Near East Side
Near West Side: The residential neighborhood is generally well maintained with expensive older homes.
Pigeon Hill (East Side)
Frontenac (Far East Side)
Exposition View (Northwest Side)
Riddle Highlands: is located on the West Side, off of Lake Street and Illinois Ave. It’s a very charming section of the city, with large, older homes dating back to the early 1900s. Mature trees line the streets and most lawns are neatly manicured.
Scraper-Moecherville (South East Side)
Newport Hill
Marywood (North East Side)
Southpark (South East Side)
Hometown (South East Side)
Downtown: Historic downtown is the heart of Aurora and is home to a number of large historic buildings dating back to the early 1900s. Downtown is located 3 miles South of Interstate 88. Much of downtown Aurora was developed in the lates 1800s and houses several pieces of impressive architecture. Downtown Aurora’s declined began in the late 1970s but of late is the home of several new developments including the River Street Plaza Condo development and Downer Place Lofts. Many new businesses have opened with success, along with the Hollywood Casino. A major hotel and high rise condos are planned for the East Bank on the east side of downtown. Today still, many areas just outside downtown remain vacant due to the industrial recession of the 1980’s. Downtown Aurora is the home of the famous LeLand Hotel, a 22 story building built in 1921, which housed the Sky Club, a former Blues recording studio. The building once was the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago. Today its used as apartments.
Uptown :The center of Aurora’s strong Hispanic culture. The area was an area just east of downtown, booming with large homes and bustling shops in the first half of the 20th century. Today, some old storefronts are still there.
White Eagle: is located at the most Southeastern portion of the city. Although, most residents consider this to be Naperville, its technically Aurora. In the early days of this development, the residents wanted to be considered Naperville, so the mayor at that time, cut off all city services to prove his point, that White Eagle is in fact in the City of Aurora. White Eagle is a very wealthy and upscale area. Most homes are valued at well over a million dollars.
Oakhurst (Far East Side)
Pheasant Creek (Far East Side)
Pine Meadows (Far East Side)
Georgetown (Far East Side)
Ginger Woods (Far East Side)
Green Hills (Far East Side)
Lake Wood (Far East Side)
Patersonville (East Side)
Westwood: A predominantly African American neighborhood on the west side.
Stonebridge: is the most wealthy area of Aurora. Its located along Indian Trail Rd and Eola Rd on the city’s Far East Side. This is also one of the newest sections of the city. With homes well over a million dollars, its residents have an average household income of $ 112,800 and an average household net worth of $ 165,112.00. The Stonebridge area is also home to the Stonebridge Golf Course. Which was the home of PGA for several years in a row.
Orchard Valley

Aurora is the largest city in Kane County, Illinois. The city also lies within DuPage, Will and Kendall counties. As reported in the 2000 U.S. census, the city was home to 142,990 people, while the city’s estimated 2007 population is 175,952. About 110,000 of the city’s residents reside in Kane County, while about 42,000 live in DuPage County. Only a few thousand Aurorans are in Will and Kendall Counties.

Although mostly considered part of Kane County, Aurora is also on the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor. Aurora has a long tradition of manufacturing, making it an industrial center that could stand alone, separate from Chicago. Prominent manufacturers, past and present, included: Lyon Workspace Products, The Aurora Silver Plate Manufacturing Company, Barber Greene Ltd., the Chicago Corset Company, the Aurora Brewing Company, Stephens-Adamson Company, Caterpillar Incorporated, and Western Wheeled Scraper Works (later Austin-Western Inc.). Olsson Roofing Company, Inc. was started in 1914 and is one of the oldest companies in the city. The most prominent employer and industry was the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad (later Burlington Northern) which was headquartered in Aurora. The CB&Q Roundhouse is still standing, and is now the popular restaurant Walter Payton’s Roundhouse.

Two main school systems have served the Kane County, Illinois core location of Aurora, Illinois since the 1860s, one on either side of the Fox River which physically divides the city. In addition, the far eastern portion of Aurora, within DuPage County, Illinois, has been served by Indian Prairie School District (IPSD) 204 since that district’s formation in 1972. All three of these districts (Aurora Public Schools: West Side (District 129), Aurora Public Schools: East Side (District 131) and IPSD) have their headquarters and administrative offices within the Aurora city limits. As of 2005 there will be no less than forty public schools within Aurora city limits, serving residents of Aurora and neighboring communities.

Due to the sheer size of the city of Aurora, these are not the only three school systems serving residents - some students in the far north end of the city (north of I88 in Kane County) attend Batavia, Illinois public schools, some on the far southwest side attend the Kaneland School district (headquartered in Maple Park, Illinois), and some students in the far south end of the city (Kendall and Will County portions) attend Oswego, Illinois public schools. 4 schools of Oswego School District #308, are located within Aurora’s city limits.

Aurora is also home to the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), a state-funded residential magnet school for grades 10 to 12. While IMSA operates under public funds (and uses the site originally designated West Aurora High School North Campus), it is managed wholly independently of the other public schools in the city of Aurora. Young residents meeting IMSA’s requirements who live in Aurora, or any other Illinois community, may apply for admission to IMSA.

The above-named districts have forty-six public schools within the city limits of Aurora (seventeen for District #131, thirteen for District #129, eleven for District #204, four for Oswego District #308 and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy). Aurora is also home to twenty-two private schools, 2 branches of the Waubonsee Community College, and the main campus of Aurora University.

Joseph McCarty, a pioneer from New York State, came west seeking a new home. Reaching the Fox Valley, he built the first campfire in April of 1834 on the island, which is now the site of downtown Aurora. He thought that the Fox River location was an ideal place for a new community and told his brother, Samuel. It was not long before Samuel arrived, family was sent for, and a permanent settlement was taking roots. The settlement was named McCarty mills for the brothers’ grist mill and sawmill. In 1837, when a Post Office was established, the village became Aurora, goddess of the dawn. Later, when the City was the first in the United States to use electric lights for publicly lighting the entire City, it achieved the nickname of “City of Lights”.

The modest camp of 1834 has grown into a teeming city. With a population of 157,267 according to 2003 special census, the City has steadily grown throughout the years to become the second largest city in the state.

The City is accessible through five interchanges on the East/West Tollway Corridor. Corporate offices and commercial growth on the City’s east and west sides continue to expand the City’s boundaries, now stretching from Route 59 on the east to portions beyond Orchard Road on the west. The Far East Side of the City includes the regional Westfield Shoppingtown at Fox Valley (formerly known as Fox Valley Mall) and residential areas and is projected to house 60,000 people within the next twenty years. The City extends into four counties, Kane, DuPage, Kendall, and Will. There are six school districts and seven townships covered within the city limits. There are four historic districts and a large number of individual landmark designations for many of the City’s buildings.

The City of Aurora is rich in history and pride. The future for the “City of Lights” looks bright as the community continues to grow and prosper.