Aurora's historic downtown is located on the Fox River, and centered on Stolp Island. The city is divided into three regions, the West Side, on the west side of the Fox River, the East Side, between the eastern bank of the Fox River and the Kane/DuPage County line, and the Far East Side/Fox Valley, which is from the County Line to the city's eastern border with Naperville.

Downtown Aurora is home to the Paramount Theatre, a large live performance theater originally built in 1931 in the Art Deco style with Venetian elements. Over the years, it has hosted films, plays, musicals, concerts, comedy shows, and other acts. The structure was restored in the 1970s and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The record high for Aurora is 111 °F (44 °C), on July 14, 1936. The record low is -31 °F (-35 °C), on January 16, 2009.