Fairfield is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It borders the city of

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonn ...

and towns of Trumbull, Easton, Weston, and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. Located within the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...

, it is around 43 miles northeast of

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...

. As of 2020 the town had a population of 61,512.

History

Colonial era

In 1635,

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

s and

Congregationalists Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs i ...

in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, were dissatisfied with the rate of

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

reform, and sought to establish an ecclesiastical society subject to their own rules and regulations. The Massachusetts General Court granted them permission to settle in the towns of Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford which is an area now known as

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

. On January 14, 1639, a set of legal and administrative regulations called the Fundamental Orders was adopted and established Connecticut as a self-ruling entity. By 1639, these settlers had started new towns in the surrounding areas. Roger Ludlowe, framer of the Fundamental Orders, purchased the land called Unquowa (presently called Fairfield), and established the name. The name "Fairfield" is commendatory. According to historian John M. Taylor:

Towns created from Fairfield

Fairfield was one of the two principal settlements of the Connecticut Colony in southwestern Connecticut (the other was Stratford). The town line with Stratford was set in May 1661 by John Banks, an early Fairfield settler, Richard Olmstead, and Lt. Joseph Judson, who were both appointed as a committee by the Colony of Connecticut. The town line with Norwalk was not set until May 1685. Over time, it gave rise to several new towns that broke off and incorporated separately. The following is a list of towns created from parts of Fairfield. * Redding in 1767 * Weston in 1787 * Easton, created from Weston in 1845 *

in 1821 (also partly from Stratford) and again in 1870 when the Black Rock section left Fairfield * Westport in 1835 (partly from Weston and Norwalk)

Revolutionary War

When the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

began in the 1770s, Fairfielders were caught in the crisis as much as, if not more than, the rest of their neighbors in Connecticut. In a predominantly Tory section of the colony, the people of Fairfield were early supporters of the cause for independence. Throughout the war, a constant battle was being fought across the Long Island Sound as Loyalists from British-controlled

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

raided the coast in whaleboats and

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

Gold Selleck Silliman Gold Selleck Silliman (1732–1790) was a Connecticut militia General during the American War for Independence. Biography Silliman was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, graduated from Yale University and practiced law and served as a crown attorney ...

, whose home still stands on Jennings Road, was put in charge of the coastal defenses. In the spring of 1779, Silliman was kidnapped from his home by Loyalist raiders in preparation for a British raid on Fairfield County. His wife, Mary Silliman watched from their home as, on the morning of July 7, 1779, approximately 2,000 British troops landed on Fairfield Beach near Pine Creek Point and invaded the town; the force proceeded to burn Fairfield due to the town's support for Patriot cause. A decade later, President

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

noted that after traveling through Fairfield that "the destructive evidence of British cruelty are yet visible both in Norwalk and Fairfield; as there are the chimneys of many burnt houses standing in them yet".

Nineteenth century

Fairfield was an agricultural town for the entirety of this century. Corn, rye, wheat, potato and flax were the main exports of the town. Ships left Black Rock and Southport harbor bound for New York, Boston and the West Indies. The New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad connected Fairfield to New York City, now a 2 hour train ride. The industrial and population growth of the newly formed neighboring Bridgeport led to the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Fairfield County to be moved from Fairfield to

as the old courthouse prove inadequate, in 1853. As the nation expanded west, where soil was better, agriculture in the region began to decline. Many Fairfielders sold their land, moved west, or to cities to work in factories. In the late 1800s, immigration from Poland, Italy, Hungary, Russia and other places to the United States, where many worked in Bridgeport factories clustered in dense ethnic neighborhoods, led to some eventually purchasing land in Fairfield's Eastern section, notably Tunix Hill by Hungarians, where they cultivated land. Black Rock, and what is now Bridgeport's West End was annexed by Bridgeport by 1870. For 5 cents, Bridgeport's residents could visit Fairfield beaches, leading to a summer colony off Reef Road by 1887.

