Aurora, Iowa
13 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1901 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Buffalo Township. It lies in ZIP code area 50607. The Survey maps it on the Lamont quadrangle. 169 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,138 feet above sea level.
On record in Aurora
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
Richardson-Jakway Houselisted 1985
Population over time
2 figuresAurora fell from 185 to 169 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 185 | |
| 2020 | 169 | -16 (-9%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 13 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1901 USGS Oelwein quadrangle1:125000, 4 printings
- 1959 USGS Dubuque quadrangle1:250000
- 1961 USGS Dubuque quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Dubuque quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1965 USGS Lamont quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1976 USGS Dubuque quadrangle1:250000
- 1984 USGS Oelwein quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
11 since 2008Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 11 fires within 5 miles of Aurora between 2008 and 2015, burning about 60 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5 |
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 July 2012 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 2 July 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 6 May 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 1284 UNION AVE LAMONT, IA 50650, IA |
| 21 May 2015 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 18 April 2014 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 16 April 2015 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 11 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 25 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 31 March 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 205 CONCORD ST. LAMONT, IA 50650, IA |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
5 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Aurora: 3 producers, 2 past producers. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ward Farm Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Aurora Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Aurora Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Wards Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Storms near this place
36 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Aurora in 36 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 14 hail, 12 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado, 2 heavy rain. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | 1 hurt, $20,000 | As the storms moved and developed further east, one became severe over Buchanan County. The storm produced high winds in town. At one house a tree fell onto the house injuring a woman. She was trying to close the window when the tree crashed onto the house. She was injured slightly as the plaster fell from the wall resulting in abrasions. Several other trees were also reported down around town. |
| September 2001 | Tornado (F2) | Aurora | $300,000 | Tornado reported by emergency manager |
| September 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Aurora | $100,000 | Tornado reported by emergency manager. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | $40,000 | 10-20 inch diameter limbs down in Stanley |
| June 2004 | Flash Flood | Aurora | $20,000 | East branch of Buffalo Creek out of its banks; road washed out on 130th street |
| May 2001 | Lightning | Aurora | $20,000 | Lightning struck a barn and sparked a fire, which destroyed the building. No injuries occurred. Reported by newspaper. |
| May 2008 | Flash Flood | Aurora | $10,000 | Heavy rains of 3 to 8 inches caused flash flooding in the vicinity of Aurora, IA during the late evening hours of May 25th. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Heavy Rain | Aurora | $2,000 | Streams & ditches overflowing. Fell in 30 minutes |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | - | Reported by automated weather equipement. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | - | Photo of a 14 inch diameter oak tree snapped that narrowly missed falling on a house and garage. Photo relayed via social media. The time of the event was estimated using radar. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | - | The Emergency Manager relayed a report of a measured thunderstorm wind gust of 86 MPH from the Aurora Fire Department. |
| June 2022 | Hail | Aurora | - | Report was from Mping. |
| July 2021 | Tornado (EFU) | Aurora | - | Brief touchdown in a field with no visible damage. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | - | A member of the general public reported a 63 MPH gust from a personal weather station. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | - | Several 8 to 10 inch diameter tree branches snapped off trees. |
| May 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | - | The local coop observer reported a 30 to 40 foot tall tree was blown down into a farm field near 115th street and Reed avenue. |
| May 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | - | The local coop observer reported a large tree was snapped in city park and second tree was down onto a Van at 103 main street. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | - | A trained spotter reported a machine shed roof and door damaged near Aurora. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Aurora | - | In addition, thunderstorm wind speeds were estimated between 40 and 50 mph. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Aurora | - | Quarter sized hail fell about 5 miles southwest of Aurora, IA near the intersection of 155th St. and Olympic Ave. at 1037 am CDT April 29. The hail covered the ground. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Aurora | - | Ping pong ball sized hail fell about 5 miles south of Aurora, IA around 1045 am CDT April 29. Most of the hail was pea sized. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Aurora | - | Quarter sized hail fell in and about 1 mile south of Aurora, IA at 1048 am CDT April 29. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Aurora | - | Quarter sized hail fell about 2 miles southwest of Aurora, IA around 524 pm CDT May 24. |
| April 2010 | Hail | Aurora | - | Quarter sized hail fell in Aurora, IA at 649 pm April 6. |
| April 2010 | Hail | Aurora | - | Golf ball sized hail fell just west of Aurora, IA at 505 pm April 6. |
| July 2006 | Heavy Rain | Aurora | - | estimated 2 inches of rain in 45 minutes; 4 inches of standing water in a parking lot. |
| April 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | - | Farm buildings damaged. |
| May 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Aurora | - | A tornado touched down briefly at the west edge of Aurora. No damage was reported. |
| May 2001 | Hail | Aurora | - | Quarter sized hail reported by emergency management. |
| May 2010 | Hail | Aurora | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | Aurora | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Aurora | - | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Aurora | - | no account filed |
| December 2002 | Funnel Cloud | Aurora | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Aurora | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley | 4.8 miles | 12 | |
| Lamont | 4.8 miles | 13 | |
| Hazleton | 9.1 miles | 12 | |
| Bryantsburg | 9.9 miles | 12 | |
| Winthrop | 10.0 miles | 11 | |
| Doris | 10.6 miles | 11 | |
| Gatesville | 13.4 miles | 11 | |
| Independence | 13.4 miles | 11 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Aurora | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1914854 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 454285. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.






