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Aurora

City · Portage County · 17,239 residents · 2% municipal income tax

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Portage County

Local events in Aurora

16 events in the next 90 days from 1 public calendar. All local events in Aurora

  1. International Mystery Book Club

    6:30 to 7:30 p.m. · Aurora Memorial Branch · Free · From Portage County District Library

  2. Fall Family Storytime

    11 a.m. to noon · Aurora Memorial Branch · Free · From Portage County District Library

  3. Beginner Mahjong

    2 to 4 p.m. · Aurora Memorial Branch · Free · From Portage County District Library

Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.

How Aurora began

Aurora was settled in 1799 by Ebenezer Sheldon, a Revolutionary War veteran who built a cabin on the east pioneer trail and later brought his Connecticut family west; the town's name is variously said to honor Major Amos Spafford's daughter or the Roman goddess of dawn. Growth was modest until 72 settlers arrived in a single year, 1807; the town later became a major cheese-producing center, at its 1904 peak turning out four million pounds a year, the most of any place in the United States, before a 1913 flood destroyed the leading Silver Creek Cheese Factory and the industry declined. Aurora incorporated as a village in 1929 and became a city in 1971. Today, ZIP largely 44202, it has 17,239 residents (2020) and is known for the Aurora Farms/Geauga Lake area and its historic center district.

Settled 1799 (Ebenezer Sheldon), incorporated Village, 1929 (first mayor Lee Gould); city, 1971, by Ebenezer Sheldon.

Where the name comes from

Two explanations for the town's name are recorded: that it honors a daughter of Major Amos Spafford, an early Connecticut Western Reserve surveyor, or that it was simply named for Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn. Sources do not resolve which is correct.

Before the town

No Native American village or camp site specific to the present city of Aurora is documented in the sources consulted, though the county history 'Portage Heritage' places Onondaga and Oneida villages generally 'near Palmyra Center and Aurora,' without a location precise enough to place within Aurora's borders specifically as opposed to elsewhere in the township. Portage County's broader Native history includes the Whittlesey culture, the area's treaties, and named village and camp locations elsewhere in the county.

Nations recorded here: Onondaga, Oneida.

Timeline

  1. — Ebenezer Sheldon, a Revolutionary War veteran, settles the site and builds a cabin on the east pioneer trail.
  2. — Seventy-two new settlers arrive in Aurora in a single year.
  3. — The first frame house in Aurora is built.
  4. — The Zeno Kent House, later listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is built in Aurora.
  5. — Frank and Elisha Hurd establish the Silver Creek Cheese Factory.
  6. — The Aurora train station is built, becoming a commercial hub for the town (a later 1904 station on the site is separately listed on the National Register).
  7. — Aurora's cheese factories produce about four million pounds of cheese in a year, making the town the largest cheese producer in the United States.
  8. — A flood destroys the Silver Creek Cheese Factory, and Aurora's cheese industry declines afterward.
  9. — Aurora incorporates as a village, with Lee Gould as its first mayor.
  10. — Aurora becomes a city as its population passes 6,500.
  11. — The Aurora Center Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Stories

The largest cheese town in America

Aurora's farms turned to dairying early, and in 1862 brothers Frank and Elisha Hurd opened the Silver Creek Cheese Factory to process the surrounding township's milk into a product that could travel to market. The business model spread: more cheese factories opened around Aurora through the late 1800s, and by 1904 the town's combined output reached roughly four million pounds of cheese in a single year — enough, by the town's own later telling, to make Aurora the largest cheese-producing place in the entire United States. The industry's collapse was as sudden as its rise: a flood in 1913 destroyed the Silver Creek factory, the town's flagship operation, and Aurora's cheese trade never fully recovered afterward, leaving dairying as one chapter in the town's history rather than its lasting identity.

A soldier's cabin on the pioneer trail

Ebenezer Sheldon had served in the Revolutionary War before he came west to the Connecticut Western Reserve and, in 1799, built a cabin along what was then called the east pioneer trail — one of the earliest non-Native structures in what became Portage County. He brought his family out from Connecticut to join him, and for its first years the settlement grew slowly; then in 1807, seventy-two new settlers arrived in a single season, transforming a single cabin's worth of settlement into a real town. The first frame house went up in 1809, and the town's three main roads soon carried inns and stores catering to travelers passing through — the beginning of a commercial character that would later carry Aurora into railroading and, still later, cheese-making.