Twentieth century

The

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

brought Fairfield out of its agrarian past by triggering an unprecedented economic boom in Bridgeport, which was the center of a large munitions industry at the time. The city population grew by over 50,000 people in 20 months, and the newly built wartime Remington Arms-UMC plant employed 20,000 people by 1916, producing 50% of allied ammunition cartridges. The prosperity accompanied a temporary housing shortage in the city, and many of the workers looked to Fairfield to build their homes, and the newly founded Bridgeport Housing Company (run by the chamber of commerce), built more homes in Fairfield in the form of the Grassmere Village and Lordship Village developments. The trolley and later the automobile made the countryside accessible to these newly rich members of the middle class, who brought with them new habits, new attitudes, and new modes of dress. The prosperity lasted throughout the twenties. By the time of the

Wall Street Crash of 1929 The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange coll ...

, the population had increased to 17,000 from the 6,000 it had been just before the war. Even during the Depression, the town kept expanding. Fairfield became an attractive place for wealthy

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

residents to have a weekend home, vacation, or live in, looking for relaxation in a country atmosphere, with its beaches, fancy hotels, mansions. The grounding of a barge with two crewmen on Penfield Reef in Fairfield during a gale led to the 1st civilian helicopter hoist rescue in history, on November 29, 1945. The helicopter flew from the nearby Sikorsky Aircraft plant in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Fairfield University was founded in 1943 by Jesuits. The opening of the Connecticut Turnpike in the 1950s brought another wave of development to Fairfield, and by the 1960s the town's residential, suburban character was firmly established. Families from Bridgeport and elsewhere, looking to live to the

suburbs A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separa ...

, moved into Fairfield in large numbers starting after the Second World War. Fairfield grew from 21,135 residents in 1940 to 59,404 in 2000. Bridgeport's population fell in that same timespan. In 1971, Fairfield became the home of the corporate headquarters of

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable ene ...

(GE), one of the world's 5 largest companies at the time, which relocated from Manhattan. On May 8, 2017, GE relocated to Boston, Massachusetts. File:Fairfield Beach Postcard 1932.jpg, Postcard from 1932 showing bathers at Fairfield Beach File:Tide Mill Tavern Fairfield Connecticut Postcard.jpg, Historical Postcard of the Tide Mill Tavern File:Burr Homestead.jpg, Fairfield's Burr Homestead in a 1938 photo File:Pequot Library.jpg, Pequot Library in Southport, 1966 File:Southport Congregational Church, 1966.jpg, Southport Congregational Church, 1966 File:Fairfield Connecticut Town Green Woodcut c1840.jpg, Historical Woodcut from Showing Old Town Hall and Town Green File:Trinity Church Southport Connecticut.jpg, Trinity Church in Southport, 1966 File:Penfield Reef Light.jpg, Penfield Reef Lighthouse is located in Long Island Sound off the coast of Fairfield Beach File:Bellarmine Hall (three-quarter view) - Jan 2011.JPG, Bellarmine Hall at Fairfield University File:1812 Sycamore, Fairfield, CT - October 22, 2012.jpg, The "1812 Sycamore" near Town Hall (cut down in 2013)

Geography

The town is on the shore of the Long Island Sound. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 4.15%, is water. The Mill River, the waters of which feed Lake Mohegan, flows through the town.

Neighborhoods

Fairfield consists of many neighborhoods. The best known are wealthy Southport, where General Electric Chief Executive Officer Jack Welch lived for many years, and

Greenfield Hill Greenfield Hill is an affluent historic neighborhood in Fairfield, Connecticut roughly bounded by Easton to the North, southern Burr Street/northern Black Rock Turnpike to the East, and Southport and Westport to the South and West respectively. Th ...

, with its large green areas, famous dogwood trees, and picturesque green with its white-spired Congregational church. Other neighborhoods include Stratfield, Tunxis Hill, the University area, Grasmere, Mill Plain, Knapp's Village, Melville Village, Holland Hill,

Murray Murray may refer to: Businesses * Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles * Murrays, an Australian bus company * Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust * D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...

, and the Fairfield Beach area, which has recently undergone a renaissance with the construction of many new homes by residents wishing to live in proximity to the beach and downtown.Prevost, Lisa (July 3, 2005). "Living in/The Fairfield, Conn., Beach Area; A Beach Community in an Awkward Transition", ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. This has resulted in steadily rising property prices. Two shopping districts in town include the Post Road (

U.S. 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...

