Aurora, Texas

Aurora, Texas
City
Location of Aurora, Texas
Coordinates: 33°3′30″N 97°30′58″W / 33.05833°N 97.51611°W / 33.05833; -97.51611Coordinates: 33°3′30″N 97°30′58″W / 33.05833°N 97.51611°W / 33.05833; -97.51611
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Wise
Area
• Total	3.2 sq mi (8.4 km2)
• Land	3.2 sq mi (8.4 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	817 ft (249 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	853
• Density	264.2/sq mi (102.0/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	76078
Area code(s)	817
FIPS code	48-04672[1]
GNIS feature ID	1329842[2]
Website	http://www.auroratexas.gov

Aurora is a city^[3] in Wise County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,044 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Aurora is located at 33°3′30″N 97°30′58″W / 33.05833°N 97.51611°W / 33.05833; -97.51611 (33.058295, -97.516220).^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 853 people, 312 households, and 245 families residing in the town. The population density was 264.2 people per square mile (102.0/km²). There were 332 housing units at an average density of 102.8/sq mi (39.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.49% White, 0.23% African American, 1.99% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 1.52% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.99% of the population.

There were 312 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,656, and the median income for a family was $36,731. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $22,361 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,876. About 12.0% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Town of Aurora is served by the Northwest Independent School District.

• Seven Hills Elementary (K–5)

• Chisholm Trail Middle School (6–8)

• Northwest High School (9–12)

UFO incident

Aurora is best known for a purported UFO crash in April 1897, and the ongoing legend that the UFO's pilot is supposedly buried in the local cemetery. Although the town has embraced the legend to a point (the city's website mentions the legend, and even features an alien on the initial page), the cemetery association has refused all requests to exhume the alien's purported gravesite.

References

Sources

• Robert Wooster: Aurora, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aurora, Texas.

• Reed, S. G. (1941) A History of the Texas Railroads, St. Clair, Houston; rpt. (1981) Arno, New York
• WPA Federal Writers' Project (1939) Port Arthur, Anson Jones Press, Houston
• DNAlien, A novel by Jim West (2007).

Municipalities and communities of Wise County, Texas, United States County seat: Decatur Cities Aurora Bridgeport Chico Decatur Fort Worth‡ Lake Bridgeport New Fairview Newark‡ Paradise Rhome Runaway Bay Towns Alvord Boyd CDPs Briar‡ Pecan Acres‡ Unincorporated communities Balsora Greenwood Slidell Ghost town Rush Creek Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties