Fairfax

Fairfax is a small town in the heart of Marin, neighbor to San Anselmo and acres of open space. Fairfax is a mountain biking and hiking mecca because it is surrounded by committed open space and a nature preserve. The town’s sylvan setting in the forested hills and its Mediterranean climate encourage outdoor activities year-round. Within a 30-minute drive of San Francisco to the South or the Pt. Reyes National Seashore to the West, the community is home to many local artists and musicians.

Fairfax derives its name from Lord Charles Snowden Fairfax, a Baron from Scotland, whose ancestors were given a large land grant in Virginia and who was lured west during the Gold Rush. A popular figure, Fairfax was elected a Marin County Supervisor 1865, but died young in 1969 after traveling east as a delegate to the National Democratic Conference.

After the death of Charles Fairfax, the property changed hands, eventually becoming the site of the renowned Pastori's Restaurant in the 1890's. Madame Pastori, once a singer at La Scala in Milan, Italy, was visited in Fairfax by many great figures in the opera world. The restaurant, which was rebuilt on a grander scale after a fire in 1911, still stands.

Convenient railroad service early in this century made Fairfax a favorite weekend and summer retreat for city dwellers. Fairfax Park hosted thousands on weekends. Fairfax was the setting for dozens of early Western movies from 1910 to the early 1920's. Construction of Alpine Dam in 1917 brought a large Italian population to the area, adding to Fairfax's colorful history.

Fairfax came of age in February of 1931 when the town was incorporated as a city with a five-member council government. Fairfax today, with a diverse population of 7,000, is a community of fine neighborhoods nestled in the hills and small valleys of the Upper Ross Valley.

Fairfax is a charming town with quaint shops lined up on its main street, Broadway, including variety stores, boutiques and grocery stores. It is an environmentally conscious community situated. In fact, the town has ordinances preventing chain stores and take-out Styrofoam food packaging and is in the process of updating its general plan with a goal of retaining its small town character. The Art Deco era movie theater is the centerpiece of a vibrant nightlife with top-notch restaurants and well-known clubs with venues for jazz and other popular music. The population is quite diverse including a large “green” political base, the largest in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Community Site

Chamber of Commerce: http://fairfaxcoc.com/
City Data: http://www.city-data.com/city/Fairfax-California.html
Fairfax Historical Society: http://www.marindirect.com/fxhistory/history.html
Fairfax Volunteers: http://www.fairfaxvolunteers.org
Town of Fairfax: http://www.town-of-fairfax.org/

Click here for school information.

Community Phone Numbers

Chamber of Commerce: 415-453-5928
Community Center: 415-453-1584
Fire Department Information: 415-258-4686
Library: 415-453-8151
Parks and Recreation: 415- 456-5652
Police: 415-453-5330
Post Office: 415-453-3146
School District: 415-454-2162
Town Hall: 415-453-1584

More Utilities Information

Schools
Manor Elementary School (K-5): 415-453-1544
White Hills Middle School (6-8): 415-454-8390
Cascade Canyon School (Private- K-8): 415-459-3464
St. Rita School (Private – K-8): 415

Elementary Schools: http://rossvalleyschools.org/
High Schools: http://www.tamdistrict.org/

Marin Public Schools: http://www.marinschools.org/
Marin Private Elementary Schools: http://marincountyprivateschools.com/Elementaryschools.html
Marin Private High Schools: http://marincountyprivateschools.com/template.html

School Scores