Aurora sprawls east of Denver across parts of three counties, from postwar neighborhoods near the Denver line to brand-new subdivisions out on the open plains. I-225 runs north-south through the western part of the city, connecting I-25 in the southeast with I-70 to the north. I-70 crosses the northern edge toward the plains, and E-470, a toll road, curves along the city's eastern side, linking the southern suburbs with the airport. Colfax Avenue runs east-west through the original city core.
Parker Road angles southeast toward Parker and Cherry Creek State Park, and Havana Street, Iliff Avenue, Mississippi Avenue and Buckley Road carry heavy local traffic. The I-225 and I-70 interchange and the I-225 stretch near Parker Road back up at rush hour, and the tollway gets busy around shift changes at the airport. Distances inside the city are long, and a trip from the southeast subdivisions to the medical campus on the north side can take as long as driving downtown. Out east, section-line roads run straight across open land with little shelter, so a stall there in a blizzard or a summer storm leaves a driver exposed.
Denver International Airport sits just north of the city, and many Aurora households work there or fly from there often. The RTD R Line light rail runs along I-225, and the A Line commuter rail stops in north Aurora on its way to the airport, but most people drive. Buckley Space Force Base and the Anschutz Medical Campus are among the biggest employers in the region, and their parking lots and nearby neighborhoods are common places for a mechanic to work.