Fairfax blends rural scenery with suburban convenience
With quiet residential streets surrounded by wide-open farmland, Fairfax offers small-town living between the Cedar Rapids suburbs and the vast Iowa countryside. The town is home to about 2,800 residents, and is mostly residential except for a handful of restaurants, parks, a public library and a post office. Sitting just 8 miles from downtown Cedar Rapids, it offers a bucolic atmosphere with an easy commute to local jobs and entertainment. “It’s a small community with a little downtown area,” says Debra Callahan of Re/Max Concepts, who has more than two decades of experience in the area. “It gives you that small-town feel while still being pretty close to city amenities, and the school district is very popular.”
A mix of historic and modern homes near Cedar Rapids
Fairfax has housing options that span generations. There are cottages and Victorian homes that are more than a century old, midcentury ranch-style and split-level homes and contemporary-style homes. The northern part of town, closest to the Cedar Rapids border, is dominated by subdivisions built in the last 20 years. “There are some beautiful old two-story houses in the older part of Fairfax, but there’s been a lot of growth here over the last few years, so you’ll also find some new construction as well,” Callahan says. Lot sizes range from around a quarter-acre to an acre, offering plenty of privacy and room for gardening and landscaping. Streets are typically quiet and free of through traffic, making it easier to walk and bike. Because of the wide range of homes and acreage, prices range from $120,000 to $530,000.
Fairfax kids attend a popular school district
Students attend school about 8 miles away in the College Community School District. “It’s a highly desirable school district. It’s kind of unique in that all the district’s schools, K through 12, are on one big campus,” Callahan says. For kindergarten through fourth grade, students attend Prairie Ridge Elementary School, which gets an A-minus from Niche. Fifth and sixth grades are spent at C-plus-rated Prairie Creek Intermediate School. The next steps are Prairie Point Middle School & Ninth Grade Academy and Prairie High School, both of which earn B-minus ratings. The high school offers plenty of extracurriculars, including several award-winning athletics programs, several band programs, a concert choir and a show choir.
Dog parks, disc golf and fireworks at local green spaces
Most locals are within walking distance of a community park. Among the largest is Fairfax City Sports and Park Complex. Built in 2013, it features soccer fields, baseball diamonds, playgrounds and an off-leash dog park. During the summer, there are music events and Fourth of July fireworks, and in the fall, there’s a haunted trail. Residents also enjoy the outdoors at Prairie Creek Park, a waterside park with a disc golf course, basketball court and horseshoe pit. During the winter months, golfers can tee up at Four Seasons Indoor Golf. Small neighborhood parks include Driftwood Park, Hawks Ridge Park and Heartland Heights Park.
A few local spots for burgers, ice cream and coffee
Fairfax has a few restaurants, including Star Bar & Grill, a long-running pub serving burgers, fries and beer. Locals can get some dessert at Mikey’s Ice Cream & Grill or stop off for an espresso drink at Grind Coffee. For everything else, it’s about 5 miles to the shopping plazas on Edgewood Road for big-box stores, chain restaurants and grocers. Walmart, Aldi and Texas Roadhouse are just a few of the options there.
No public transit, but highways offer easy access to Cedar Rapids
U.S. Route 151 cuts through Fairfax, offering a direct route into Cedar Rapids. Residents will need a car to get around, as there is no public transportation available — the nearest bus stops are about 5 miles away. Those in need of medical care can head to Mercy Medical Center, about 12 miles east. Eastern Iowa Airport is only 7 miles away.
