. Other notable attractions in the city include The Aurora History Museum, The Aurora Symphony Orchestra, The Aurora Public Library, Town Center at Aurora, The Gardens on Havana and Southlands.

Aurora straddles Interstate 70, Interstate 225 and the E-470 beltway. On November 17, 2006, Aurora’s southwestern edge was also served by the Regional Transportation District’s light rail transit system. Aurora’s Dayton and Nine Mile Stations are on the H Line; a comprehensive network of feeder buses serves the latter. In February 2017, the line was extended as the R Line to Peoria Station in Denver’s northwest, where passengers can transfer to the A Line that connects Union Station in downtown Denver with Denver International Airport (DIA). Aurora is more convenient to Denver International Airport than Denver itself, and the city plans an aerotropolis on its southern flank.