A culturally diverse, deep-rooted south Iowa community
Tucked into Iowa’s southeast corner, Fairfield is a self-sufficient community surrounded by farmland. Cambridge Investment Research, one of the country’s largest independent broker-dealers, anchors a solid financial services industry alongside education, healthcare and manufacturing. Sustainability is also a focus here, from permaculture sites to a 1.1 million-watt solar field powering a third of Maharishi International University’s electricity.
Downtown restaurants and shops represent a wide variety of cultures. Michaela Mclain, longtime local and sales associate with Village Realty, says there are multiple layers to the dynamic nature of the town. “Before the 1970s, it was just like any other good, old-fashioned Iowa town,” she says. “That culture is still rooted here, but over the last 55 years, it’s been integrating with the extra diversity that’s come in from the university. It’s created a very unique and special place.” Fairfield was the epicenter of the Transcendental Meditation movement in the United States, and two giant gold meditation domes stand amid the university campus on the north side of town.
Fairfield residents take pride in their town and their smaller communities.
The gridded streets of central Fairfield feature older homes where neighbors know each other.
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Fairfield’s early-1900s core, mansions and Vastu homes
The median home price in Fairfield is around $180,000, far below the national median. “We have a very mixed bag of super old houses, some that have been renovated beautifully and some that have not,” Mclain says. “And we have a lot of really nice mansions that have been sprinkled throughout.” At the town center are early-1900s bungalows and folk-style homes, some converted into duplexes. Ranch-style homes and split-levels line winding streets farther out, and acreage increases drastically on the outskirts. Many of the newest homes adopt east-facing Vastu architecture in university villages or secluded lots. Iowa Department of Public Safety data shows that crimes against people in Fairfield increased slowly from 2019 to 2023, while crimes against property fell dramatically over the same period.
Many historic homes in Fairfield have been kept up or renovated.
The Vastu-style of homes in Fairfield all face east, an important principal in the culture.
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Downtown Fairfield and Business Route 34
Family-owned restaurants and small businesses look out over Central Park in the downtown square. “It differs from the surrounding towns because we have lots of Indian food, Thai food and authentic Mexican restaurants,” Mclain says. Most of the city’s fast food and chain options are along Business Route 34 through the town center, along with the local Walmart and Hy-Vee.
Downtown Fairfield features many historic buildings that all have their own unique style and charm.
Walmart is a convenient stop for shoppers on the west side of Fairfield.
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Perusing the Art Walk or taking a seat at the Sondheim
The Fairfield First Fridays Art Walk brings downtown to life through each season, from hot, humid summers to cold winters. “Some of the local businesses and galleries have art where people walk around from exhibit to exhibit,” Mclain says. “There’s also usually music playing in the gazebo on the town square, and there’s lots of vendors with food, crafts, and art.” Mclain says another leg up for the community is the multi-use Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, which includes an art gallery, meeting spaces and the the 522-seat Stephen Sondheim Theater for the Performing Arts. “It gives our town the ability to host national acts and larger conventions,” she says. Patrons trade theater seats for folding chairs during the free Summer Outdoor Concert Series, which takes place right outside the convention center.
Fairfield Arts & Convention Center hosts recurring programs and rotating arts exhibits.
Central Park's gazebo hosts live bands during Fairfield First Fridays, a monthly town get-together.
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Grade schools and higher education in Fairfield
The Fairfield Community School District covers most of Jefferson County and scores a C from Niche. Kids attend one of two elementary schools between first and fourth grade before heading to Fairfield Middle School and Fairfield High School. The Maharishi School is a tuition-based option for prekindergarten through 12th grade, with a boarding school program for Grades 8 through 12. Niche ranks the school at No. 1 for Best Private K-12 Schools in Iowa. Maharishi International University serves a student body representing dozens of countries each year. Both schools center Transcendental Meditation within their curriculum.
Fairfield High School serves over 300 students in grades 9-12.
Maharishi International University attracts students from around the country and around the world.
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Hopping on the Fairfield Loop Trail to visit local parks
Many of the city’s parks are access points to the Fairfield Loop Trail, a 16-mile gravel run. Kayaks float on Cedar Creek when it swells in the spring, and Waterworks Park has the largest swimming hole: Bonnifield Lake. “When I want beautiful nature, I tend to drive about 3 miles north of here to Decora, which is part of the Driftless Area,” Mclain says. “It’s got big, beautiful bluffs, and we’ll go camp or get a cabin.”
The winding Fairfield Loop Trail covers 16 miles and encompasses the whole city.
Waterworks Park is a Fairfield natural oasis with a lake, trails, and a playground.
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Getting to work or neighboring Iowa cities
The California Zephyr Amtrak train whistles through Fairfield on its way from San Francisco to Chicago, but the nearest stations are about 20 miles away, in Ottumwa to the west or Mount Pleasant to the east. Fairfield residents are generally car-dependent for daily errands, work commutes and longer trips. Fairfield is equidistant from Quad Cities International Airport and Des Moines International Airport, both over 100 miles away. Meanwhile, Jefferson County Health Center provides medical services from its campus on the south end.
Changing dynamics in Fairfield, from the 1970s to the present day
Many longtime Fairfield residents recall tension between those inside and outside the TM movement, especially during its initial wave from the 1970s through the '90s. "The 'rus' were the gurus, and the 'townies' were the people who didn't meditate," Mclain says. "It was sort of like a West Side Story vibe of, 'Which side are you?'" But as time went on, the mix of backgrounds became an identifier for the city. "We've all gotten married to each other and become friends with each other," Mclain says. "Now we have really cool people here who are well-traveled, smart and spiritually evolved, but also rooted in the land."
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