Fairfield, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fairfield
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The Fairfield Arch
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Location of Fairfield in Solano County, California.
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 Fairfield
Location in California
Fairfield
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | California | |
| County | Solano | |
| Incorporated | December 12, 1903 | |
| Named for | Fairfield, Connecticut | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Council-manager | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 41.39 sq mi (107.21 km2) | |
| • Land | 41.14 sq mi (106.55 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.26 sq mi (0.66 km2) 0.62% | |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 119,881 | |
| • Rank | 2nd in Solano County 53rd in California |
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| • Density | 2,896.4/sq mi (1,118.19/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
94533–94535
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| Area code | 707 | |
| FIPS code | 06-23182 | |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1656005, 2410474 | |
Fairfield is a city in California, United States. It is the main city and county seat of Solano County. Fairfield is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, specifically in the North Bay region.
The city has many different types of businesses. These include government jobs, factories, healthcare, stores, and construction.
Fairfield was started in 1856 by a clipper ship captain named Robert H. Waterman. He named the city after his old hometown, Fairfield, Connecticut.
Fairfield is home to Travis Air Force Base. It is also where the famous Jelly Belly candy company has its main office. In 2020, about 119,881 people lived in Fairfield.
Contents
History of Fairfield
Long ago, Native American groups like the Suisun people lived in the Fairfield area.
In 1856, Robert H. Waterman, a captain from Fairfield, Connecticut, planned out the town. He wanted Fairfield to be the county seat of Solano County. In 1858, Fairfield won the vote against Benicia. To help, Waterman gave 16 acres of land for new county buildings. Fairfield officially became a city in 1903.
In August 2020, some parts of Fairfield had to be evacuated. This was because of the LNU Lightning Complex fires. These fires burned over 315,000 acres in five counties, including nearby Vacaville.
Fairfield's Geography
Fairfield is located in the California Coastal Ranges. It is just north of the Suisun Bay. It is also northeast of the San Pablo Bay.
The city covers about 37.6 square miles (97.4 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 34.4 square miles (89.1 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 3.2 square miles (8.3 square kilometers), is water.
A big part of the Suisun Bay is the Suisun Marsh. This is the largest saltwater marsh on the west coast of the United States.
Fairfield's Climate
Fairfield has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has hot, dry summers. The nights are cool. Winters bring a lot of rain. Temperatures are mild to cool.
| Climate data for Fairfield, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1950–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 76 (24) |
80 (27) |
89 (32) |
98 (37) |
111 (44) |
111 (44) |
114 (46) |
111 (44) |
117 (47) |
104 (40) |
87 (31) |
78 (26) |
117 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 66.8 (19.3) |
72.8 (22.7) |
78.9 (26.1) |
87.2 (30.7) |
93.6 (34.2) |
102.8 (39.3) |
104.1 (40.1) |
103.7 (39.8) |
100.8 (38.2) |
92.5 (33.6) |
78.2 (25.7) |
67.3 (19.6) |
106.7 (41.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 56.6 (13.7) |
61.6 (16.4) |
66.4 (19.1) |
71.3 (21.8) |
77.8 (25.4) |
85.4 (29.7) |
89.6 (32.0) |
89.2 (31.8) |
86.9 (30.5) |
78.2 (25.7) |
65.4 (18.6) |
56.7 (13.7) |
73.8 (23.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 48.0 (8.9) |
51.7 (10.9) |
55.6 (13.1) |
59.4 (15.2) |
65.0 (18.3) |
70.8 (21.6) |
73.8 (23.2) |
73.6 (23.1) |
71.7 (22.1) |
65.2 (18.4) |
55.4 (13.0) |
48.0 (8.9) |
61.5 (16.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 39.4 (4.1) |
42.0 (5.6) |
44.9 (7.2) |
47.4 (8.6) |
52.2 (11.2) |
56.1 (13.4) |
57.9 (14.4) |
58.0 (14.4) |
56.6 (13.7) |
52.3 (11.3) |
44.7 (7.1) |
39.3 (4.1) |
49.6 (9.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 30.8 (−0.7) |
34.4 (1.3) |
36.8 (2.7) |
39.0 (3.9) |
44.7 (7.1) |
48.9 (9.4) |
52.3 (11.3) |
52.8 (11.6) |
49.3 (9.6) |
44.4 (6.9) |
35.8 (2.1) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 18 (−8) |
24 (−4) |
29 (−2) |
26 (−3) |
35 (2) |
32 (0) |
38 (3) |
35 (2) |
39 (4) |
32 (0) |
21 (−6) |
15 (−9) |
15 (−9) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.68 (119) |
4.97 (126) |
3.31 (84) |
1.47 (37) |
0.74 (19) |
0.19 (4.8) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.03 (0.76) |
0.08 (2.0) |
1.11 (28) |
2.55 (65) |
5.40 (137) |
24.53 (623) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.4 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 6.5 | 10.1 | 59 |
| Source: NOAA(September record high) | |||||||||||||
Fairfield's Population
Fairfield has grown a lot over the years. In 1870, only 329 people lived there. By 2020, the population had grown to 119,881 people. This makes it the second-largest city in Solano County.
