Photo: Bill Whittaker · CC BY-SA 3.06% of Fairfield’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Waterworks Park (0.9 mi). 302 acres are parks and preserves, 32 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #13 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Fairfield?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Fairfield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Fairfield is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #13 of 140 in Iowa. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, conserved land lowest.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Waterworks Park, with 0.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Central Park
Jefferson County Park
All 11 parks & preserves
237 conserved acres
6% of Fairfield’s land. Who manages Fairfield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterworks Park Local Park | Town or city | 106 | Open |
| Chatauqua Park Local Park | Town or city | 63 | Open |
| Jefferson County Park Local Park | County | 24 | Open |
| Ob Nelson Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Fairfield Little League Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Roosevelt Recreation & Aquatic Center Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Southwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Heritage Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Central Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Howard Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
25 places to go in Fairfield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 public pool without a name on the map.
15 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
8 picnic areas without a name on the map.
3 lakes & rivers
7.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
25 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
13 more on the History page.
The best walking months in Fairfield: April and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 36 | 49 | 62 | 72 | 81 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 64 | 49 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
January is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Fairfield →
Questions about parks and trails in Fairfield
Where can I hike in Fairfield?
The longest trail networks: Waterworks Park, 0.9 miles; Central Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Fairfield is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Iowa town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Fairfield’s trails?
Waterworks Park and Central Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Fairfield?
7.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes and 7.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Fairfield?
1,727 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Fairfield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 302 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Fairfield have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #13 of 140 in Iowa. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Fairfield neighbors.
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →