Aurora is located approximately 35 miles west of Cincinnati, Ohio in the Southeast corner of Indiana. US Highway 50 runs east/west along with an active railroad line. This segments the city into two distinct areas. The downtown lies to the south , nestled between US 50 and the Ohio River. Several residential areas lie north of US 50, with access from State Route 148 and State Route 350. Aurora is within 30 minutes of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and within 90 minutes of Indianapolis, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio as well as Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky. Aurora is a small town rich in charm. Its old river town character makes this city unique amidst the surrounding communities. There is a strong sense of history as you walk through the streets of town. The buildings remind you of a romantic age gone by. The church steeples are rising to the sky and the city is nestled amongst the wooded hills. Not many cities have succeeded in retaining their original appeal as Aurora has done. In essence, this is what makes Aurora a desirable destination, and a great community in which to live, work, play and raise a family. Aurora is rich in religious values, having 7 large churches in the downtown area alone. The educational structure within Aurora includes parochial, private and public education. Aurora and Dearborn County have a home school support structure in place as well. In 1819, the land on which Aurora lies was purchased by an association for the purpose of establishing a town. The original plat was laid out by Jesse Holman, trustee for the Aurora Association for Internal Improvements, in 1819 and contained 206 lots and six public squares. Very little was developed until 1836. The town was incorporated as a city in 1845. Boatbuilding began in Aurora in 1824 with the construction of the Steamboat "Clinton". By 1875, flatboats and steamboats were a common sight around the city. Along with the boats, there were strong industrial businesses starting to grow. These included construction of warehouses, distilleries, foundries and cooperage shops. Late in the 19th century, an iron whipple-truss bridge was built over the Hogan Creek. This greatly impacted the growth and development to the city of Aurora. By 1874, Aurora had approximately 5000 residents. At the turn of the century, Aurora benefited from new modes of transportation in the city. The construction of U.S. Highway 50 was a milestone in Aurora's history and connected the city with Lawrenceburg, and the thriving city of Cincinnati, Ohio. It also connected this southeastern Indiana river town with the rest of the state. The city also continued to receive the influences of the riverboats. Many of the buildings are in their original location and condition and portray the city's history. This is important to the citizens and is evident in the development of the Main Street Aurora program. Aurora's prominent historic residential and commercial district consists of many nineteenth and twentieth century buildings which are of diverse architectural styles. The most significant buildings in the commercial district are the 1886 City Hall and Jail and the various churches built in the late nineteenth century. The most prominent historic residences are the Hillforest National Historic Landmark and Veraestau historic home. In order to address the issue of historic preservation, Aurora utilizes the services of several historic preservation organizations such as the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, Hillforest Historic Foundation, Main Street Aurora, and the City of Aurora's Historic Preservation Commission.