) and

Black Rock Turnpike Route 58 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut connecting the towns of Fairfield and Bethel. Route 58 is long and is one of the primary routes to the downtown Danbury area via Routes 302 and 53. Route description Route ...

. *

Fairfield Center The Fairfield Historic District encompasses the historic town center of Fairfield, Connecticut, roughly along Old Post Road between U.S. Route 1 and Turney Road. The area contains Fairfield's town hall, public library, and houses dating from th ...

/Downtown Fairfield * Fairfield Beach * Grasmere *

* Lake Hills * Mill Plain * Murray * Sasco Hill and Beach * Southport * Stratfield Village * Tunxis Hill

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 59,404 people in the town, organized into 20,457 households and 14,846 families. The population density was . There were 21,648 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 91.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 3.7% Asian, 1.8%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.06% Native American, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.2% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 5.0% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 20,457 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.19. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males. The median household income (in 2013 dollars) was $117,705 (these figures had risen to $103,352 and $121,749 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $69,525 versus $44,837 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $55,733. 2.9% of the population and 1.8% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. Out of the total population, 2.8% of those under the age of 18 and 3.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Economy

In May 2012,

Moody's Investors Service Moody's Investors Service, often referred to as Moody's, is the bond credit rating business of Moody's Corporation, representing the company's traditional line of business and its historical name. Moody's Investors Service provides internationa ...

revised the Town of Fairfield's $192 million general obligation bond debt from negative to stable. In June 2012, Moody's awarded Fairfield with an AAA bond rating, which it maintains to this date.

Large and distinctive companies

* R.C. Bigelow (

Bigelow Tea Company The Bigelow Tea Company (formerly R.C. Bigelow, Inc.) is an American manufacturer of dried teas based in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by Ruth C. Bigelow in 1945, based on a recipe she marketed as "Constant Comment" tea. The company mar ...

) – headquarters, Black Rock Turnpike * Sturm, Ruger & Co. – headquarters, Lacey Place in Southport, firearms manufacturer * Fairfield University – 1073 North Benson Road (5000 students and more than 500 academic employees plus additional administrators and staff) * Sacred Heart University – New England's second largest

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

university

Arts and culture

Fairfield Beach Connecticut Postcard c 1921

1934 Postcard showing Post Road in Fairfield, Connecticut

Postcard of Fairfield, Connecticut c 1938 showing corner of Post Road and Old Post Road

Historic sites

* Connecticut Audubon Society Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary – 314 Unquowa Road (added 1982) * Bronson Windmill – 3015 Bronson Road (added 1971) * David Ogden House – 1520 Bronson Road (added 1979) * Fairfield Historic District – Old Post Road from Post Road to Turney Road (added 1971). This is the old town center of Fairfield, roughly along Old Post Road between U.S. Route 1 and Turney Road. The area contains Fairfield's town hall, public library, and houses dating from the late 18th century. * Fairfield Railroad Stations – Carter Henry Drive (added 1989) *

Greenfield Hill Historic District The Greenfield Hill Historic District encompasses the historic village area of the village of Greenfield Hill in northern Fairfield, Connecticut. The area was important from the mid-18th to 19th centuries as an intellectual center in the town, ...

– Roughly bounded by Meeting House Lane, Hillside Road, Verna Hill Road and Bronson Road (added 1971) * John Osborne House – 909 King's Highway West (added 1987) * Jonathan Sturges House – 449 Mill Plain Road (added 1984) *

Pine Creek Park Bridge The Pine Creek Park Bridge, also known as the Mill Hill Road Bridge, is a Pratt pony truss bridge in Fairfield, Connecticut. Built in 1872, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. It is in length, and is located in co ...

