It is a suburb located about 25 miles (40 km) north of Cincinnati and is situated on the east bank of the Great Miami River.

Incorporated in 1955 from portions of Fairfield Township, it includes the former hamlets of Symmes Corner, Fair Play, Furmandale, and Stockton.

Prior to European settlement the Fairfield area was home to several Indian tribes, most prominently the Shawnee and the Miami.

The prehistoric Hopewell and Adena peoples constructed numerous earthworks around the city, though most were unwittingly removed by early settlers in order to accommodate farm fields.

Located at the intersection of Pleasant Avenue and Nilles Road it now serves as Fairfield's town center.

In the 1850s, the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway (today CSX) was extended through Fairfield, fostering the development of several communities.

Originally known as Jones Station, the village provided area farms with necessities including a smithy, a general store, churches, and a school.

A few miles to the east of these communities was the Miami-Erie Canal which, prior to the arrival of the railroad, enabled early settlers to move their commodities to market.

Fisher Body, a manufacturing division of General Motors, established a plant at the northeast corner of State Route 4 and Symmes Road near the location of what was Schencks Station.

During the same timeframe Fairfield started to experience residential growth, initially as a southern suburb of Hamilton.

After due consideration the commission recommended adoption of a charter with the council-administrator form of government, but the initiative was rejected by the voters.

[8] General Motors announced that the Hamilton-Fairfield Chevrolet Pontiac Canada Group, known as the Fisher Body plant, would be phased out in the first quarter of 1989.

The effect of the plant closing was a loss of 2,500 jobs and 28 percent of the city's income tax revenue, amounting to $1.7 million.

The city is bisected by a major rail line and is served by several interstate, federal and state highways which provide for excellent access.

Most of Fairfield sits on top of the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer; one of the largest underground reservoirs in the Midwest.

The aquifer provides a clean and safe source of drinking water for communities up and down the course of the Great Miami River.

Fairfield has a highly diversified economy without a dominant industry, though two of the city's top employers are insurance companies.

[18] Jungle Jim's International Market is a regional tourism destination featuring food and beverage items from all over the world.

Legislative authority under this form of government is vested in City Council, the body that is chosen by the electorate.

The Mayor, who is directly elected and also serves a four-year term, acts as the official and ceremonial head of the government and presides over all meetings of Council.

Mayoral duties include the right to introduce legislation and to take part in discussion of all matters before Council with the right to vote in the event of a tie.

The Fairfield Municipal Court is part of the city from a budgetary perspective, but otherwise operates as a completely autonomous agency.

Harbin also plays host to the city's Red White & Kaboom fireworks show held annually on July 3 in celebration of Independence Day.

Per the terms of an agreement between the city and the company the property was deeded to Fairfield upon the cessation of mining operations in 2017.

It was donated, developed and dedicated in 2012 in memory of Fairfield residents Anna and Harold Huffman who owned and lived on the property for more than 50 years.