Aurora, Colorado
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Aurora is a city divided between Arapahoe County and Adams County in Colorado, with a small portion lying in Douglas County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 276,900. Current estimates (2005) place the city's population at around 300,000.
In 1891, Donald Fletcher founded a town on the plains east of Denver and named it after himself. The real estate tycoon ran out two years later, leaving the new residents with bond payments for non-existent water. The town was renamed Aurora in 1907, and remained a small community until after World War II. Postwar suburban development transformed the town into what became the fastest growing city in the United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Although Aurora has long been considered by many only as one of Denver's larger suburbs, its growing population in recent decades (now over half the size of the City of Denver) has led to efforts by some of its citizens to be recognized as co-equal with its larger neighbor. A former mayor once expressed the somewhat whimsical notion that eventually the area would be called the "Aurora/Denver Metropolitan Area." It is widely recognized, however, that such an effort is somewhat hampered by the lack of a large historically important central business district in the city, which is highly surburban in character.
Aurora is the location of the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, and is the birthplace of 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. The Fitzsimons site is now under redevelopment as the campus of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and Hospital, which are relocating there from Denver, and the Colorado Bioscience Park Aurora. These facilities will employ a workforce of 32,000 at build-out.
Geography
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Location of Aurora, Colorado
Aurora is located at 39°41'45" North, 104°48'29" West (39.695887, -104.808101)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 369.7 km² (142.7 mi²). 369.1 km² (142.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.17% water.
Aurora straddles Interstate 70, Interstate 225 and the E-470 beltway. The Regional Transportation District's light rail transit system will be extended to serve the southwestern edge of Aurora by the end of 2006. An extension along I-225 through the city is planned to connect with a commuter rail line between downtown Denver and Denver International Airport (DIA), both scheduled for completion by 2015. Much of Aurora is more convenient to DIA than Denver itself. This proximity is a factor in the expected growth of the E-470 corridor directly south of DIA, projected to eventually accommodate 250,000 additional Aurora residents.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 276,393 people, 105,625 households, and 68,867 families residing in the city. The population density is 748.9/km² (1,939.6/mi²). There are 109,260 housing units at an average density of 296.0/km² (766.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 68.86% White, 13.42% African American, 0.81% Native American, 4.37% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 8.14% from other races, and 4.23% from two or more races. 19.81% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 105,625 households out of which 35.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% are married couples living together, 13.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% are non-families. 27.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.60 and the average family size is 3.19.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $46,507, and the median income for a family is $52,551. Males have a median income of $35,963 versus $30,080 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,095. 8.9% of the population and 6.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 12.0% of those under the age of 18 and 6.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- Official city website (http://www.auroragov.org/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=621)