– North of Old Dam Road, over Pine Circle (added 1992) * Southport Historic District – Roughly bounded by Southport Harbor, railroad tracks, Old South Road, and Rose Hill Road (added 1971) * Southport Railroad Stations – 96 Station St. and 100 Center St. (added 1989)

Events

* The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on the campus of Fairfield University opened in 1990. Its schedule of events includes popular and classical music, dance, theatre, programs for young audiences, and the Open VISIONS Forum lecture series which feature opinion-makers, artists, authors, political commentators, and contributors to the humanities and sciences. The Quick Center houses the 740-seat Kelley Theatre, the 150-seat Lawrence A. Wien Experimental Theatre, and the Thomas J. Walsh Jr. Art Gallery. The Quick Center has become known as one of the finest concert halls in the country and was recognized as the "cultural epicenter of Fairfield County" by ''Westport Magazine''. * The PepsiCo Theatre, a renovated 1922 carriage house on the campus of Fairfield University, is the home to the theatre program of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and Theater Fairfield, the resident production company of the university. The PepsiCo Theatre also hosts experimental productions by students, faculty and local professionals. * The Bellarmine Museum of Art on the campus of Fairfield University hosts shows by regional artists and touring exhibitions as well as a permanent collection. * Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield (separate from the Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary) – of boardwalk nature trails in a wildlife sanctuary of with a nature center * Fairfield Museum and History Center – displays on local history, art and decorative arts, and a library on local history * Gallery of Contemporary Art at Sacred Heart University – holds five exhibitions each year

Parks and recreation

Fairfield residents enjoy a wealth of recreational opportunities, many of which stem from Fairfield's enviable location on the Long Island Sound. * The town's of Long Island Sound coastline include five town beaches which are staffed by lifeguards during the summer, and miles of privately owned beach which are open to the public below the high tide mark. * South Benson Marina is a town-owned facility providing 600 boat slips which residents can rent for the summer. * Lake Mohegan, which includes waterfalls called The Cascades, is a popular destination for hiking, as are the Fairfield Audubon Society and the Bird Sanctuary. * Ye Yacht Yard, a town-owned facility on Southport Harbor, provides boat launch services to residents, and access to moorings in Southport Harbor. Ye Yacht Yard is also the location of Community Sailing of Fairfield, whose members share use of two 18-foot sailboats. * The "SportsPlex" is located in downtown Fairfield and offers athletic activities such as ice skating,

indoor climbing A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used ...

, indoor soccer and

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...

Government

The town government consists of the three-member Board of Selectmen, a Representative Town Meeting (RTM), a Board of Finance, a Board of Education, a Town Planning and Zoning Commission (TPZ), and many other politically appointed commissions, boards, and committees. The current First Selectman is Brenda Kupchick ( R).

Board of Selectmen

'' Republican controlled 2–1'' The town has no criminal or civil court system and all trials are held and handled by the

Superior Court system. However, the town does also offer access to a

Juvenile Review Board A Juvenile Review Board or (JRB) is a committee that has been formally designated to review juvenile court cases in the State of Connecticut. No formal Court or Governors' constitutional specificication has been legislated as of the present date. ...

(JRB) for certain juvenile cases outlined by the Fairfield Police Department. In the

Connecticut General Assembly The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. ...

, Fairfield is represented by two Republicans, Sen. Tony Hwang and Rep. Laura Devlin (CT-134), and two Democrats, Rep. Cristin McCarthy-Vahey (CT-133) and Jennifer Leeper (CT-132).

Education

Fairfield has two public high schools, Fairfield Warde and Fairfield Ludlowe; three public middle schools, Roger Ludlowe, Tomlinson, and Fairfield Woods Middle School; and eleven public elementary schools. Fairfield has several Catholic schools, including two high schools,

Fairfield Prep Fairfield College Preparatory School (Fairfield Prep) is a Jesuit preparatory school located on the campus of Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. It is an all-male school of about 700 students, founded by the Society of Jesus in 1 ...

and Notre Dame, and two primary schools, St. Thomas Aquinas and Our Lady of the Assumption. A third Catholic primary school, Holy Family, was closed by the Diocese of Bridgeport at the end of the 2009–2010 academic year. Non-religious private schools include

Fairfield Country Day School Fairfield Country Day School (FCDS) is a private, all-boys day school in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1936 by Laurence W. Gregory, the School prepares boys in Grades K-9 for secondary school success. Athletics Athletics are i ...

and the Unquowa School. Fairfield is also home to two post-secondary institutions, Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University.

