Fairfield County is located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2000 the population was 882,567. The largest city in the county is Bridgeport. As is the case with all eight of Connecticut's counties, there is no county government, and no county seat. In Connecticut, towns are responsible for all local government activities, including fire and rescue, snow removal and schools. In a few cases, neighboring towns will share certain resources. However, Fairfield County is merely a group of towns on a map, and has no particular authority.

While Fairfield County is one of the wealthiest counties in the country, it is also home to less affluent, working class areas such as Bridgeport. The city of Bridgeport is mostly home to minorities and is a perfect example of Connecticut's famed "wealth gap," as all other towns in Fairfield County are considered affluent by national standards. The county is informally known in Connecticut as The Gold Coast. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area.