Prior to its founding by European settlers, Fair Haven was used by the Momauguin group of Quinnipiack Native Americans for farming.

Fair Haven was originally a village formed in 1679 to house industrial workers, as the area was a source of oysters and other products of the rivers and nearby harbor.

There was an influx of immigrants after the war, notably Irish, German, Polish, Italian and Russian.

In 1860, a group of local businessmen drew up a charter to build and operate a horsecar line of one or two tracks between Fair Haven and Westville.

As part of Mayor Richard C. Lee's urban renewal program, 107 Fair Haven households were displaced in the 1960s.

The waterfront area (Front Street and adjacent streets) have been redeveloped in the last decade, including construction of luxury condominiums, renovation of the Fair Haven marina, demolition of the Quinnipiac Terrace public housing project and replacement with a Cape Cod style village with both subsidized and market rate units, and the renovation of many of the old oyster houses.

This part of Fair Haven has attracted a culturally diverse mix of young professionals, students, artists, and families with children.

Other parts of Fair Haven continue to struggle with poverty related problems such as crime and homelessness.

[4] Aside from stray cats and dogs, other small animals that can be found in Fair Haven include mice, urban frogs, opossums, raccoons, and squirrels.

[5] Plants include the autumn olive, the beach rose, Spartina alterniflora, Rosa virginiana, and the weeping willow.