city, seat (1838) of Jefferson county, southeastern Iowa, U.S., halfway between Mount Pleasant (east) and Ottumwa (west). Settled in 1839, Fairfield was the site (1854) of the first Iowa State Fair (now held in Des Moines). It was named by an early settler, Mrs. Rhodam Bonnifield, for the natural beauty of the area. Railroads reached Fairfield in 1858, spurring the area’s development.
Fairfield is now a trade and industrial centre producing dairy products, feed, washing machines, farm equipment, aluminum castings, automotive parts, and textiles. Services are also important, especially in telecommunications. Parsons College was founded there in 1875 and closed in 1973. Since then, Maharishi University of Management (founded in 1971 as Maharishi International University) has been situated on the former Parsons campus. Lacey-Keosauqua State Park is about 20 miles (32 km) south, and Lake Darling State Recreation Area is about 15 miles (25 km) north. Inc. 1847. Pop. (1990) 9,768; (2000) 9,509.
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