View source for Aurora, Oregon

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Aurora, Oregon
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
|image_skyline            = Aurora Museum (Marion County, Oregon scenic images) (marDA0083).jpg
|image_caption            = Old Aurora Colony Museum
|image_flag               =
|image_seal               = Seal of Aurora, Oregon.gif
|image_map                = Marion_County_Oregon_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Aurora_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Oregon]]
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Oregon]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Oregon|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Marion County, Oregon|Marion]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Brian Asher<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.ci.aurora.or.us/citycouncil| title=City Council| publisher=City of Aurora| access-date=July 25, 2025}}</ref>
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = 1893
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024">{{cite web |title=2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Oregon|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_gaz_place_41.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=July 25, 2025}}</ref>
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.48
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.48
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
|area_total_km2           = 1.25
|area_land_km2            = 1.25
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_urban_sq_mi         = 
|area_urban_km2           = 
|area_metro_sq_mi         = 
|area_metro_km2           = 
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P1?q=&g=160XX00US4103300| title=P1. Race – Aurora city, Oregon: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=July 25, 2025}}</ref>
|population_total         = 1133
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_est           = 
|population_metro         = 
|population_urban         = 
|population_density_km2   = 903.15
|population_density_sq_mi = 2340.91
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Standard Time Zone|Pacific]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|timezone_DST             = Pacific
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|coordinates              = {{coord|45|13|40|N|122|45|19|W|type:city_region:US-OR|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 167
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 97002
|area_code                = [[Area code 503|503]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 41-03300<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2409758<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2409758}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|www.ci.aurora.or.us}}
|footnotes                = 
}} 
'''Aurora''' is a city in [[Marion County, Oregon]], United States. The population was 1,133 at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US4103300 |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> up from 918 in [[2010 United States census|2010]]. It is part of the [[Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. 

==History==
Before being incorporated as a city, the area was the location of the [[Aurora Colony]], a religious [[Commune (intentional community)|commune]] founded in 1856 by [[William Keil]] and John E. Schmit. Keil named the settlement after his daughter.<ref name=OHQ>{{cite journal |title=[[wikisource:en:Oregon Historical Quarterly/Volume 2/The Aurora Community|The Aurora Community]] |journal=[[Oregon Historical Quarterly]] |first=Horace S. |last=Lyman |volume=2 |year=1901}}</ref>

==Geography==
Aurora is in northern Marion County, bordered to the east by the [[Pudding River]], which forms the boundary with [[Clackamas County, Oregon|Clackamas County]]. [[Oregon Route 99E]] passes through the center of town, leading northeast {{convert|4|mi|0}} to [[Canby, Oregon|Canby]] and southwest {{convert|8|mi|0}} to [[Woodburn, Oregon|Woodburn]]. The cities of [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] and [[Salem, Oregon|Salem]] are {{convert|22|mi}} to the north and {{convert|25|mi}} to the southwest, respectively.

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], Aurora has a total area of {{convert|0.48|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024"/> The Pudding River runs along Aurora's eastern boundary and flows north to the [[Molalla River]], shortly before the Molalla joins the [[Willamette River]] north of Canby.

===Climate===
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above {{convert|71.6|F|C}}.  According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Aurora has a [[Mediterranean climate#Warm-summer Mediterranean climate|warm-summer Mediterranean climate]], abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=87057&cityname=Aurora,+Oregon,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Aurora, Oregon Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = [[Aurora State Airport]] (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1997–present)
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|width = auto
|Jan record high F = 65
|Feb record high F = 69
|Mar record high F = 79
|Apr record high F = 89
|May record high F = 99
|Jun record high F = 114
|Jul record high F = 108
|Aug record high F = 106
|Sep record high F = 100
|Oct record high F = 90
|Nov record high F = 75
|Dec record high F = 67
|year record high F = 114
|Jan avg record high F = 58.1
|Feb avg record high F = 61.2
|Mar avg record high F = 70.0
|Apr avg record high F = 79.6
|May avg record high F = 87.4
|Jun avg record high F = 91.0
|Jul avg record high F = 97.0
|Aug avg record high F = 97.8
|Sep avg record high F = 92.7
|Oct avg record high F = 77.7
|Nov avg record high F = 64.7
|Dec avg record high F = 58.5
|year avg record high F = 100.3
|Jan high F = 48.5
|Feb high F = 52.5
|Mar high F = 57.1
|Apr high F = 62.0
|May high F = 69.2
|Jun high F = 74.5
|Jul high F = 83.1
|Aug high F = 83.3
|Sep high F = 77.4
|Oct high F = 64.3
|Nov high F = 53.7
|Dec high F = 47.6
|year high F = 64.4
|Jan mean F = 42.4
|Feb mean F = 44.7
|Mar mean F = 48.3
|Apr mean F = 52.3
|May mean F = 58.7
|Jun mean F = 63.4
|Jul mean F = 69.6
|Aug mean F = 69.8
|Sep mean F = 64.8
|Oct mean F = 54.9
|Nov mean F = 46.7
|Dec mean F = 41.8
|year mean F = 54.8
|Jan low F = 36.3
|Feb low F = 37.0
|Mar low F = 39.4
|Apr low F = 42.6
|May low F = 48.3
|Jun low F = 52.3
|Jul low F = 56.1
|Aug low F = 56.3
|Sep low F = 52.2
|Oct low F = 45.5
|Nov low F = 39.7
|Dec low F = 35.9
|year low F = 45.1
|Jan avg record low F = 24.9
|Feb avg record low F = 26.4
|Mar avg record low F = 29.8
|Apr avg record low F = 33.2
|May avg record low F = 37.7
|Jun avg record low F = 44.4
|Jul avg record low F = 49.0
|Aug avg record low F = 49.0
|Sep avg record low F = 42.5
|Oct avg record low F = 33.8
|Nov avg record low F = 27.2
|Dec avg record low F = 23.1
|year avg record low F = 20.2
|Jan record low F = 16
|Feb record low F = 19
|Mar record low F = 25
|Apr record low F = 29
|May record low F = 33
|Jun record low F = 41
|Jul record low F = 45
|Aug record low F = 44
|Sep record low F = 36
|Oct record low F = 26
|Nov record low F = 17
|Dec record low F = 10
|year record low F = 10
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 5.48
|Feb precipitation inch = 4.03
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.39
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.37
|May precipitation inch = 2.55
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.47
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.43
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.52
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.58
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.70
|Nov precipitation inch = 5.80
|Dec precipitation inch = 6.23
|year precipitation inch = 39.55
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 20.3
|Feb precipitation days = 17.4
|Mar precipitation days = 19.2
|Apr precipitation days = 16.7
|May precipitation days = 13.3
|Jun precipitation days = 8.7
|Jul precipitation days = 3.0
|Aug precipitation days = 3.5
|Sep precipitation days = 7.6
|Oct precipitation days = 15.3
|Nov precipitation days = 20.3 
|Dec precipitation days = 20.2
|year precipitation days = 165.5
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name="Portland NOWData">{{cite web |url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=pqr |title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = March 24, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Aurora NOAA txt">{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00094281&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020 |access-date=March 24, 2023}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 122
|1910= 190
|1920= 229
|1930= 215
|1940= 228
|1950= 242
|1960= 274
|1970= 306
|1980= 523
|1990= 567
|2000= 655
|2010= 918
|2020= 1133
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024"/>
}}

