Aurora, Colorado is a home rule municipality which extends into Douglas, Adams and Arapahoe counties. Based on the U.S. Census of the year 2010, the city of Aurora had a population of approximately 325,078, making it the 3rd most heavily populated city in Colorado, and the 56th most populous city in the United States. Aurora is amongst the major cities within the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area which is known as Metro Denver.
Denver and Aurora together are considered to be the principal cities of the Denver Metropolitan Area. This combined location had a population of 2,464,866 in 2007 and this ranked as the 22nd most heavily populated MSA within the United States. The cities of Aurora and Denver together make up less than 50% of the population of the Metro Denver Area. Furthermore, the city of Aurora has roughly 50% of the population that the city of Denver has. During 2007, the projected population of the Metropolitan Denver Area was recorded as 2,998,878.
The city of Aurora was initially referred to as the township of Fletcher and was settled in the 1880s. The area was named after Denver businessman Donald Fletcher who saw the land as having excellent real estate possibility. Together with his partners, Fletcher staked out four square miles east of Denver. The township and the state of Colorado itself struggled through hard times after the Silver Crash that happened in the year 1893.
Fletcher did flee the town after it fell on economic times, leaving the town with a cripling water debt. The residents of the township later named the town Aurora in the year 1907. The name was selected after one of the subdivisions in the township. Gradually, the place began to grow behind Denver until it became the fastest growing city in the USA during the latter part of the 70s and early part of the 1980s. Aurora is made up of many subdivisions and still proudly carries the name of one of its original development plots.
There are more than 1800 acres or 7.3km2 of developed park land in Aurora. Additionally there are more than 6000 acres or 24km2 of open space and natural areas preserved. Aurora is home to 7 award winning golf courses; Fitzsimons, Centre Hills Par 3, Saddle Rock, Aurora Hills, Murphy Creek, Meadow Hills, and Springhill. There are a lot of privately owned golf courses in Aurora as well such as; Valley Country Club, Common Ground Golf Course, Blackstone Country Club, Heritage Eagle Bend Golf and Country Club, Heather Ridge Country Club and John F. Kennedy Golf Course.
There is a wetland known as the Jewell Wetland, which features many trails a butterfly garden, boardwalk and deck access into the wetlands. The Star K Ranch is home to Aurora's Morrison Nature Centre and this offers valuable habitat for wildlife. It offers access to the Sand Creek Greenway Trail and offers many trails to explore nature. The Aurora reservoir and the Quincy Reservoir offer numerous fun opportunities for water recreation.