Aurora is located about 10 miles east of the capital city of Denver in the state of Colorado and shares its names with at least 20 other cities and towns throughout the United States. Its proximity to the well-known mountain range earned the city the nickname "Gateway to the Rockies" and parts of Aurora are situated more than 5,400 miles above sea level. It has no defined urban core or business district; however, it boasts a robust business directory and a healthy economy. The total land mass of Aurora is a little more than 142 square miles and the official borders of the city straddle three separate counties -- Adams County, Arapahoe County and Douglas County. It is governed by a citizen-elected city council and mayor; the current mayor is republican Ed Tauer. Despite ranking third in the state for population, and the fact that it is designated as an independent and self-governing city by the constitution of the state of Colorado, Aurora is often wrongly identified as a suburb of Denver. Unique in its own right, the municipality is steeped in history and is home to a variety of entertainment and cultural attractions such as the Aurora History Museum and the Aurora Fox Arts Center. Aurora is the birthplace of several athletes of note from a range of sports, including professional football, basketball, hockey, soccer, ice skating and boxing This fact earned the town recognition as Colorado's "Sportstown" by Sports Illustrated magazine in 2004. Although Aurora and its populace continue to grow, it still retains an accessible, small town feel that many larger cities lack. Visitors to Midwest town will find that they won't need to reference the Colorado yellow pages to plan a day of local fun and adventure. One needs only to take a leisurely drive to take in its beautiful terrain and friendly people.