Aurora, Ohio

Aurora is a city in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It is co-extant with, and formed from, the former township of Aurora, which was formed from the Connecticut Western Reserve. The population was 15,548 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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

The historic suburb is home to Aurora Golf and Country Club, which hosted the 1967, 1969, and 1970 Cleveland Open.

Aurora High School is ranked sixth in the state by U.S. News & World Report and first in the Northeast Ohio area.

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 41.31917°N, -81.35583°W (41.319254, -81.355859). It borders or touches the following other townships and municipalities:
 * The city of Hudson, on the southwest (touches, but does not border)
 * The city of Solon, on the northwest (touches, but does not border)
 * Bainbridge Township, Geauga County, on the north
 * Auburn Township, Geauga County, on the northeast (touches, but does not border)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.07 sqmi, of which 22.92 sqmi is land and 1.15 sqmi is water.

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 PD/sqmi. There were 6,396 housing units at an average density of 279.1 /sqmi. 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.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,556 people, 5,047 households, and 3,901 families residing in the city. The population density is 583.8 people per square mile (225.4/km²). There are 5,361 housing units at an average density of 230.9 per square mile (89.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.67% White, 1.16% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.

There were 5,047 households out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $112,547, and the median income for a family was $128,432. Males had a median income of $100,797 versus $53,846 for females. The per capita income for the city was $69,672.

Education
Aurora City School District operates three elementary schools, one middle school, and Aurora High School.

Valley Christian Academy, a private institution, has been in operation at Aurora since 1979.

Aurora has a public library, a branch of the Portage County District Library.

Culture, recreation, and sports


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 suburb has a plethora of private country clubs including Club Walden, and Barrington Golf Club. In 1924, Bert Way designed the championship golf course at Aurora Golf and Country Club, located on Trails End. The course winds through 220 acres of spectacularly crafted landscape, with the Chagrin River flowing through a majority of the holes. Aurora Golf and Country Club 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, still holds the course record of 64.

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.

Aurora historically was the second location for the SeaWorld chain of marine mammal parks, which opened in 1970 and operated in the Geauga lake area on the northern edge of the city 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 world championship in St. Louis, MO.

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
 * Sean Grandillo - Actor
 * Anne Heche - Actress
 * Fritz Heisler - Professional football coach, assistant coach, and scout in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns
 * Caitlin Houlahan - Actress
 * Chris McCarrell - Actor
 * Bernie Parrish - Professional football player in the NFL
 * Dick Schafrath - Professional football player in the NFL
 * Kelsey Stevens - Miss Ohio Teen USA
 * Jim Thome - Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball, lived in Aurora while playing for the Cleveland Indians
 * Kaley Voorhees - Actress
 * Jeffery Stabler - Fleet Captain