Geography of Brown County
Brown County sits at roughly 31.77° N and 99.00° W in the Central Texas region of Texas, spanning 944 square miles of terrain that includes the landscape characteristic of the area — from open ranchland and farmland to small-town main streets. The county's centroid is near Brownwood, and the county shares boundaries with 7 neighboring counties.
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 serves as the seat of government for Brown County. The county courthouse, commissioners court, district clerk, and primary public records are located here. As with all 254 Texas counties, the county seat is the anchor of civic life and the principal address for elections, permits, and court filings.
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. Every answer is generated from the official U.S. Census data backing this site.
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?+
A free, print-ready PDF map of Brown County is available from the "Download PDF" button at the top of this page. The printable layout uses authentic U.S. Census TIGER boundary geometry for Brown County, includes a Texas locator inset, and is sized for standard 8.5" × 11" Letter paper. For interactive use, the live Leaflet map on this page supports OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, Esri topographic, and Carto light basemaps with zoom, scale bar, and fullscreen.
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.