Aurora originated in the 1880s as the town of Fletcher, taking its name from Denver businessman Donald Fletcher who saw it as a real estate opportunity. He and his partners staked out four square miles (10 km2) east of Denver, but the town struggled after the Silver Crash of 1893. When Fletcher skipped town, leaving the community with a huge water debt, inhabitants decided to rename the town Aurora, after one of the subdivisions.

President Warren G. Harding visited Fitzsimons Army Hospital in 1923, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited in 1936. In 1943 the hospital was the birthplace of 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. And President Dwight D. Eisenhower recovered from a heart attack at Fitzsimons for seven weeks during the fall of 1955.

Before European settlement, the land that now makes up Aurora was the territory of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ute, and Sioux tribes.

On July 20, 2012, Aurora was the site of the third largest mass shooting in terms of number of casualties in United States history (at the time) and the second-deadliest shooting in Colorado after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. The shooting occurred just after midnight, when James Holmes opened fire during the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in a Century movie theater, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. Holmes was arrested and sentenced to 12 life sentences in prison with an additional required 3,318 years. Actor Christian Bale, who plays Batman in the film, visited some victims in hospitals.

At 160 square miles, Aurora is split among three counties: Arapahoe County, Adams County, and Douglas County.

The average first snowfall in the Aurora area occurs in late October and the average final snowfall occurs in late April, although snow has fallen as early as September 4 and as late as June 5.

The city seal has five stars, a feature kept from the original city emblem. The five stars represent home, church, school, business and industry, all essential to a healthy, progressive community, according to a guidebook published during the administration of Mayor Paul C. Beck (1967-74).

Over the Edge, a coming-of-age crime drama, was the feature film debut of actor Matt Dillon. Shooting took place over 20 days in 1978 in two Colorado cities, Aurora and Greeley. In 2021, Over the Edge was named the "signature film" of the Denver area.

The old Fitzsimons Army Hospital is one of the most iconic buildings in Colorado. Now known simply as Building 500, it is said to be haunted by apparitions of former military officers, flickering lights, and a general feeling of unease. Allegedly, many WWI vets who were poisoned by mustard gas were brought to Fitzsimons for treatment, and perhaps they never left.

Originally constructed as a grain silo, Delaney Barn was converted into a two-story cow barn around 1912. Possibly the last surviving round barn in Colorado, its exceptional construction and engineering are believed to be the work of an itinerant carpenter.