Aurora Real Estate
As of the special census of 2003, the City of Aurora has been recognized as the second largest city in the State of Illinois behind Chicago
(narrowly edging out Rockford which has fallen to the third spot). The city has an estimated population of 175,952 at the present day and an
estimated 69,580 housing units consisting of both single-family homes, attached-style townhomes/condos and apartments. Present-day Aurora features
a great economic foundation, active industry, diverse population of active citizens as well as a prime location along the Fox River.
Real estate in Aurora is centered on three main areas - the East Side, the West Side and the Downtown area. The community of North Aurora is actually a completely different municipality and is discussed in its own section. For a detailed description of each area, please select from the links below:
 Aurora East Side Real Estate |
 Downtown Aurora Real Estate |
 Aurora West Side Real Estate |
Aurora Subdivisions
There are many homes in Aurora, particularly around the downtown area that are not part of any particular subdivision. In the early development of the city, it was uncommon for homes to be arranged in distinct groups and a wide variety of home styles is evident from those periods. However, the majority of Aurora real estate can be found in one of the city's beautiful subdivisions, especially new construction. In many cases where homes aren't located in a distinct subdivision, certain areas have been defined, such as the Aurora University Area, Pigeon Hill or the Aurora Country Club Area. In many cases, I have included these areas in my list of Aurora subdivisions for completeness. To learn more about these beautiful communities, select from one of the following areas.
Roths
Sans Souci
Savannah
Shamrock Court
Sherwood Glen
Springlake
Stonebridge
Stonebrook
Stone Fence Farm
Stonegate
Stonegate West
Stonehaven
Summerlin
Summit Chase
Summit Chase East
Summit Fields
Tall Oaks
Tanner Historic District
Thatchers Grove
Timberlake
Villages at Meadowlakes
Vineyards
Walden Woods
Washington Square
Westbury Farm
Westwind Oaks
Wheatlands
Willows of Fox Valley
Woodland Lakes
Woodlands
Edgebrook Estates
Deerpath Estates
Ashton Pointe
Marywood
Marywood Meadows
Marywood Towers
McCarty's Mill
Meadows
Misty Creek
Moecherville
Natures Edge
Natures Glen
Oak Creek West
Oakhurst
Oakhurst Meadows
Oakhurst North
Ogden Gardens
Ogden Pointe
Old Eola Estates
Orchard Green
Orchard Valley
Orchard Valley Village
Palomino Springs
Park Avenue
Pheasant Creek
Pigeon Hill
Pine Knoll
Pine Meadows
Pleasure Drive Estates
Prairie Point
Prairie Village
Prestbury
Randall West
Reflections
Remington Crossing
Riddle Highlands
Rollingwood Colony
Forest Park
Forestview
Four Pointes
Foxcroft
Fox Valley Villages
Ginger Woods
Golden Oaks
Golf View Gardens
Greenfield
Greenfield Village
Green Hills
Hampton Chase
Harbor Springs
Heathercrest
Homestead
Hometown Aurora
Hunters Ridge
Hunters Run
Independence
Indian Trail West
Ivy Glen
Kensington Lakes
Konen
Kirkland Farms
Lakewood
Lakewood Valley
Laurel Ridge
Legacy Fields
Lehigh Station
Liberty Square
Linden Estates
The Lindens
Linden Woods
Madison Park
Abington Trace
Abington Woods
Alschuler
Amber Fields
Amberwood
Arrow Wood
Aurora University Area
Autumn Grove
Barrington Ridge
Beau Ridge
Beckwith Woods
Belles Terres
Bishop Park
Blackberry Trail
Blackhawk Park
Brentwood Estates
Briarwood
Butterfield
Cambridge Chase
Cambridge Countryside
Cameo Park
Carillon at Stonegate
Cherry Hill
Cinnamon Glen
Colony Lakes
Columbia Station
Concord Valley
Country Club Estates
Country Club Village
Country Oaks
Country Squire Estates
Country Walk
Creek View Manor
Deerbrook
Aurora History
The history of Aurora is very rich and dates back over 150 years. The City of Lights started the same way other area communities began - with a handful of settlers and an idea. In 1834, the McCarty Brothers Samuel and Joseph came to the area from New York. They were looking for a good location to built a mill and found a great spot along the banks of the Fox River near where the waterway was split by a large island. The brothers purchased land from the government and began a settlement they called McCarty's Mill. A year later, the settlement had collected several more families who were allowed to squat on Joseph and Samuel's land with the intent of purchasing. The settlement of McCarty's Mill soon became a known stopover on the stagecoach journey from Chicago to parts west.
In 1835, the enterprising Joseph McCarty platted out a section of land and sold lots at $5 a piece to the other residents in the community.
A grist mill and sawmill were the first industrial structures constructed in McCarty's Mill. Other residents of the community including Joseph
Stolp whos name adorns the island in the middle of the Fox River soon brought
textiles and other manufacturing industry to the area. The first hotel was founded in 1837 and in the same year, the U.S. postal service
decided to establish a post office in the area and a more official name for the community was requested. The first choice was "Waubonsie"
after a well-known local Potawatomi chief, but that name was already taken. So the community leaders settled on Aurora after a similarly-named
city in New York (many of the early residents of the city were from New York).
In 1849, the City of Aurora was given a huge boost when the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad extended its service into the area. Shortly thereafter, the railroad gave the new city another plum by deciding to locate the railroad repair and construction facilities to the city. In 1854, a settlement was founded on the opposite bank of the Fox River by the Lake brothers and was named Hartford. Both settlements continued to grow at a fairly steady pace. In 1857, the two communities decided to unite under the municipality of Aurora. From the beginning there was a strong east-west rivalry - so much so that it couldn't be decided which side would house the local government buildings. To solve the issue, the community leaders decide to locate the new city hall on Stolp Island - directly in the middle of the Fox River between the two sides.
Industry continued to thrive in Aurora buoyed by the railroad and location on the river making the city the economic center of the Fox Valley. In
1881, the City of Aurora gained the distinction of being one of the first American cities to install street lights. This fact (perhaps in conjunction
with other meanings of the word "Aurora") caused the city to become known as the "City of Lights". This nickname was later adopted as the
city's official motto in 1908. Through the early and mid-1900's, industry continued to drive the development of the community. In the mid 1970's and early
1980's, the region suffered a recession that saw the closing of several major local factories. At the same time, retailers began moving out of the
city center and relocating to areas on the far east side. This combination created many empty storefronts and vacant buildings in the downtown area of
the city. In the mid-1990's the city began to place greater emphasis on bringing industry and entertainment back to the downtown area. The Aurora
Sci-Tech museum and Paramount Theater were joined by the new Hollywood Casino and the Aurora Economic Development Commission began plans for
re-vitalizing the city center.
Today, Aurora's future looks extremely bright. Because of its strong economy and tax basis, Aurora just recently joined 9 other municipalities in
Illinois with the distinction of being given a AA+ bond rating by Standard & Poor's Rating Services due to the city's strong financial outlook. The
downtown area is going through an incredible surge of development - adding several up-scale condo developments, a new campus of the Waubonsie Community
College and additional plans include a hotel and convention center as well as several entertainment venues.
Although the community of North Aurora shares part of its name with the City of Aurora, it is in fact an entirely different municipality.
