Aurora : Illinois

Aurora is the largest city in the Fox River Valley, located in northeastern Illinois. The Fox River Valley is part of the Great Plains which is mainly flat except for some small hills in the west near the start of the Till Plains. The area was named Aurora in 1837 when the city’s first post office was established. It earned the nickname of “City of Lights” when electric lights were first used for lighting the streets. Though Aurora is located far away from Lake Michigan it still receives an average annual snowfall of 38 inches..Temperatures in the summer months average in the low 80s, with about 4 inches of rainfall per month.

Area: 38.5 square miles (2000)

Elevation: Averages 676 feet above sea level

Latitude: 41.76 N, Longitude: 88.30 W

Average Temperatures: January, 20.0° F; July, 72.4° F; annual average, 47.9° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 38.4 inches

Population: 168,181 (as on July 2005)

Attractions:

    * Stolp Island National Register Historic District

    * Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple

    * The Red Oak Nature Center

    * Phillips Park Zoo

Festivals:

    * Phillips Park Winterfest in February

    * Easter Egg Hunt in April

    * Memorial Day Parade

    * Soul Fest in August

    * The Midwest Literary Festival in September