Geography of Brown County
Brown County is built around Brownwood and a handful of smaller towns, with about 38,711 residents across 944 square miles of mixed town and countryside.
It lies in the Central Texas region at about 31.77° N, 99.00° W and is 87th in size among Texas's 254 counties. Brown County shares boundaries with 7 other Texas counties, and the closest major cities are Abilene (about 63 miles away in a straight line) and San Angelo (about 87 miles).
Central Texas stretches across the Hill Country, the Blackland Prairie and the Cross Timbers. It includes some of the fastest-growing suburbs in the nation along the I-35 corridor, alongside quiet ranching counties with limestone creeks and live-oak savanna.
For a broader view of how Brown County fits within the state, download our free Texas map with counties and cities PDF — a printable, high-resolution reference showing all 254 Texas counties labeled with their county seats.
Population & demographics
With approximately 38,711 residents across 944 square miles, Brown County has a population density of about 41.0 people per square mile. Like much of West and South Texas, the county is sparsely populated, with wide-open country between settlements.
County seat: Brownwood
Brownwood is the county seat of Brown County. This is where the county courthouse stands and where residents go for property records, vehicle registration, marriage licenses, court cases and voter services handled by the county clerk, district clerk and tax assessor-collector. Brownwood also serves as the main shopping, school and healthcare center for much of the county.
History & name origin
Brown County was established in 1856 and was named for Henry Stevenson Brown, a commander at the Battle of Velasco. It was carved from territory previously part of Comanche County and Travis County.
Brown County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Brown County geography, population, county seat, neighboring counties, and how to use the maps on this page. Figures are sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau; answers are written and reviewed by the Texas County Map team.
Where is Brown County, Texas located?+
Brown County is located in the Central Texas region of Texas at approximately 31.774° N, 99.000° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48049. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Brown County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Brown County in square miles?+
Brown County covers approximately 944 square miles of land in the Central Texas region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 87th out of 254 Texas counties. The full bounding box of the county is rendered to scale on the interactive map and matches the U.S. Census TIGER 2023 polygon.
What is the population of Brown County, Texas?+
Brown County has a population of approximately 38,711 residents. With 944 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 41.0 people per square mile, which is rural for a Texas county. That makes Brown County the 85th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Brown County?+
Brownwood is the county seat of Brown County, Texas, which was organized in 1856 and named for Henry Stevenson Brown, a commander at the Battle of Velasco. Brown County was originally carved out of Comanche County and Travis County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Brown County are located in Brownwood.
Which Texas counties border Brown County?+
Brown County shares borders with Mills, San Saba, Coleman, McCulloch, Callahan, Comanche, and Eastland counties. These 7 neighboring counties are highlighted on the schematic boundary map and linked at the bottom of this page so you can quickly compare population, area, and county seats across the Central Texas region.
Where can I download or print a map of Brown County?+
Use the "Download PDF" button below the Brown County map on this page to save a letter-size PDF of the county boundary, neighboring counties and incorporated places, drawn from U.S. Census Bureau 2023 boundary files. The "Official TxDOT road map" button downloads the Texas Department of Transportation county road mapbook for Brown County. Both files are stored on this site and download directly. Our free Texas map with counties and cities PDF shows all 254 counties on one sheet.
What is the FIPS code for Brown County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Brown County is 48049, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 049. This is the same FIPS code used by the U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line files, the American Community Survey, and most federal datasets that key on county.