Photographs

The 1904 Aurora train station on State Route 82, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The 1904 Aurora train station on State Route 82, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (2009)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons user Nyttend, public domain · Wikimedia Commons
The Zeno Kent House in Aurora, built 1821, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The Zeno Kent House in Aurora, built 1821, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (2015)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons user Nyttend, public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · archive.org · commons.wikimedia.org · commons.wikimedia.org · commons.wikimedia.org

Historic places

3 places in Aurora on the National Register of Historic Places. Press a pin or a name for its whole record.

  1. Aurora Train StationBuilding · Aurora · listed 1986
    Address
    13 New Hudson Rd.
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County · ZIP 44202
    What it is
    Building
    Listed on the National Register
    1986
    NRIS reference number
    86001131
    Coordinates
    41.30769, -81.33312

    National Register file (NPS) ↗ Search Wikipedia ↗ Street map and directions ↗ On the Cracked Buckeye map

  2. Howard, C. R., HouseBuilding · Aurora · listed 1974
    Address
    411 E. Garfield St.
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County · ZIP 44202
    What it is
    Building
    Listed on the National Register
    1974
    NRIS reference number
    74001602
    Coordinates
    41.31770, -81.33078

    National Register file (NPS) ↗ Search Wikipedia ↗ Street map and directions ↗ On the Cracked Buckeye map

  3. Kent, Zeno, HouseBuilding · Aurora · listed 1973
    Address
    2.5 mi. SW of Aurora on Aurora-Hudson Rd.
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County · ZIP 44202
    What it is
    Building
    Listed on the National Register
    1973
    NRIS reference number
    73001518
    Coordinates
    41.28409, -81.36303

    National Register file (NPS) ↗ Search Wikipedia ↗ Street map and directions ↗ On the Cracked Buckeye map

Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places point file. The listing year is shown where NPS's certification date agrees with the listing's reference number. Listing recognizes significance; it does not restrict a private owner.

Every historic place in Portage County on the full map

Water

The Five Mile Crib, a small structure about 5 miles out in Lake Erie north of Cleveland's Edgewater Park The water here

Hospitals, fire stations and more

Inside Aurora's boundary: 4 nursing homes, 2 fire and EMS stations, 5 public schools, 1 private school, 1 poor-rated bridge, 1 library, 1 museum, 1 police station, 3 public charging sites, 18 Toxics Release Inventory facilities and 14 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.

Nursing homes (4)

  1. Anna Maria of Aurora4 of 5 stars · Aurora
    Address
    889 North Aurora Road, Aurora, OH 44202
    Certified beds
    98
    Residents on an average day
    92
    Medicare overall rating
    4 of 5 stars
    Health inspections
    3 of 5 stars
    Staffing
    3 of 5 stars
    Quality measures
    5 of 5 stars
    Penalties since 2023
    none
    Ownership
    For profit - Corporation
    Continuing care retirement community
    Yes
    Takes
    Medicare and Medicaid
    Phone
    (330) 562-6171
    Medicare ID
    365072

    Medicare Care Compare ↗ CMS nursing home data (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  2. Aurora Manor Special Care Cent Abuse citation2 of 5 stars · Aurora
    Address
    101 S Bissell Rd, Aurora, OH 44202
    Certified beds
    75
    Residents on an average day
    64
    Medicare overall rating
    2 of 5 stars
    Health inspections
    2 of 5 stars
    Staffing
    2 of 5 stars
    Quality measures
    3 of 5 stars
    Penalties since 2023
    1 fine totalling $23,520 (latest 2026-04-09)
    Abuse citation (CMS icon)
    Yes
    Ownership
    For profit - Corporation
    Chain
    SABER HEALTHCARE GROUP
    Takes
    Medicare and Medicaid
    Phone
    (440) 424-4000
    Medicare ID
    365844

