Fairfield, Texas
Fairfield is a city in Freestone County, set in the rolling woodland and pasture country of East Texas about 59 miles northeast of Waco, near Interstate 45 between the Dallas and Houston corridors. The area is known for Fairfield Lake, a reservoir formed decades ago to cool a large lignite-fired power plant that operated nearby before it closed. The surrounding countryside mixes cattle ranching, hay and timber with the remnants of the region's coal and lignite mining.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 3,029
- Change from 2020 base
- +5.9%
- Land area
- 5.5 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Freestone County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Property here runs through the appraisal district and tax office for Freestone County. The homestead exemption, appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
County context
What to know around Fairfield
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Fairfield.
Local History
Freestone County is the birthplace of blues musician Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blues pioneer Blind Lemon Jefferson was born near Wortham and is buried at what is now Blind Lemon Memorial Cemetery.
Property Tax
Two offices handle your property tax in Freestone County
The appraisal district sets your property value; a separate tax office collects what you owe. They are different offices with different jobs.
State Park
Fairfield Lake State Park closed in 2023 — public access is gone for now
Fairfield Lake State Park permanently closed in February 2023 when the land was sold to a private developer, ending public access to the lake and its facilities.
Nearby
Places near Fairfield
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Fairfield
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