Fairfield Beach, OH

Fairfield Beach is a Buckeye Lake community in the northeast corner of Walnut Township, on the shore where Fairfield and Licking counties meet. The 2020 census counted 1,267 residents. Its modern shape dates to the 1920s, when Arthur Smadbeck bought land from the Zollinger family, laid out streets and small lots, and began selling 20-by-100-foot parcels in 1926. The lake had already shifted from canal-era waterway to recreation, with fishing cabins, clubs, and the Shell House Hotel drawing people to the south shore.

The Fairfield Beach Property Owners Association formed that same year, and its early schedule mixed dances, cleanups, and meetings with practical work around the new neighborhood. That history still shows up in the place today: this is a community organized around a shoreline, not a town square. The public beach, picnic area, boat ramp, and parking make the water accessible, while nearby stores cover fuel, groceries, laundry, and the small errands that are harder in a lake settlement. Fairfield Beach still has the feel of a planned retreat that grew roots and stayed connected to Buckeye Lake.