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Aurora, Missouri

12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1942 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Aurora Township. It lies in ZIP code area 65605. The Survey maps it on the Aurora quadrangle. 7,219 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,401 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Aurora within Lawrence County

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

Population over time

2 figures

Aurora fell from 7,508 to 7,219 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.

YearPeople Change
20107,508
20207,219-289 (-4%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

10 surveys from 12 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

125 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 125 fires within 5 miles of Aurora between 1994 and 2017, burning about 642 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 14 were 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
Debris and open burning62
Missing data/not specified/undetermined37
Arson/incendiarism14
Equipment and vehicle use7
Smoking3
Natural1
Railroad operations and maintenance1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
7 September 2000Missing data/not specified/undetermined4.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
2 September 1996Debris and open burning1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
14 September 2000Equipment and vehicle use3.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
13 September 2013Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
7 August 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
5 August 2001Arson/incendiarism80 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
4 August 2001Smoking1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
27 August 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined10 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Lawrence County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 259 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 259 workings within 5 miles of Aurora: 256 past producers, 2 prospects, 1 occurrence. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Lead, Zinc, Zinc, Lead, Limestone, Dimension, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Unknown - IronIronPast Producer
Unknown - Lead & CopperCopper, LeadPast Producer
Unknown - Lead & Zinc & CopperLead, Zinc, CopperPast Producer
Queen City MineLeadPast Producer
Unknown - LeadLeadPast Producer
American Zinc MineZincPast Producer
Unknown - ZincZincPast Producer
Unknown - ZincZincProspect
Sumner's ShaftClayPast Producer
Unknown - ClayClayPast Producer

Every working recorded in Lawrence County

Storms near this place

60 of 87 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Aurora in 87 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 41 hail, 32 thunderstorm wind, 8 flash flood, 3 tornado. The reports record 1 death. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
December 2018Tornado (EF1)Aurora1 killed, $250,000An EF-1 tornado developed just west of the water tower and tracked northeast to the Aurora Motel, where one fatality occurred. The tornado then tracked northward across Highway 60 and impacted Sutherlands before dissipating. Path length was near one half mile. Peak wind was estimated at 105 mph.
November 2003HailAurora$6,000,000A supercell thunderstorm tracked over the community of Aurora launching hail to the size of baseballs over the central and northern sections of the city. Numerous structures in the downtown area lost windows and sustained minor damage from the large hail. Two car lots were affected along with significant roof damage to homes.
November 2001Tornado (F1)Aurora$750,000no account filed
January 2008Tornado (EF0)Aurora$75,000A National Weather storm survey revealed that an EF-0 tornado tracked across rural southeast Lawrence County. This tornado damaged a few farm houses and outbuildings. The damage track barely continued into Christian County as the tornado lifted a few yards east of the county line.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindAurora$50,000A vehicle was trapped in downed power lines. No injuries were reported.
September 2014Thunderstorm WindAurora$50,000A report from social media with a picture showed a mobile home with significant roof damage.
August 2011HailAurora$25,000Baseball size hail broke sky lights at the Walmart.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindAurora$25,000Thunderstorm winds severely damaged the roof of a car wash.
May 2001Thunderstorm WindAurora$20,000no account filed
April 2026Thunderstorm WindAurora$10,000A power line was reported down.
May 2024HailAurora$10,000Report of hail ranging between 1 to 2 inches in diameter.
April 2017Thunderstorm WindAurora$10,000The Hardess's sign in Aurora was blown off the building and fell on a gas meter.
April 2016Thunderstorm WindAurora$10,000A large tree fell into a house.
August 2011HailAurora$10,000TV media relayed a report of golf ball size hail in Aurora.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindAurora$5,000A large tree was split in half and fell on a powerline.
April 2025Flash FloodAurora$5,000Street flooding in town was significant enough to washout a portion of a road.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindAurora$5,000Trees were reported down in Aurora.
May 2018Thunderstorm WindAurora$2,000Several trees and power lines were blown down.
March 2017Thunderstorm WindAurora$2,000Aurora Police Department reported a rural fire truck and a passenger vehicle blown off the roadway into a ditch on Route K and Farm Road 2167 north of Aurora.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindAurora$1,000Thunderstorm wind gusts downed a power line in Aurora.
November 2000Thunderstorm WindAurora$1,000no account filed
October 2007Thunderstorm WindAurora$500Thunderstorm wind gusts damaged a privacy fence. At the same location a window was blown out of a home and siding was damaged.
May 1994HailAurora$50Reported by the county sheriff and Skywarn spotters.
April 2025Flash FloodAurora-Water was reported seeping into a home. No damage was reported.
April 2025Flash FloodAurora-Heavy rainfall caused a local creek to flood out of its backs and cover Route K making it impassable.
April 2025Flash FloodAurora-Several city streets in town were reported with high water flowing over them.
April 2025Flash FloodAurora-County Road 2175 at a tributary of Honey Creek was flooded and impassable in several locations.
May 2024HailAurora-Report of golf ball size hail in Aurora.
May 2024HailAurora-Report of golf ball size hail.
March 2023Flash FloodAurora-Route K in the north part of Aurora was closed due to flooding form heavy rainfall.
April 2023HailAurora-Quarter sized hail was reported.
September 2023Thunderstorm WindAurora-A few large branches were reported down.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindAurora-Multiple large tree limbs were reported down.
May 2022HailAurora-Quarter sized hail was reported.
May 2021Flash FloodAurora-Widespread street flooding was reported in town.
May 2021FloodAurora-State Highway K at Chat Creek was closed due to flooding.
March 2020HailAurora-Half dollar sized hail was reported.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindAurora-Multiple trees were reported down off of High Street and Elliot Avenue.
May 2019FloodAurora-Several roads along Chat Creek were closed with flowing water.
May 2018Thunderstorm WindAurora-Several tree limbs were blown down in town.
June 2014HailAurora-Half dollar size hail was reported near Lawrence Farm Road 2175 and Highway 39.
May 2013HailAurora-A picture of the hail was from social media and time was estimated.
August 2012Thunderstorm WindAurora-Several small to medium sized tree branches were broken.
February 2012Thunderstorm WindAurora-The public estimated wind gusts up to 60 mph.
May 2012Thunderstorm WindAurora-A trained spotter estimated wind gusts up to 60 mph.
May 2010Thunderstorm WindAurora-Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree.
April 2008Thunderstorm WindAurora-Severe thunderstorm wind gusts downed several large trees in the city of Aurora.
May 2006Flash FloodAurora-Excessive rainfall caused flooding over a section of Church Street near its intersection with Jefferson Street.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindAurora-Thunderstorm wind gusts downed a couple of power poles near Aurora.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindAurora-Severe thunderstorm wind gusts downed numerous trees in the city of Aurora.
April 2004Heavy RainAurora-Law enforcement measured a 24 hour rainfall amount of 4.25 inches.
August 1997Thunderstorm WindAurora-Thunderstorm winds downed trees.
August 1997Thunderstorm WindAurora-Thunderstorm winds downed trees.
May 2017HailAurora-no account filed
March 2015HailAurora-no account filed
April 2015HailAurora-no account filed
May 2012HailAurora-no account filed
May 2012HailAurora-no account filed
June 2011HailAurora-no account filed
August 2011HailAurora-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Lawrence County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Sage Hill3.7 miles12
Verona4.2 miles11
Opal4.4 miles17
Marionville4.8 miles19
Bonham4.8 miles12
Orange5.1 miles19
Elliott5.2 miles19
Logan6.2 miles19

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 AuroraAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q952486The 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 713486. 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.