===2020 census ===
As of the [[census]] of 2020, there were 1,133 people, and 336 households in the city. There were 431 housing units. The makeup of the city was 79.3% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.3% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.5% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.9% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 7.1% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 9.5% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 16.4% of the population.

There were 336 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 14% had a male householder with no wife present, and 2.3% were cohabitating couple households. 31.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the city was 42.4 years. 6.7% of the residents were under the age of 5; 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older.

The median income for a household in the city was $90,357, which far exceeds the median income for a household in the State of Oregon of $65,667.

The poverty rate of all people in Aurora was 2.4%, which was lower than the poverty rate of all people in Oregon at 12.4%.

Source:<ref name=":0" />

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-12-21}}</ref> of 2010, there were 918 people, 336 households, and 256 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1912.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 349 housing units at an average density of {{convert|727.1|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 89.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.5% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.9% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.3% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 6.3% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 2.3% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 10.9% of the population.

There were 336 households, of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.8% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.12.

The median age in the city was 39.6 years. 27.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.5% were from 25 to 44; 31.8% were from 45 to 64; and 10.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female.

===2000 census===
As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 655 people, 250 households, and 186 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,441.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 262 housing units at an average density of {{convert|576.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 94.20% White, 0.46% African American, 0.61% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 1.98% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.26% of the population.

There were 250 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $55,938, and the median income for a family was $65,556. Males had a median income of $45,938 versus $29,444 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $24,839. None of the families and 1.6% of the population were living below the [[poverty line]], including no under eighteens and 7.5% of those over 64.

==Education==
[[North Marion School District]] has a  school system with four schools within walking distance: North Marion Primary School, North Marion Intermediate School, North Marion Middle School, and [[North Marion High School (Aurora, Oregon)|North Marion High School]].

==Places of interest==
* Old Aurora Museum, about the Old Aurora Colony<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.auroracolony.org/|title=Old Aurora Colony|website=Old Aurora Colony}}</ref>
* Aurora Mills Architectural Salvage, set in the town's historic seed cleaning mill complex built in 1890, is now the town's largest antique shopping venue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://auroramills.com/|title=Homepage of Aurora Mills|access-date=2023-08-06}}</ref>
* Mainstreet Mercantile Antiques, one of the town's larger antique shops.

==Transportation==

===Airport===
The [[Aurora State Airport]] is located {{Convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}} northwest of Aurora. The airport is owned by the [[Government of Oregon|State of Oregon]] and operated by the [[Oregon Department of Aviation]].

==Economy==
[[Life Flight Network]], the nation's largest not-for-profit air ambulance provider is headquartered at the Aurora State Airport. The company provides critical care transport from the scene of an emergency or from one hospital to another via helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. They also provide emergent and non-emergent ground ambulance services. Life Flight Network has bases of operation throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana and has been saving lives in the region since 1978. The company employs approximately 900 people. [[Columbia Helicopters]] is also located in Aurora. The facility provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lifeflight.org/service-area/oregon/|title=Oregon Bases - Life Flight Network}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Aurora (Oregon)}}
*{{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Official|www.ci.aurora.or.us}}
* [https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/local/cities/a-d/aurora.aspx Entry for Aurora] in the ''[[Oregon Blue Book]]''
*{{Oregon Encyclopedia|aurora|Aurora|Kopp, Jim}}

{{Marion County, Oregon}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Aurora, Oregon| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Oregon]]
[[Category:Cities in Marion County, Oregon]]
[[Category:Utopian communities in the United States]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1856]]
[[Category:Salem, Oregon metropolitan area]]
[[Category:1856 establishments in Oregon Territory]]