kids encyclopedia robot

Aurora, Ohio facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Aurora, Ohio
Aurora's city hall
Aurora's city hall
Location within Portage County
Location within Portage County
Aurora, Ohio is located in the United States
Aurora, Ohio
Aurora, Ohio
Location in the United States
Aurora, Ohio is located in Ohio
Aurora, Ohio
Aurora, Ohio
Location in Ohio
Country United States
State Ohio
County Portage
First Settled 1799
Incorporated 1929 (Village)
Incorporated 1971 (City)
Founded by Ebenezer Sheldon
Area
 • Total 24.06 sq mi (62.31 km2)
 • Land 22.91 sq mi (59.34 km2)
 • Water 1.15 sq mi (2.97 km2)
Elevation
1,132 ft (345 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 17,239
 • Density 713.04/sq mi (275.31/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
44202
Area code(s) 330
FIPS code 39-03086
GNIS feature ID 1064359
Website www.auroraoh.com

Aurora is a city in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, and is co-extant with, and formed from, the former township of Aurora, which was formed from the Connecticut Western Reserve. It is part of the Akron metropolitan area. The population was 17,239 at the 2020 census.

Aurora was designated a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Some say Aurora was the name of the daughter of Major Amos Spafford, while others believe the village was named after Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn.

Geography

Aurora is located at 41°19′9″N 81°21′21″W / 41.31917°N 81.35583°W / 41.31917; -81.35583 (41.319254, -81.355859). It borders or touches the following other townships and municipalities:

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.07 square miles (62.34 km2), of which 22.92 square miles (59.36 km2) is land and 1.15 square miles (2.98 km2) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 222
1940 518
1950 571 10.2%
1960 4,049 609.1%
1970 6,549 61.7%
1980 8,177 24.9%
1990 9,192 12.4%
2000 13,556 47.5%
2010 15,548 14.7%
2020 17,239 10.9%
Sources:

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,548 people, 6,018 households, and 4,365 families residing in the city. The population density was 678.4 inhabitants per square mile (261.9/km2). There were 6,396 housing units at an average density of 279.1 per square mile (107.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.9% White, 1.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 6,018 households, of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.5% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.03.

The median age in the city was 45.4 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.7% were from 25 to 44; 31.6% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

Culture, recreation, and sports

The Church in Aurora
The Church in Aurora, part of Aurora's historic district

Parts of central Aurora have been designated the Aurora Center Historic District. The historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

The city has several private country clubs, including Club Walden and Barrington Golf Club. In addition, it was home to the historic Aurora Golf and Country Club. In 1924, Bert Way designed the championship golf course. The course wound through 220 acres of spectacularly crafted landscape, with the Chagrin River flowing through a majority of the holes. It was constructed in natural rolling terrain, with the Aurora branch of the Chagrin River being a significant feature. In 1967, 1969, and 1970, the club hosted the Cleveland Open. Arnold Palmer once battled the course while competing in this PGA event; Arnold Palmer, along with Bruce Devlin, Charlie Coody, Gary Trivisonno, and Tom Laubacher, held the course record of 64. After 88 years, in 2012, Aurora Golf and Country Club shuttered its doors. The former course has now been converted into the Paddock River Preserve.

Various recreational facilities operated on the site of Giles Pond, also known as Geauga Lake, continuously since before 1887. The Big Dipper roller coaster operated for 82 years at the site. The park permanently closed in 2007, but the Wildwater Kingdom waterpark attached to the site continued to operate until 2016. Geauga Lake historically was also the second location for the SeaWorld chain of marine mammal parks, which opened on the opposite side of the lake from the amusement park in 1970 and was home to the killer whale (orca) known as Shamu.

Aurora High School, in 2008, were the Division III State Champions in football.

In 2016, Aurora Robotics Team TBD won the FIRST Tech Challenge FIRST Championship in St. Louis, MO.

Education

Aurora City School District operates three elementary schools (Leighton, Craddock, and Miller), one middle school (Harmon), and one high school, Aurora High School. In 2019, Aurora High School was ranked second in Northeast Ohio, ninth in the state, and 308th in the nation; 78% of its students participate in advanced placement. Furthermore, it boasts a 18:1 student-teacher ratio, with 986 students.

Aurora is home to Valley Christian Academy. Aurora has a public library, a branch of the Portage County District Library.

Notable people

  • Blanton Collier, professional football coach in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns
  • Gary Collins, professional football player in the NFL
  • Tom Curtis, professional football player in the NFL
  • Jericka Duncan, TV news correspondent
  • Sean Grandillo, actor
  • Anne Heche, actress
  • Fritz Heisler, professional football coach, assistant coach, and scout in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns
  • Chris McCarrell, actor
  • Bernie Parrish, professional football player in the NFL
  • Dick Schafrath, professional football player in the NFL
  • Jim Thome, professional baseball player in Major League Baseball, lived in Aurora while playing for the Cleveland Indians
  • Manny Barenholtz who started building Walden in 1969 and it has become the Premier Residential and Golf Course/Country Club as well as a AAA 5 Diamond Rated Inn and Spa. It is the No. 1 spa in Ohio and 10 in the country.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Aurora (Ohio) para niños

kids search engine
Aurora, Ohio Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.