Overview
Fairfield is the county seat of Jefferson County in Southeast Iowa. It is a small town of about 9,400 people (2020) in the Heartland of America. The town of Mount Pleasant is 22 miles to the east and Ottumwa is 25 miles to the west.
2 things to do · 5 places to eat
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Fairfield
The Art Walk
Takes place on the square every first Friday of the month.
Jefferson County Fair
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 84°F; winter lows dip to about 12°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and May. (climate data from nearby Iowa City)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BRL Southeast Iowa Regional Airport, Burlington — 47 mi away. Directions
- CID The Eastern Iowa Airport, Cedar Rapids — 62 mi away. Directions
- DSM Des Moines International Airport, Des Moines — 95 mi away (major hub). Directions
Most people drive to Fairfield. It is about two hours' drive southeast of Des Moines (Iowa state highway IA-163 east towards Pella; then US-63 South towards Ottumwa; and US-34 Business E into Fairfield) and about an hour's drive south-southwest of Iowa City (US-218 south to Mount Pleasant, then US-34 Business west into Fairfield).
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning The Art Walk
- Lunch Gupta Vegetarian
- Afternoon Jefferson County Fair
- Dinner Istanbul Grill
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Fairfield has more restaurants per capita than San Francisco, so be ready to see more Thai and Indian restaurants than your Iowan local diners.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Fairfield was a typical small Iowa town until the Maharishi International University (then called the Maharishi University of Management) set up shop in 1974. This town of less than 10,000 people is now home to hundreds or thousands of proponents of transcendental meditation.
Get in
By car
Most people drive to Fairfield. It is about two hours' drive southeast of Des Moines (Iowa state highway IA-163 east towards Pella; then US-63 South towards Ottumwa; and US-34 Business E into Fairfield) and about an hour's drive south-southwest of Iowa City (US-218 south to Mount Pleasant, then US-34 Business west into Fairfield).
By train
It's possible to take Amtrak's California Zephyr route, running between Chicago to the San Francisco Bay Area, to neighboring Ottumwa, and then either rent a car or use ride hailing services ($40–50) to reach Fairfield.
By plane
Get around
While there are excellent trails for biking and walking, and the relatively compact layout means it's possible to walk anywhere in town, often within 10–15 minutes of your starting point, most people drive cars.
See
- The Golden Domes at Maharishi International University in Northern Fairfield.
- Chatauqua Park – Frisbee disc golf and nice paved loop trail
- Jefferson County Park – great trails for hiking in the summer and for cross-country skiing in the winter
Do
Learn
- Home of the Maharishi International University.
- Local media: The Source (monthly) and The Weekly Reader (weekly) have current listings for classes, workshops, music, art shows, theater, dance, and everything else that's going on here as well as around the state.
Buy
For major shopping expeditions, consider driving about 50 miles north on IA-1 to the outlet mall in Williamsburg, off Interstate 80.
Eat
Fairfield has more restaurants per capita than San Francisco, so be ready to see more Thai and Indian restaurants than your Iowan local diners.
- The deli at the Hy-Vee grocery store is not spectacular, but the price is right.
Eat Gupta Vegetarian
Vegetarian Indian.
Eat Istanbul Grill
Turkish.
Eat Thai Deli
Thai restaurant, they label themselves "vegetarian" but some meat dishes appear on the menu as well.
Eat Green Gourmet
Organic buffet, much local, western, Indian, Thai, Chinese
Drink
- Several good coffee shops, be sure to check out Cafe Paradiso on the Square for the freshly roasted coffee. Plus they have live music and you can draw on the tables! They now serve wine, and for events, beer.
- Also Everybody's Whole Foods has a thriving coffee shop that serves espresso and freshly made juice combos.
Sleep
Hotels in town tend to fall in the "inexpensive" range in terms of both price and quality, with the price per night sometimes being significantly less than $100 for a standard room. The chains tend to be located on the western or southern side of town, near the highways.
Nearby
Ottumwa
City / town · 8 listings · 23 mi away
Kalona
City / town · 5 listings · 36 mi away
Fort Madison
City / town · 2 listings · 42 mi away
Albia
City / town · 5 listings · 44 mi away
Nauvoo
City / town · 11 listings · 45 mi away
Burlington
City / town · 5 listings · 46 mi away
Iowa City
City / town · 52 listings · 50 mi away
Centerville
City / town · 6 listings · 51 mi away
My experience
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