    Medicare Care Compare ↗ CMS nursing home data (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  3. Avenue at Aurora5 of 5 stars · Aurora
    Address
    425 South Chillicothe Road, Aurora, OH 44202
    Certified beds
    98
    Residents on an average day
    93
    Medicare overall rating
    5 of 5 stars
    Health inspections
    4 of 5 stars
    Staffing
    2 of 5 stars
    Quality measures
    5 of 5 stars
    Penalties since 2023
    none
    Ownership
    For profit - Limited Liability company
    Chain
    PROGRESSIVE QUALITY CARE
    Takes
    Medicare and Medicaid
    Phone
    (330) 995-0094
    Medicare ID
    366431

    Medicare Care Compare ↗ CMS nursing home data (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  4. Kensington at Anna Maria5 of 5 stars · Aurora
    Address
    849 North Aurora Road, Aurora, OH 44202
    Certified beds
    99
    Residents on an average day
    89
    Medicare overall rating
    5 of 5 stars
    Health inspections
    5 of 5 stars
    Staffing
    4 of 5 stars
    Quality measures
    5 of 5 stars
    Penalties since 2023
    none
    Ownership
    For profit - Corporation
    Continuing care retirement community
    Yes
    Takes
    Medicare and Medicaid
    Phone
    (330) 562-3120
    Medicare ID
    366004

    Medicare Care Compare ↗ CMS nursing home data (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

Source: CMS Care Compare nursing home provider and penalties files; Medicare star ratings run 1 to 5.

Fire and EMS stations (2)

  1. Aurora Fire Department Station 1Aurora
    Address
    65 West Pioneer Trail, Aurora, OH 44202
    Coordinates
    41.31245, -81.34826

    USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  2. Aurora Fire Department Station 2Aurora
    Address
    1049 North Aurora Road, Aurora, OH 44202
    Coordinates
    41.34631, -81.37761

    USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

Source: USGS National Map structures (most Ohio records last updated 2019 to 2022), checked against the Columbus and Cleveland station lists. The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction and mutual aid, not by distance.

Public schools (5)

  1. Aurora High School5 of 5 stars · Aurora
    Address
    109 W Pioneer Trl, Aurora, OH 44202
    School district
    Aurora City School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    963
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    60.5
    Report card, 2025-26
    5 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    96.9%
    Four-year graduation rate
    97.9%
    Ohio building IRN
    001297
    NCES school ID
    390491703512

    NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  2. Craddock Elementary School5 of 5 stars · Aurora
    Address
    105 Hurd Rd, Aurora, OH 44202
    School district
    Aurora City School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    417
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    24
    Report card, 2025-26
    5 of 5 stars
    Ohio building IRN
    001313
    NCES school ID
    390491703516

    NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  3. Harmon Middle School5 of 5 stars · Aurora
    Address
    130 Aurora Hudson Rd, Aurora, OH 44202
    School district
    Aurora City School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    688
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    38.5
    Report card, 2025-26
    5 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    94.9%
    Ohio building IRN
    066803
    NCES school ID
    390491703513

    NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  4. Leighton Elementary School5 of 5 stars · Aurora
    Address
    121 Aurora Hudson Rd, Aurora, OH 44202
    School district
    Aurora City School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    679
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    34.31
    Report card, 2025-26
    5 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    92.5%
    Ohio building IRN
    140889
    NCES school ID
    390491704654

    NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  5. Miller Elementary School4 of 5 stars · Aurora
    Address
    646 S Chillicothe Rd, Aurora, OH 44202
    School district
    Aurora City School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    286
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    13.5
    Report card, 2025-26
    4 of 5 stars
    Ohio building IRN
    015313
    NCES school ID
    390491705823

    NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗

Source: NCES EDGE public school locations 2024-25 and Common Core of Data 2023-24 (type, students, teachers); Ohio School Report Cards 2025-26 (Department of Education and Workforce), matched by name within the district.

Private schools (1)

  1. Valley Christian AcademyPrivate, conservative Christian · Aurora
    Address
    1037 E Blvd, Aurora, OH 44202
    Kind
    conservative Christian
    Students, 2023-24
    158
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    16.9
    Students per teacher
    9.34911
    Phone
    (330) 562-8191
    NCES private school ID
    01905257

    NCES private school record ↗ Street map and directions ↗

Source: NCES Private School Survey 2023-24.