Fairfield is a very diverse city. People from many different backgrounds live there. In 2020, about 27.75% of the people were White (not Hispanic). About 14.36% were Black or African American. About 18.29% were Asian. And about 30.63% were Hispanic or Latino.
About one-fourth of Fairfield's population is under 18 years old. This means there are many kids and teens living in the city. About 13% of the population is 65 years or older.
Fairfield's Economy
Fairfield has a strong and varied economy. Many people work for the government. There are also jobs in manufacturing, healthcare, and retail. Professional services and construction are also important.
Some big companies have operations in Fairfield. Anheuser-Busch has a large brewery that makes Budweiser beer. Clorox makes bleach products here. The Jelly Belly Candy Company makes its famous jelly beans in Fairfield. Partnership HealthPlan of California, an insurance company, is also based in the city.
Top Employers in Fairfield
Here are some of the biggest employers in Fairfield, based on a 2021-2022 report:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis Air Force Base | 13,414 |
| 2 | County of Solano | 2,633 |
| 3 | Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District | 2,213 |
| 4 | Northbay Healthcare | 1,969 |
| 5 | Solano Community College | 750 |
| 6 | Partnership HealthPlan of California | 561 |
| 7 | City of Fairfield | 553 |
| 8 | Jelly Belly Candy Company | 489 |
| 9 | Sutter Regional Medical Foundation | 475 |
| 10 | Westamerica Bancorporation | 418 |
Arts and Culture in Fairfield
The libraries in Fairfield are run by the Solano County Library system. These include the Fairfield Civic Center Library and the Fairfield Cordelia Library.
Fairfield hosts several fun annual festivals. These include a Tomato and Vine Festival and a 4th of July celebration. The city also celebrates Día de los Muertos.
The City Council chooses a Poet Laureate every two years. This person helps promote poetry and literary arts in the community.
Parks and Recreation in Fairfield
Fairfield has many places for recreation and parks. These include the Community Center and the Adult Recreation Center. There is also the Allan Witt Aquatics and Sports Complex. You can visit the Dunnell Nature Park and Education Center. Other spots are the Laurel Creek Neighborhood Center and Mankas Neighborhood Center. In 2018, there were plans to update Allan Witt park.
A 6-mile section of an old railway line has become the Fairfield Linear Park. It has a bike trail, open areas, and park features.
Golf Courses in Fairfield
If you like golf, Fairfield has public golf courses. These include Paradise Valley and Rancho Solano.
Education in Fairfield
Public schools in Fairfield are managed by two districts. These are the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District and the Travis Unified School District.
High schools in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District include:
- Angelo Rodriguez High School (which has an Early College program)
- Armijo High School (which offers an International Baccalaureate program)
- Fairfield High School
Vanden High School is part of the Travis Unified School District.
Private Schools in Fairfield
Holy Spirit School is a private Catholic school. It serves students from kindergarten through 8th grade.
Fairfield's Infrastructure
Transportation in Fairfield
Major highways that pass through Fairfield include Interstate 80, Interstate 680, and State Route 12.
The Fairfield-Vacaville Hannigan railroad station opened in November 2017. You can catch Capitol Corridor trains there. These trains are run by Amtrak California.
The Fairfield Transportation Center is a main hub for getting around. Fairfield and Suisun Transit provides bus service within the city.
Healthcare in Fairfield
NorthBay Medical Center is a hospital in Fairfield. It has 154 beds. It also has a Level II Trauma Center, which means it can handle serious injuries.
Notable People from Fairfield
Many interesting people have connections to Fairfield:
- Sasha Banks, a professional wrestler for WWE
- Desmond Bishop, a Super Bowl Champion and former NFL player
- Deone Bucannon, a starting safety for the NFL Arizona Cardinals
- Jacob Duran, a professional cutman in combat sports and an actor
- Luis Grijalva, an Olympian and professional runner for Guatemala
- Kathleen Hicks, the 35th US Deputy Secretary of Defense
- Pat Morita, an Oscar-nominated actor famous as Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid
- CC Sabathia, an MLB starting pitcher for the New York Yankees
- Tracy K. Smith, a U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer prize winner
- Dominic Wynn Woods, also known as Sage the Gemini, a rapper and songwriter
Sister Cities
Fairfield has a sister city:
Nirasaki, Yamanashi, Japan
Images for kids
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Downtown
See also
In Spanish: Fairfield (California) para niños
