Fairfield Heights is located 31 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district; it is in the local government area of the City of Fairfield and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region. Fairfield Heights shares its 2165 postcode with the separate suburbs of Fairfield East, Fairfield West and Fairfield.
Fairfield Heights shares its name with Fairfield, which was named after the family estate in England of Captain John Horsley. For over 30,000 years Aboriginal people from the Cabrogal tribe a sub group of the Gandangara tribe have lived in the Fairfield. In the 19th century British colonists moved into the area using the land for farming.
In 1950 Mrs. Beard lodged an application for Fairfield Heights to have its own Post Office, and, when the population had increased significantly in 1955 a post office was opened. Other neighbouring suburbs include Smithfield and Canley Vale.