Bridges rated poor (1)

  1. Pioneer Trail over Aurora Br Chagrin RiverPoor · built 1988
    Condition
    Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
    What it is
    Culvert
    Built
    1988
    Length
    7 ft
    Owner
    County
    Vehicles a day
    636
    Coordinates
    41.30417, -81.31083

    National Bridge Inventory (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025. "Poor" means one major part rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale; it calls for repair, not closing, unless the state posts or closes the bridge.

Public libraries (1)

  1. Aurora Memorial BranchBranch · Aurora
    Address
    115 E. Pioneer Trail, Aurora, OH 44202
    What it is
    Branch
    Library system
    Portage County District Library
    Open
    2,912 hours a year, 52 weeks
    Building
    9,437 sq ft
    System's visits, FY2024
    110,916
    System's loans, FY2024
    409,503
    People the system serves
    106,087
    Phone
    (330) 562-6502

    IMLS Public Libraries Survey (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

Source: IMLS Public Libraries Survey FY2024 (outlets and their systems). Any Ohio resident can get a free card at any Ohio public library.

Museums, historical societies, gardens and zoos (1)

  1. Aurora Historical SocietyHistorical society · Aurora
    What it is
    Historical society
    City
    Aurora
    Coordinates
    41.31059, -81.33871

    Search Wikipedia ↗ IMLS Museum Data Files (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

    The museum list is IMLS's 2018 file; a museum may have closed or moved since.

Source: IMLS Museum Data Files, 2018.

Police stations (1)

  1. Aurora Police DepartmentAurora
    Address
    100 South Aurora Road, Aurora, OH 44202
    Coordinates
    41.31458, -81.34748

    USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

Source: USGS National Map structures, police stations, corrected and completed by hand (September 2026). The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction, not by distance.

Public EV charging (3)

  1. AURORA LIBRARY EAST CHARGERS4 Level 2 · Aurora
    Address
    115 E Pioneer Trail, Aurora, OH 44202
    Ports
    4 Level 2
    Plugs
    J1772
    Network
    ChargePoint Network
    Hours
    24 hours daily
    Phone
    888-758-4389

    Station Locator (NREL) ↗ Alternative Fuels Data Center (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  2. Ganley Chevrolet DC fast2 DC fast · 1 Level 2 · Aurora
    Address
    310 W Garfield Rd, Aurora, OH 44202
    Ports
    2 DC fast · 1 Level 2
    Plugs
    CCS, J1772
    Network
    Non-Networked
    Hours
    24 hours daily
    Phone
    330-964-2128

    Station Locator (NREL) ↗ Alternative Fuels Data Center (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  3. Walden Inn - Tesla Destination1 Level 2 · Aurora
    Address
    1119 Aurora Hudson Rd, Aurora, OH 44202
    Ports
    1 Level 2
    Plugs
    Tesla (NACS)
    Network
    Tesla Destination
    Phone
    877-798-3752

    Station Locator (NREL) ↗ Alternative Fuels Data Center (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

Source: NREL Alternative Fuels Data Center station list (May 2026), public and open stations, the posts at one address counted as one site.

Facilities reporting toxic releases (18)

  1. Branston CoToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    1500 Danner Dr, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44202BRNST1500D
    EPA registry ID
    110004576593

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  2. Cajon Co AuroraToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    225 Lena Dr, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44202SWGLK225LE
    EPA registry ID
    110069412503

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  3. Custom Pultrusions IncToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    1331 S. Chillicothe Rd., Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44202PLTRS1331S
    EPA registry ID
    110000388385

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  4. Eaton Corp AuroraToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    115 Lena Dr, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44202FRNDK1199S
    EPA registry ID
    110038044363

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  5. Ge Healthcare CoilsToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    1515 Danner Drive, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44202SNSTR1515D
    EPA registry ID
    110014409666

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  6. Layer ZeroToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    1500 Danner Dr, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (***unchanged***)
    EPA program ID
    4420WLYRZR15DAN
    EPA registry ID
    110072215065

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  7. Linpac Filmco IncToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    1450 S. Chillicothe Rd., Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (open)
    EPA program ID
    44202FLMCN1450S
    EPA registry ID
    110000388349