Media

* WSHU-FM Public Radio, operated by Sacred Heart University *

WVOF WVOF (88.5 FM) is a radio station licensed to Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. The station is owned by Fairfield University. As of August 2008, the station has been a partner with Connecticut Public Radio and carries Connecticut Publ ...

, student-run radio at Fairfield University * ''Fairfield Online News'' * '' Connecticut Post'' (headquartered in neighboring

) * '' Fairfield Minuteman'' * ''Fairfield Citizen-News'' * ''Fairfield Sun'' * ''HamletHub Fairfield'' * ''Fairfield Magazine'' * ''Fairfield County Catholic'' *WVOF

Infrastructure

Fairfield station from southbound train (2), July 2019

Transportation

Fairfield is traversed by

, Interstate 95, and the Merritt Parkway. Fairfield is located along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and Metro North's New Haven Line, although no Amtrak trains stop in Fairfield.

Fairfield Metro station Fairfield Metro station is a commuter rail station on the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line, located in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut. It opened as an infill station on December 5, 2011. The station has two 12-car-long side platforms s ...

, Fairfield station, and Southport station are served by Metro North trains traveling between

and New Haven.

Emergency services

The Fairfield Police Department was created in 1926, approximately 287 years after the town was founded. The town of Fairfield is protected by the 95 career firefighters of the Fairfield Fire Department (FFD), and volunteer firefighters of the Southport Volunteer Fire Department and Stratfield Volunteer Fire Department. The career Fairfield Fire Department operates five fire stations, located throughout the town, and uses a fire apparatus fleet of five engine companies, one ladder company, one rescue company, three fireboats, and 1 Shift Commander's Unit, as well as many special support, and reserve units. The Southport Volunteer Fire Department has served the community since 1895. The Stratfield Volunteer Fire Department has several stations and has served the community since 1920.

Notable people

* William Burnett Benton (1900–1973), former U.S. senator * Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990), conductor, composer, musician * James Blake (born 1979), professional tennis player * Julius Boros (1920–1994), professional golfer, winner of 18 PGA tour events including the 1952 and 1963 U.S. Open and 1968

PGA Championship The PGA Championship (often referred to as the US PGA Championship or USPGA outside the United States) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It is one of the four men's major championships ...

* Aaron Burr Sr. (1716–1757), native, clergyman, educator, and father of Vice President Aaron Burr * John Byrne (born 1950) comic book artist and author * Ann Shaw Carter (1922–2005) first woman to be a commercial helicopter pilot * Kenton Clarke (born 1951), CEO of Computer Consulting Associates, trumpet player, Buglers Hall of Fame and Drum Corps Hall of Fame * Susan Cooper (born 1935) author of children's sequence '' The Dark Is Rising'' *

Hume Cronyn Hume Blake Cronyn Jr. OC (July 18, 1911 – June 15, 2003) was a Canadian-American actor and writer. Early life Cronyn, one of five children, was born in London, Ontario, Canada. His father, Hume Blake Cronyn, Sr., was a businessman an ...

(1911–2003), actor, '' Lifeboat'', '' Cocoon'' * Michael J. Daly (1924–2008), World War II Medal of Honor recipient * T. F. Gilroy Daly, attorney and federal judge, born in Fairfield * C. Douglas Dillon, Secretary of US Treasury, ambassador to France, lived in Fairfield * David L. Downie, author and professor of politics and environment policy at Fairfield University *

Keir Dullea Keir Atwood Dullea (; born May 30, 1936) is an American actor. He played astronaut David Bowman in the 1968 film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' and its 1984 sequel, '' 2010: The Year We Make Contact''. His other film roles include ''David and Lisa' ...

, actor, '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' * Dick Durrell (1925–2008), founder of ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'' magazine, adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University *

Timothy Dwight IV Timothy Dwight (May 14, 1752January 11, 1817) was an American academic and educator, a Congregationalist minister, theologian, and author. He was the eighth president of Yale College (1795–1817). Early life Timothy Dwight was born May 14, 17 ...

(1752–1817), Congregationalist minister, author, president of Yale College; pastor for 12 years at Greenfield Hill Church * Margaret Morrison, granddaughter of

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in ...

