Aurora originated in the 1880s as the town of Fletcher, taking its name from Denver businessman Donald Fletcher who saw it as a real estate opportunity. He and his partners staked out four square miles east of Denver, but the town - and Colorado - struggled mightily after the Silver Crash of 1893.

At that point Fletcher skipped town, leaving the community with a huge water debt. Inhabitants decided to rename the town Aurora in 1907, after one of the subdivisions composing the town.

Aurora continues to grow and is composed of hundreds of subdivisions thus carries the name of one of the original development plats from which it sprang. Aurora is Denver's largest suburb, and a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe and Adams counties, with the extreme southeastern portion of the city extending into Douglas County.

In 1942, the Army Air Corps built Buckley Field, which over the course of history has been renamed Naval Air Station, Buckley Air National Guard Base and finally Buckley Air Force Base. The base, home of the 460th Space Wing and the 140th Wing Colorado Air National Guard, is Aurora's largest employer.

The city's population was 325,078 in the 2010 census, which made it the third most populous city in the state of Colorado. Located minutes from Denver International Airport there are more than 61 hotel properties with 12,000+ guestrooms.

Although its highly residential quality and proximity to Denver make Aurora seem like simply a suburb of the larger metropolis, this bustling city has a flavor all its own. Aurora's emerging arts scene brings forth vibrant theater and visual arts to liven up the city. Discover Aurora’s intuitive cultural art district and visit one of our many theaters, museums, and family-friendly attraction.

Shopping aficionados will love the mix of retail destinations, ranging from independent, locally owned boutiques to well-known, national brands. Stanley Marketplace, a food-centric community market equipped to accommodate more than 50 independently owned Colorado businesses recently opened in Aurora's historic 1954 Stanely Aviation hangar.

Explore the beauty of Colorado’s outdoors at one of the dozens of parks, 50 miles of trails, six public golf courses, or two gorgeous reservoirs—not to mention the 6,000 acres of open space.