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  8. Network Technologies Inc.Toxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    1275 Danner Dr, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44202NTWRK1275D
    EPA registry ID
    110022811108

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  9. Oem/MillerToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    1300 Danner Dr., Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44202MMLLR1300D
    EPA registry ID
    110000388376

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  10. PartssourceToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    777 Lena Dr., Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44202LCSRS777LE
    EPA registry ID
    110000388367

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  11. Pyrotek IncToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    355 Campus Dr, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (***unchanged***)
    EPA program ID
    4420WPYRTK355CB
    EPA registry ID
    110067676731

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  12. Pyrotek Inc.Toxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    355 Campus Drive, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
    EPA program ID
    4420WPYRTK355CA
    EPA registry ID
    110070070351

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  13. Rotek IncToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    1400 S. Chillicothe Rd., Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44202RTCKN1400S
    EPA registry ID
    110000388394

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  14. Saco Aei Polymers, Inc.Toxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    1395 Danner Drive, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44202MCRMR1395D
    EPA registry ID
    110000745793

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  15. Scrap DynamicsToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    11W Garfield Rd, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
    EPA program ID
    TRI_OFFSITE_1862
    EPA registry ID
    110070691847

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  16. Trelleborg Sealing Profiles U.S. Inc (1667020056)Toxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    285 Lena Dr, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
    EPA program ID
    4420WTRLLB285LE
    EPA registry ID
    110070541360

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  17. Trelleborg Seals & Profiles AmericasToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    285 Lena Dr, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
    EPA program ID
    4420WTRLLB285LB
    EPA registry ID
    110070791866

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  18. Vwr Chemicals LlcToxics Release Inventory · Aurora
    Address
    220 Lena Dr, Aurora, OH 44202
    County
    Portage County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
    EPA program ID
    4420WVWRCH22LEN
    EPA registry ID
    110038907314

    EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

Source: EPA Facility Registry Service, Toxics Release Inventory reporters. Reporting a release is required of large users of listed chemicals; it is not by itself a violation.

Spills reported since 2021 (14)

  1. Oil Transformer Non Pcb2025-07-09 · Aurora
    Reported
    2025-07-09
    What spilled
    Oil Transformer Non Pcb
    Largest amount reported
    25 gallons
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2507EPA0001139

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  2. Oil Hydraulic Fluid(S)2025-03-21 · Aurora
    Reported
    2025-03-21
    What spilled
    Oil Hydraulic Fluid(S)
    Largest amount reported
    25 gallons
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2503EPA0000414

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  3. Orphan Container(S)2024-05-16 · Aurora
    Reported
    2024-05-16
    What spilled
    Orphan Container(S)
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2405EPA0000815

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  4. Material Blue Reached water2024-01-11 · Aurora
    Reported
    2024-01-11
    What spilled
    Material Blue
    Reached a waterway
    99 - Unnamed
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2401EPA0000067

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  5. Fertilizer(S) Nos (Not Specified)2023-06-01 · Aurora
    Reported
    2023-06-01
    What spilled
    Fertilizer(S) Nos (Not Specified)
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2306EPA0000902

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  6. Material Unknown2023-01-16 · Aurora
    Reported
    2023-01-16
    What spilled
    Material Unknown
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2301EPA0000079

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  7. Mercury / Quicksilver (Hg)2022-12-17 · Aurora
    Reported
    2022-12-17
    What spilled
    Mercury / Quicksilver (Hg)
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2212EPA0001874

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  8. Oil Crude Reached water2022-09-21 · Aurora
    Reported
    2022-09-21
    What spilled
    Oil Crude
    Reached a waterway
    99 - Unnamed
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2209EPA0001446

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  9. Oil Transformer Non Pcb2022-06-15 · Aurora
    Reported
    2022-06-15
    What spilled
    Oil Transformer Non Pcb
    Largest amount reported
    30 gallons
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2206EPA0000897

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  10. Oil Transformer Non Pcb2021-12-11 · Aurora
    Reported
    2021-12-11
    What spilled
    Oil Transformer Non Pcb
    Largest amount reported
    10 gallons
    Where
    Aurora, Summit County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2112EPA0001849

