The third most populous city in the state of Colorado is Aurora with an estimated population of 311,794. Aurora shares its metropolitan area with its neighbor cities, Denver and Boulder. The last census recorded a population of nearly three million residents in the metropolitan area, the twenty second largest metropolitan area in the United States. According to the 2000 census, there are about 105,000 households and 68,000 families residing in Aurora. The averages for a family and household are 3.19 and 2.60, respectively.
The city stretches over Arapahoe County, Adams County, and Douglas County. Located in Arapahoe County is the Cherry Creek State Park with a wealth of wildlife for tourists to enjoy. Within this county there are also two historic trails, the Smoky Hill Trail and South Platte Trail. Adams County is adjacent to Arapahoe County and has a national wildlife refuge named the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
Several neighborhoods and districts span across Aurora including Meadowood, Mission Viejo, and Stapleton. There are also several military installations such as Buckley Air Force Base, and Lowry Air Force Base. As for education, the city has several public schools, a community college and the University of Colorado Health Science Center.