ROOTED HERE
Behind the downtown streets.
A whole city’s story.
Fairfield's old downtown, agricultural edges and Solano County crossroads support an everyday local scene.
People made the city.
These milestones are an introduction, not a complete local history. Follow the linked city and museum sources to explore the people and places behind them.Read the local historical account.
Watch the city’s history
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The history of Fairfield, California
A local history film shared by World History Official tv.
Watch on YouTube ↗- 1856
Fairfield is founded
Clipper-ship captain Robert H. Waterman laid out Fairfield and named it for his Connecticut hometown.
Fairfield city reference ↗ - 1858
Solano County seat
Fairfield won selection as the Solano County seat after Waterman donated land for county buildings.
Fairfield city reference ↗ - 1903
City incorporation
Fairfield incorporated as a California city.
Fairfield city reference ↗ - 1976
A regional brewery
Anheuser-Busch opened its large regional brewery in Fairfield.
Fairfield city reference ↗ - 2017
Capitol Corridor station
The Fairfield-Vacaville Hannigan railroad station opened for Capitol Corridor passengers.
Fairfield city reference ↗
See the history for yourself.
Walk downtown to see surviving commercial architecture, then explore the Historical Preservation Society’s museum and visiting information. Check current opening dates before setting out. Historical Preservation Society.
For deeper research, the Fairfield library resources is a starting point for archival material and research help. Historic photographs have their own permissions; we link to the collection instead of treating every old image as free to reuse.
Selected milestones researched September 13, 2026. This is an introduction, not a complete account of the city’s history.