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  11. Fuel Gasoline ( 25% Ethanol Not E85)2021-10-20 · Aurora
    Reported
    2021-10-20
    What spilled
    Fuel Gasoline ( 25% Ethanol Not E85)
    Largest amount reported
    50 gallons
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2110EPA0001644

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  12. Drinking Water Reached water2021-04-27 · Aurora
    Reported
    2021-04-27
    What spilled
    Drinking Water
    Largest amount reported
    100,000 gallons
    Reached a waterway
    99 - Unnamed
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2104EPA0000576

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  13. Oil Transformer Non Pcb2021-03-06 · Aurora
    Reported
    2021-03-06
    What spilled
    Oil Transformer Non Pcb
    Largest amount reported
    30 gallons
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2103EPA0000293

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

  14. Material Unknown Reached water2021-03-02 · Aurora
    Reported
    2021-03-02
    What spilled
    Material Unknown
    Reached a waterway
    99 - Unnamed
    Where
    Aurora, Portage County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2103EPA0000274

    Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗

Source: Ohio EPA emergency response spill reports, 2021 to September 2026, one point per case where Ohio EPA placed it. A report is what the caller or responder recorded; amounts are often blank or estimated.

Its ZIP codes

Each ZIP code that touches Aurora, with the share of its residents who live here and the same headline figures as the ZIP page.

ZIPShareWaterRadon Home valueSchoolsFlood
44202 Aurora 78% The Five Mile Crib, a small structure about 5 miles out in Lake Erie north of Cleveland's Edgewater Park 2.6 pCi/L average radon Parcel list only Aurora City · 5 stars overall 5.3% of residents in the 1% floodplain

Local government

The state auditor's record.

Auditor of State record

On the November 3, 2026 ballot

Statewide question: State Issue 3: Voter ID

Local questions for Aurora, Portage County and its school district:

  • Aurora City: Renews a 0.9-mill property tax levy for the streets, roads & bridges of Aurora City for 5 years, beginning in 2026.
  • Aurora City School District: Authorizes Aurora City School District to issue $96,200,000 in bonds for the contruct new elementary school & transportation facility & improve school buildings, repaid by a property tax levy over 37 years, beginning March 1, 2027.
  • Portage County: Renews a 0.3-mill property tax levy for: Current expenses; operate alcohol, drug addiction & mental health programs of Portage County for 10 years, beginning in 2027.

Races, candidates and every question for an address: your ballot. County offices and judges are on your county board's sample ballot.

The county

Portage County: 15 ZIP codes, 29 cities, villages and townships with pages here, 163,404 people (Census Bureau estimate, July 2025).

Nearby places

Reminderville Mantua Township, Portage County Bainbridge Township, Geauga County

Rain and snow

How much has actually fallen on Aurora, day by day, from 1893 to now. Daily totals, not averages.

rain, last 30 days
1.39 in
2026-10-01 to 2026-10-30
rain so far in 2026
36.8 in
about normal for the date
snow so far in 2026
44.2 in
a normal year brings 58.5 in
a normal year
43.9 in
average of 30 years, 1991-2020
The last twelve months
MonthRain (in)Snow (in)Days counted
October 2026 1.39 — 30
September 2026 3.42 — 30
August 2026 5.63 — 31
July 2026 4.33 — 31
June 2026 2.61 — 30
May 2026 4.94 0.2 31
April 2026 7.16 0.2 30
March 2026 3.83 1.8 31
February 2026 1.02 11.1 28
January 2026 2.46 30.9 31
December 2025 2.74 17.2 31
November 2025 2.08 10.1 30
On the record, 1893–2026
Wettest year (estimated)2011 — 60.9 in
Driest year (estimated)1953 — 26.3 in
Snowiest year (estimated)2010 — 119.6 in
Wettest day (estimated)25 March 1913 — 3.95 in
Heaviest snowfall in a day (estimated)9 November 1913 — 15.29 in
Deepest snow on the ground (estimated)27 November 1950 — 22.01 in

Estimated, not measured. No rain gauge has ever stood inside Aurora, so every figure here is worked out from the gauges around it - the nearest ones weighted most. Treat them as close estimates rather than readings.

