Aarburg is a historic town and a municipality in the district of Zofingen in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.

The small town lies in the southwest Aargau, in a narrow section of the Aare valley, at the confluence with the Wigger.

The visual character of Aarburg is shaped by the fortification and the church on a rock spur.

In Roman times a road went by Aarburg, connecting the Olten region with the rest of inner Switzerland.

During the construction of a factory in the 20th century, a hoard of coins produced during the reign of Emperor Tetricus I was discovered.

Wedged between the cities of Olten and Zofingen, with only four kilometers between them, Aarburg could not develop commercially and remained a small town.

The people of Aarburg lived mainly on the tariff revenues that commerce along the Gotthard Pass provided.

The district of Aarburg was dissolved and the regional administrative functions of the French imposed Helvetic Republic were moved to Zofingen.

In the second half of the 20th century the township's population doubled due to the construction of the autobahn nearby.

[4] The municipality is located in the Zofingen District, along the Aare where it forms the Aarewaage whirlpool.

[8] The age distribution, as of 2008[update], in Aarburg is; 714 children or 10.7% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 798 teenagers or 11.9% are between 10 and 19.

[10] About 38.9% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage or a rent-to-own agreement).

[14] The historical population is given in the following table:[3] The Galgen or ruins of the Froburg built gallows,[15] the Gasthof (combination hotel and restaurant) alte Post (former noble's house) at Städtchen 5 and the Castle are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance.

[16] The entire village of Aarburg is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

[17] The old town is located in a triangular area between the river and the wedge-shaped rock formation, which forms a natural barrier on two sides.

Dominating the old town is a narrow, extended rock spur, on which one finds the Aarburg fortress.

The fortress complex is a nationally recognized cultural asset and serves as a youth center today.

The fortress offers public tours at 2:00 PM on Saturdays during the spring and summer months (around April–October).

Private tours may be arranged by reservation all year through the youth center (Jugendheim Aarburg).