Aurora is a city in Illinois that is located outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the second most populous city in Illinois, boasting a population of 201,110 according to 2016 estimates. The city stretches across four counties: DuPage, Kendall, Kane and Will. The city’s last official population in 2010 showed that the population was 197,899. The city in the early 2000s was ranked as one of the fastest-growing in the US.

Aurora History

Aurora’s history dates back to 1834 when it was first settled. It was not officially incorporated until 1845 when it was designated as a village. In 1857, Aurora was incorporated as a city. Aurora was initially divided into two parts: East Aurora and West Aurora. Upon its incorporation in 1857, the two regions merged to create one city. The city’s industry was based around factories and the railroad, which was one of the largest employers until the 1960s. It was because of the heavy industries in the city that lured in immigrants from all over Europe, including but not limited to German, French and Italian inhabitants.

The city has always been one that has been progressive in many different areas including women, education, and religion. Also notable is that Aurora was one of the first US cities to deploy an electric street light system in the 1880s. This earned Aurora the nickname, “City of Lights.”

The city’s economy was based around manufacturing until the railroad shops closed, which led to the closure and relocation of other factories. This, in turn, led to an unemployment rate that climbed to 16% during the 1980s. Further development of the city also was a contributing factor to the decline of other areas of the city, which in turn led to heightened crime rates and gang violence. One good thing that did come out of this dark period was that the city was becoming very ethnically and culturally diverse. During the late 1980s, the city began to make a comeback. More businesses opened and development spread following the construction of the Hollywood Casino in the early 1990s. Development continued through the 1990s, especially in rural areas, and the population of Aurora continued to grow.

Today, the city is thriving and has a very diverse population of over 200,000 inhabitants. The downtown area is being revitalized while other new developments continue to emerge throughout the city and its outskirts to accommodate future growth.

City Size and Population Density of Aurora

Aurora has a population estimated at over 201,000 people. With a total area of almost 46 square miles, this puts the density at over 4,479 inhabitants per square mile.

Aurora Demographics

As previously mentioned, Aurora is a very ethnically diverse city. Just over 68% of the population is White, over 11% are African American, over 3% are Asian, 2% are Mixed Race, and over 14% are from other races. Over 32% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

Data also show that the population of Aurora is quite young. Almost 32% are under age 18. The largest group is the 25 to 44 group, which makes up nearly 36% of the population. The median age is 29 years old. There are also more males than females, although this statistic is reversed when looking at residents age 18 or older. About 8.5% of Aurora’s population live under the federal poverty line.

Aurora Population Growth

Throughout the years, Aurora has seen steady population growth. Its population from 1850 to 1860 grew by over 400%. While this was the highest recorded rate, the city has seen continuous growth through every 10-year census. The city hit the 100,000 milestone during the 1990s before almost doubling by the time of the 2010 census. Since the last census, the city has seen a population growth of 1.6%. Based on its historical growth as well as the new developments springing up in and around the city, it’s almost certain that Aurora will continue to exhibit steady growth to hit its next population milestone.