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Aurora, the seat of Hamilton County, was founded by seven men from Chariton, Iowa — David Stone, Darius Wilcox, Robert Miller, Nathaniel H. Thorpe, James O. Doremus, Justinian Ray, and Stillman P. Lewis — who staked the townsite near twin cottonwood trees on Lincoln Creek in April 1871. The town takes its name from Aurora, Illinois, at the suggestion of founder David Stone. Aurora became the county seat in 1876 and was formally incorporated as a city on July 3, 1877; the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad reached town in 1879. Today Aurora is home to the Hamilton County Courthouse and is by far the county's largest town. Notable natives include Harold Edgerton, inventor of the electronic strobe flash and longtime MIT professor, who grew up in Aurora, and Baylor Scheierman, an NBA player who grew up playing for Aurora High School.
Adjacent Counties
- Hall County (west)
- Merrick County (north)
- Polk County (northeast)
- York County (east)
- Clay County (south)
Nearby Towns
Points of Interest
Aurora's Historic Downtown Square surrounds the Hamilton County Courthouse, with the town's two flagship museums a few blocks away on 16th Street.
Major Attractions
- Edgerton Explorit Center — a hands-on science museum honoring Aurora native Harold Edgerton, inventor of the electronic strobe flash, with about 35 interactive exhibits.
- Plainsman Museum — the Hamilton County Historical Society's museum, with a replica sod house, a miniature early-1900s Main Street, a relocated one-room schoolhouse, and a restored Burlington Northern caboose.
- Hamilton County Courthouse — the county's historic courthouse anchoring Aurora's Central Park Square downtown.
- Streeter Park — Aurora's city park with a renovated aquatic center, water slides, and camping.
- Prairie Trails — hiking on preserved native prairie at Gjerloff Prairie and Sherman Ranch along the Platte River, plus the easier Lincoln Creek Prairie Trail near Streeter Park.
Events
Hamilton County Fair (late July–early August) — organized by the Hamilton County Agricultural Society, founded in 1871; billed as Nebraska's longest continuously running county fair.
A'ROR'N Days (late June) — Aurora's longtime community celebration held near the Fourth of July.
Art Walk Aurora (third Sunday in September) — an annual downtown arts event featuring local artists and live demonstrations.
Education
Aurora Public Schools (the Aurora 4-R district) serves the city with elementary, middle, and high school buildings, and the district also encompasses the smaller Hampton Public School and Giltner Public School attendance areas elsewhere in the county.
Central Community College's nearest campus is about 28 miles west in Grand Island; the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are both roughly an hour's drive away.
Health
Memorial Community Health operates Aurora's hospital and clinic system at 1423 7th Street, with emergency, surgical, and specialty care, plus the Memorial Community Care long-term care facility and East Park Villa senior living community.
US-34 Corridor
US-34 runs east-west through Aurora, meeting NE-14 downtown.
Westbound: Grand Island (21 miles)
Eastbound: Hampton (7 miles), Bradshaw (14 miles), York (23 miles)
NE-14 Corridor
NE-14 runs north-south through Aurora.
Northbound: Marquette (11 miles), Central City (17 miles)
Southbound: Clay Center (27 miles)
County seat and Hamilton County's largest town, named for Aurora, Illinois; hometown of strobe-flash inventor Harold Edgerton and NBA player Baylor Scheierman.