Aurora, IL, United States

Aurora, Illinois

Introduction

The seconddensest city in the US state of Illinois is Aurora, which also ranks 112^th according to its size on the map of the USA.  A small town on the outskirts of Chicago, it is situated 40 miles (64 km) west of the Loop, and according to the census of 2010 its population was 197,899.  It was originally limited to Kane County but it has become a sprawling giant during the latter half of the last century and now, extends into DuPage County, Will County and Kendall County.  As per the statistics of 2010, Kendall County was known to be the most rapidly burgeoning county in the USA.

Demographics

The population of Aurora in 2000 was 142,990, which constituted 46,489 houses and 34,215 family units living within the town.  The average salary for a house was $54,861, and the average salary for a family was $61,113.

Education

Aurora is renowned for housing the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), and Aurora University.   As per the census of Aurora's population, 26% of people above 25 years of age have earned a bachelor's degree.

There are two important schools which have been operating in the Kane County.  The heart of Aurora from the 1860s era, are situated on opposite sides of the Fox River, which separates the city into two.  Moreover, the Indian Prairie School District (IPSD) 204, which came into being in 1972, has been the main educational institute for the eastern half of Aurora, which falls within DuPage County.

Transportation and Communication

The final destination of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line which is part of the Metra commuter rail system is Aurora.  This makes it possible for community to have rail service to Chicago.  Besides these Metra trains, PACE buses and Greyhound buses also go to and from the Aurora Transportation Center.   The Aurora Municipal Airport is a general airport situated on the fringes of Aurora in Sugar Grove, Illinois.  Even though the airport falls within the boundaries of Sugar Grove, it is owned and controlled by the City of Aurora.

Restaurants in the City

The famous restaurants of the city include Ballydoyle Irish Pub & Restaurant, Luigi’s house, The Foundry, La Cabana Restaurant, Panchos Restaurant, Hollywood Casino Aurora, Orchard Valley Restaurant, and Momoya Japanese Restaurant.

Tourism

There are many interesting places which tourists can visit in Aurora which includes many museums, art galleries and theatres, a casino for gambling, water and theme parks, and trekking routes for several kinds of outdoor activity.  The famous Hollywood Casino which is situated in downtown Aurora includes more than 53,000 square feet of gaming arena and houses two restaurants and a diverse array of movie archives.  Paramount Arts Centre, which is located near the casino, is a huge live performance theatre.  It was founded in 1931 and was an exquisite composition of Art Deco and French Renaissance.  Other annual theatres located in Aurora constitute the First Street Playhouse and the Riverfront Playhouse.