Aurora, CO
| U.S. News Ratings | |
| Population: | 296,829 |
| Crime: | High |
| Cost of Living: | High |
| Health Care: | Comprehensive |
| Housing Price: | Low |
| Income: | Average |
Aurora truly lives up to its nickname, "Gateway to the Rockies." The list of parks, mountains, gorges, and other scenes of natural beauty within a few hours of Aurora includes some of the most treasured landmarks of the American West. It's also about 15 miles east of Denver. Although Aurora was originally a suburb of its larger neighbor, the city has grown large enough that the U.S. Census Bureau now recognizes it in the name of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. Average high temperatures are in the mid 30s in the winter and the mid 80sin the summer.
Aurora might be the least-known big city in America. At 296,829, it has more residents than New Orleans or Buffalo. It's also the third-largest city in Colorado. Aurora falls within both Arapahoe and Adams counties and, in a system unique to Colorado, is a self-governing "home rule municipality." A major event in the city's development was the construction of Buckley Air Force Base in 1942. The base is home to the 460th Space Wing. Aurora offers more than the hiking and skiing activities one would expect from its proximity to the Rocky Mountains. Within a two-hour drive, the possibilities are almost endless. A few miles to the south, near Colorado Springs, is Pikes Peak. Each summer, almost 200 motorists race to the top of the 14,000-foot mountain in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. An hour and a half to the northwest is Rocky Mountain National Park, which contains glaciers, tundra, and forests.
But you don't have to leave Aurora to experience natural beauty. South of the city is Cherry Creek State Park, home to a variety of wildlife, including coyotes and prairie dogs. Biking on the park's 12 miles of paved trails is a popular summer activity, and cross-country skiing is popular in the winter. Speaking of winter, Aurora is not for you if you don't like snow, as snowfall averages 60 feet a year. On the other hand, residents enjoy warm summers with low humidity. The average humidity on a July morning in Aurora is 33 percent in the evening.
Fishing and boating on the Aurora Reservoir are popular, and the city has seven award-winning golf courses. For non-outdoorsy activities, the Aurora Fox is a refurbished 1940s movie theater that hosts plays and other cultural events.
Nearby Denver boasts professional sports teams in all four major sports—the Denver Broncos of the NFL, the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball, the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, and the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL. But Aurora isn't a sports slouch: Sports Illustrated magazine designated it the "sportstown" of Colorado.
Aurora is roughly a 45-minute drive from the University of Colorado–Boulder. The University of Denver, the University of Colorado–Denver, and Regis University also are nearby.
Aurora has 13 hospitals and 41 nursing and residential-care facilities. Within 30 miles are four U.S. News-rated hospitals.
Aurora is home to several biotechnology companies.
The median home price in Aurora is $138,000. The average age of a home in the city is 22 years.
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