I have lived in Fairfield, California since 1997. I like Fairfield. We're a large and diverse city (population: 119,881) with a small-town feel. We're located equidistant between Sacramento and San Francisco; it's just 45 miles to either one. Napa is 20 miles away. We can be at the ocean in an hour or skiing in the mountains in just over two hours. We have great weather, with year-round sun and cooling breezes during our hot summers. We're home to Travis Air Force Base and Jelly Belly Candy Company, as well as a bunch of wineries. There's a large regional park in town. Fairfield is home to International Bird Rescue and the future home of Pacific Flyway Center.
My grandmother was from Fairfield, Washington. The current population is 589, and I don't think it was much different when she lived there. I haven't been there in decades, but I have fond memories of visiting my mom's cousins on their wheat farm just out of town. Fairfield, WA has a library, a community center, three churches, a single restaurant, and not much more.
The most well-known Fairfield in the US, and the one for which my Fairfield is named, is Fairfield, Connecticut. With a population of 61,512, it is half the size of my Fairfield. Fairfield, Connecticut is located along the north shore of the Long Island Sound and has some nice looking beaches. At least as far as I can tell from photos online - I've never actually been there. It is also home to Fairfield University
I'm aware of three Fairfields, which led me to wonder... how many other states have a Fairfield? Answer: It depends. Do unincorporated towns count? Townships? How about a census designated place (CDP) called Fairfield? What about a Fairfield County? According to 24/7 Wall Street, there are 20 Fairfields in the US, making it the 22nd most common city name in the country. GeoTarget says there are 35 Fairfields. Wikipedia lists Fairfields in 25 different states. Most of them are tiny. It would be an interesting project to visit all the Fairfields in the US, but not one I intend to do. Although Fairfield, Iowa is tempting.
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While researching this post, I came across an interesting article by Ken Jennings you might enjoy. I'm a huge fan of Ken Jennings. If you haven't read Maphead yet (affiliate link), drop what you're doing and go read it. You're welcome.
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