48,877 days of records, 1893-01-01 to 2026-10-30. Source: NOAA NCEI GHCN-Daily, 3,240 gauges in and around Ohio. A day is "gauged" when a gauge standing inside the boundary reported it, and the value is the mean of those gauges. Otherwise it is interpolated by inverse distance from every gauge reporting within 50 miles. Nothing is carried forward, back-filled or smoothed. Against NOAA nClimDiv county monthly precipitation over 136,848 complete county-months (checked 2026-11-01): correlation 0.9515, median absolute difference 0.217 in a month. Built 2026-11-01 from the Cracked Buckeye precipitation archive. Snow is the softer number — snowfall is measured by hand with a ruler, no agency publishes a gridded county snowfall series, and blowing snow defeats every observer.

Environmental permits and filings

What Ohio EPA has on file for Aurora: permits, inspections, violations, cleanups and the state loans behind sewer and water work. Every line links to the agency's own document.

facilities and sites on file
63
those placed on the map inside Aurora
What kind of permits
ProgramFacilities and sites
Wastewater and stormwater discharge18
Hazardous waste17
Air pollution15
Public drinking water3
Wetland and stream fill3
Sewer and water-line construction2
State sewer loans2
Composting1
Contaminated-site cleanup1
Voluntary cleanup1
The latest filings
DateFacility or siteWhat
LAYERZERO POWER SYSTEMS INC Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
AURORA-SUNOCO LLC Air pollution inspection
CUSTOM PULTRUSIONS INC Air pollution permit
AURORA CITY - PORTAGE PWS Public drinking water compliance letter
LAYERZERO POWER SYSTEMS, INC. Sewer and water-line construction permit
AURORA CITY - PORTAGE PWS Public drinking water plan
AURORA-SUNOCO LLC Air pollution permit
BERRY GLOBAL INC Air pollution permit
KOSTAL PROPERTY Wetland and stream fill permit
LYNK PACKAGING - NEW WAREHOUSE ADDITION Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
AURORA-SUNOCO LLC Air pollution permit
LAYERZERO POWER SYSTEMS INC Air pollution report
PYROTEK INC Air pollution report
DIMICHELE Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
RETREAT AT HAWTHORN PROJECT Wetland and stream fill permit
AURORA CITY - PORTAGE PWS Public drinking water report
RETREAT AT HAWTHORN PROJECT Wetland and stream fill permit
AQUA OHIO - AURORA E PWS Public drinking water report
LAYERZERO POWER SYSTEMS INC Air pollution report
PYROTEK INC Air pollution report
RP GATTA INC Air pollution report
SACO AEI POLYMERS INC Air pollution report
CUSTOM PULTRUSIONS INC Air pollution permit
AURORA-SUNOCO LLC Air pollution permit
AURORA CITY - PORTAGE PWS Public drinking water plan

Source: Ohio EPA eDocument portal (edocpub.epa.ohio.gov), indexed 2026-10-14. Facilities are placed on the map from Ohio EPA's own map layers, EPA's Facility Registry, coordinates written in the filings, or a geocoded street address. A permit filed under a private person's name (most are household septic systems) is counted but never named, placed or linked; licenses for individual workers and open-burning notices are left out entirely.

Quick answers

What county is Aurora, Ohio in?

Aurora is a city in Portage County, Ohio, with 17,239 residents.

When was Aurora, Ohio founded?

Aurora was settled 1799 (Ebenezer Sheldon); incorporated Village, 1929 (first mayor Lee Gould); city, 1971. Founders on record: Ebenezer Sheldon. Source

How did Aurora, Ohio get its name?

Two explanations for the town's name are recorded: that it honors a daughter of Major Amos Spafford, an early Connecticut Western Reserve surveyor, or that it was simply named for Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn. Source

What ZIP code is Aurora, Ohio?

Most of Aurora is in ZIP code 44202.

Where does Aurora, Ohio get its water?

The main water source for Aurora (Aurora City - Cleveland): The Five Mile Crib, a small structure about 5 miles out in Lake Erie north of Cleveland's Edgewater Park.

Cite this page as:

Cracked Buckeye, "Aurora, Portage County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/aurora/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].

How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-10-31