Fairfax, Iowa
15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1888 and the latest in 1993. It stands in Fairfax Township. It lies in ZIP code area 52228. The Survey maps it on the Fairfax quadrangle. 2,828 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 774 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresFairfax grew from 2,123 to 2,828 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2,123 | |
| 2020 | 2,828 | +705 (+33%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 15 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1888 USGS Amana quadrangle1:62500
- 1889 USGS Amana quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1899 USGS Amana quadrangle1:62500
- 1903 USGS Fairfax quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000
- 1968 USGS Fairfax quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1984 USGS Iowa City quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1993 USGS Fairfax quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
7 since 2006Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 7 fires within 5 miles of Fairfax between 2006 and 2018, burning about 207 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 September 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 15 July 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 9 April 2014 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 24 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | 25 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 13 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 12 April 2014 | Debris and open burning | 120 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 26 February 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
6 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of Fairfax: 3 producers, 3 past producers. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crozier Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Knickerbacher Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Lee Crawford Quarry & Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Modsley Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Morgan Creek Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
30 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Fairfax in 30 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 14 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 2 heavy rain, 1 funnel cloud. The reports record 1 death and 6 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | 1 killed, 1 hurt | Law enforcement reported a business building destroyed by high winds from a severe thunderstorm. One person was killed and another injured due to the collapsed structure. A NWS survey found the roof had been blown off which caused the walls to collapse inward and the body was found underneath the rubble. |
| July 2016 | Tornado (EF2) | Fairfax | 4 hurt, $250,000 | A tornado from Benton County continued southeast through southeastern portions of Walford. The tornado damaged the roofs of numerous homes. One home was completely destroyed when it collapsed on itself, apparently aided by wind blown debris. |
| July 2001 | Lightning | Fairfax | 1 hurt | Reported by law enforcement. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Fairfax | $3,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | $500,000 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Hail | Fairfax | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | $15,000 | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | $10,000 | Water ponding on the road heading toward Walford. Roof damage to a gas station with some windows broken out. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | $8,000 | Measured by wind equipment. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Fairfax | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Fairfax | $3,000 | On the Benton/Linn Rd |
| April 2006 | Hail | Fairfax | $2,000 | Report is from Co-op observer located 1.9 miles southeast of Walford on the Linn/Johnson line; walnut size hail. |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | $2,000 | Location is 2 miles southeast of Walford, Iowa. Co-op observer reported several large trees down and a corn crib damaged. The trees were partially or fully rotten. The estimated 52 knots (60 mph) was based on a measured gust of 49 knots (56 mph) at 0135 CST from the KCID ASOS 5 miles to the east northeast and KDVN 88D velocities indicating 50 to 55 knots (58 to 63 mph) in the bow section. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | $500 | Report is from Co-op observer located 1.9 miles southeast of Walford on the Linn/Johnson line; tree branches down. The KCID ASOS (located about 5 miles to the east northeast) reported a 49 knot wind gust at 1919 CST. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | - | The county emergency manager reported winds up to 70 mph. |
| June 2010 | Hail | Fairfax | - | Quarter-sized hail fell in Fairfax, IA at 648 pm June 18. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 mph occurred in Fairfax. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | - | Wind estimated to be 65 mph flattened some corn fields. Time estimated. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | - | Winds estimated at 60 mph flattened corn fields. Time is estimated. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | - | Several corn fields were flattened to the west and south of Fairfax in Fairfax Township. |
| July 2006 | Heavy Rain | Fairfax | - | minor street flooding |
| May 2004 | Heavy Rain | Fairfax | - | Ditches full with creeks near bankfull. |
| May 2001 | Hail | Fairfax | - | Golfball sized hail reported by trained storm spotter. |
| May 2001 | Funnel Cloud | Fairfax | - | Reported by trained storm spotter. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | - | Widespread tree damage was reported due to strong thunderstorm winds. |
| May 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | - | Tree damage and report of 70 mph winds. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Fairfax | - | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Hail | Fairfax | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Fairfax | - | no account filed |
| March 2002 | Hail | Fairfax | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand View Village | 3.0 miles | 16 | |
| Beverly Depot (historical) | 3.0 miles | 16 | |
| Hometown-Cedar Terrace | 3.2 miles | 16 | |
| Cedar Hills | 4.3 miles | 16 | |
| Konigsmark | 5.1 miles | 16 | |
| Lincolnway Village | 6.1 miles | 16 | |
| Covington | 6.1 miles | 16 | |
| West Cedar Rapids | 6.5 miles | 16 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Fairfax | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1932660 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 456463. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.









