Elevation

Elevation of Aurora, Illinois

675ft

above sea level · 206 m

Aurora is a city in Illinois with 181,505 people, the 2nd most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 95th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates: 41.76° N · 88.32° W; In degrees, minutes and seconds: 41° 45′ 38″ N · 88° 19′ 12″ W
UTM coordinates: 16T · 390,265 E · 4,624,037 N; Zone 16 · NAD83, the official US datum
County: Kane County; The city spans 4 counties; its reference point is in this one
State: Illinois; IL · capital: Springfield
Time zone: Central Time; UTC−6 · UTC−5 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025): 181,505 people; 45.2 sq mi of land · 4,011 people/sq mi
Elevation model: USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid; Lidar from February 2026: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Aurora had 181,505 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 0.5% more than in April 2020, when it had 180,556. Its 45.2 sq mi of land work out to 4,011 people/sq mi; the state average is 229 people/sq mi.

It’s the 2nd most populous of the 1,461 places the Census counts in Illinois (cities, towns and CDPs), after Chicago (2,731,585), and holds 1.4% of the state’s population.

The city spreads across 4 counties. By population: Kane County (110,937), DuPage County (52,191), Will County (11,876), and Kendall County (6,501). Its reference point, where we measure the elevation, is in Kane County.

Compared with US cities of 100,000 to 250,000

Aurora sits at 675 ft (206 m) above sea level. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, the highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft). The average is 862 ft: Aurora is 187 ft below it.

The state capital, Springfield, is 152 mi away in a straight line and 75 ft lower than Aurora.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Chicago, 35 mi away in a straight line and 87 ft lower.

Of the 8 cities in Illinois with a page, Aurora is the 4th highest: the highest is Elgin (740 ft) and the lowest is Peoria (502 ft).

The highest point in Illinois is Charles Mound, at 1,235 ft according to the USGS: 560 ft above Aurora, 111 mi away in a straight line.

93 Corona 678 ft
94 Chattanooga 676 ft
95 Aurora 675 ft
96 Denton 661 ft
97 Allen 659 ft

Each color band is 500 m (1,640 ft), the same colors as the map. See the full list

Nearest cities with a page

Tools for this place

Elevation profile Draw a route from Aurora and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Aurora with any other point on the map. Map of Kane County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Aurora and its clock changes. What county am I in? See which county, city and ZIP code you’re in, from your location. Blank map of Illinois counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Aurora.

What is the elevation of Aurora?

Aurora is 675 feet (206 m) above sea level. That’s the ground height from the USGS 3DEP elevation model at the city’s reference point in the official gazetteer (GNIS). The city doesn’t have a single elevation: it rises and falls from one neighborhood to another.

What are the coordinates of Aurora?

Latitude 41.76059 and longitude -88.32007, in decimal degrees (41° 45′ 38″ N · 88° 19′ 12″ W). In UTM, zone 16: 390,265 E and 4,624,037 N, on NAD83.

How does Aurora rank among the highest US cities of its size?

It’s the 95th highest of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people. The highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft).

What county is Aurora in?

Several: Kane County, DuPage County, Will County, and Kendall County. Most of its people live in Kane County.

Which is higher, Aurora or Springfield?

Aurora. Aurora sits at 675 ft and Springfield at 600 ft: a difference of 75 ft, 152 mi apart in a straight line.

How is elevation measured?

Elevation is the height above mean sea level. In the US the official reference is the NAVD88 vertical datum. Summits are surveyed on the ground, with leveling and precise GPS. The USGS 3DEP is an elevation model of the whole country, largely from 1-meter lidar: it gives the ground height at every point. That’s why it can differ by a few feet from the official figure of a sharp summit.

Sources

USGS 3DEP (EPQS service) The elevation: the ground height at the reference point. Public domain.
USGS GNIS (official gazetteer) The city’s reference point (“Populated Place”). Public domain.
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates Population, land area (2025 Gazetteer) and counties. Public domain.
TIGERweb (U.S. Census Bureau) Which county and city the point falls in. Public domain.
Terrain Tiles, OpenStreetMap and OpenFreeMap The relief shading and the base map (ODbL).

Methodology and sources · Spotted a mistake? Let us know