* Tatiana Foroud, internationally recognized genetic researcher * Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, founding members of

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

and Tom Tom Club * Robert Greenberger (born 1958), writer, editor and Fairfield politician * J. J. Henry, PGA golfer, 2006 Ryder Cup team member * Paul Hogan, aka "Crocodile Dundee", actor, lived many years in Fairfield with wife Linda Kozlowski * Don Imus, radio personality, past resident in Southport * Eliot A. Jardines, Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Open source intelligence * Oliver Burr Jennings, Exxon (Standard Oil) founder * Pat Jordan, sportswriter and acclaimed author of ''A False Spring'', ranked #37 on ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...

'' Top 100 Sports Books of All Time * Linda Kozlowski, actress, born in Fairfield * David LaChapelle, born in Fairfield, photographer and director * Jonathan Lewis, biomedical researcher, cancer drug developer * Justin Long, actor, '' Jeepers Creepers'', '' Ed'' * Roger Ludlow, town founder * Pauline Bradford Mackie (1873–1956), writer of historical fiction * Florence Lewis May, art historian * John Mayer, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist * Bradley B. Meeker, Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court justice * Brian Monahan, US Navy rear admiral and

Attending Physician of the United States Congress The Attending Physician of the United States Congress is the physician responsible for the medical welfare of the members of the United States Congress (the 435 representatives, five delegates, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, and 100 se ...

* Matt Morgan, professional wrestler, American Gladiator and actor * Anne M. Mulcahy, chairman, Xerox Corporation * Charles Nagy, former MLB pitcher for

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college fo ...

, New York Jets quarterback, Hall of Famer, past resident * Henry Fairfield Osborn, (1857–1935) geologist, paleontologist, eugenicist * Dan Remmes, actor/writer, book writer of Grumpy Old Men: The Musical * Jason Robards, actor, lived in Southport * Richard Rodgers, composer of more than 900 songs and 43 Broadway musicals, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Rodgers and Hart *

Philip Rubin Philip E. Rubin (born May 22, 1949) is an American cognitive scientist, technologist, and science administrator known for raising the visibility of behavioral and cognitive science, neuroscience, and ethical issues related to science, t ...

, CEO emeritus of Haskins Laboratories and a former

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

science adviser * Meg Ryan, actress, '' Sleepless in Seattle'', '' When Harry Met Sally...'', born in Fairfield * Chris Sarandon and Joanna Gleason, actors *

, Revolutionary War general *

Samuel Smedley Samuel Smedley was a ship captain and privateer during the American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of ...

, privateer in Revolutionary War * Howard Sosin, founder of AIG Financial Products, presently investor * Jonathan Sturges, delegate to the Continental Congress and member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

* Gene Tierney, actress, '' Laura'', '' Leave Her to Heaven''; attended Unquowa School in Fairfield * Brian Torff, jazz musician, composer, head of Fairfield University music program * Raviv Ullman, star of '' Phil of the Future'' * Franco Ventriglia, opera singer, Fairfield native * Jeffrey P. von Arx, president of Fairfield University *

Robert Penn Warren Robert Penn Warren (April 24, 1905 – September 15, 1989) was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic and was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He founded the lit ...

, author and poet * Robert Waterman, clipper ship captain who sailed to California and named Fairfield, California after this city * Michael Weatherly, actor, plays Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo in series '' NCIS'' * Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, former town resident *

Bob Wright Robert Charles Wright (born April 23, 1943) is an American lawyer, businessman, right-wing lobbyist, and author. He is a former NBC executive, having served as president and CEO from 1986 to 2001, and chairman and CEO from 2001 until he retire ...

, chairman of NBC for 20 years *

Mabel Osgood Wright Mabel Osgood Wright (January 26, 1859 – July 16, 1934) was an American author. She was an early leader in the Audubon movement who wrote extensively about nature and birds. Early years and education Mabel Osgood was the daughter of Samuel and ...

, author and founder of Connecticut Audubon Society (Birdcraft Museum in Fairfield)

References

External links

* * Postcards with images of Fairfield {{authority control Towns in Fairfield County, Connecticut Populated places established in 1639 Towns in the New York metropolitan area Towns in Connecticut Populated coastal places in Connecticut 1639 establishments in Connecticut