Fairmead is a census-designated place in Madera County, California, United States. It is located 11 miles northwest of Madera, at an elevation of 253 feet, and bordered to the northwest by Chowchilla. The population was 1,235 at the 2020 census. A post office operated at Fairmead from 1913 to 1940. The community is impacted by the California High-Speed Rail, as the planned route will dislocate residents.