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Brownwood, Texas
City
Brown County Courthouse
Brown County Courthouse
Country United States
State Texas
County Brown
Government
 • Type Council-Manager
Area
 • Total 14.99 sq mi (38.83 km2)
 • Land 14.97 sq mi (38.76 km2)
 • Water 0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation
1,339 ft (408 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 18,862
 • Density 1,233.13/sq mi (476.11/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-6 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
76801-76804
Area code(s) 325
FIPS code 48-10780
GNIS feature ID 2409925

Brownwood is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,862 as of the 2020 census. Brownwood is in the Texas Hill Country and is home to Howard Payne University, which was founded in 1889.

History

Texas - Brownwood through Chisos Mountains - NARA - 68149091 (cropped)
Brownwood in 1937

The original site of the Brown County seat of Brownwood was east of Pecan Bayou. A dispute arose over land and water rights, and the settlers were forced to find a new location. Greenleaf Fisk donated 60 acres (24 ha) to relocate the county seat to the west side of the bayou, on what is now the current site of Brownwood, and 100 additional acres for county use. The town was incorporated in 1884.

During the Second World War, Brownwood was the location of U.S. Army Camp Bowie, which had a peak complement of over 80,000 soldiers. Camp Bowie serves as a training camp today at the intersection Farm-to-Market Roads 45 and 2126.

On April 19, 1976, an F5 tornado struck near Brownwood, causing extensive damage, with 11 reported injuries, but no fatalities.

Brownwood's census figures were re-evaluated after the 2000 census from 18,813 to reflect more accurate figures of 20,407. The city was categorized in 2003 as a micropolitan statistical area. The federal Office of Management and Budget has issued a definition of micropolitan statistical areas as "an urban cluster of at least 10,000, but less than 50,000 population, plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core, as measured by commuting ties."

A dispute over water rights created the adjacent city of Early. The two cities are separated by the Pecan Bayou, one of five major tributaries of the Colorado River of Texas.

Geography

Brownwood is located south of the center of Brown County, west of the Pecan Bayou. It is bordered to the east by the city of Early. Several U.S. Highways pass through the city. Routes 84 and 67 lead west towards Bangs and Santa Anna. U.S. Route 377 leads southwest towards Brady. All three highways head east into Early, where 67 and 377 continue northeast towards Comanche, while 84 leads southeast towards Goldthwaite. Just over the city line in Early, U.S. Route 183 leads north 46 miles (74 km) to Cisco and Interstate 20, the closest Interstate highway.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Brownwood has a total area of 14.9 square miles (38.5 km2), of which 14.8 square miles (38.4 km2) are land and 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2), or 0.17%, is water.

Water bodies

Lake Brownwood is 7 miles (11 km) north of the city. The lake is a 7,300-acre (30 km2) reservoir created by damming the Pecan Bayou. There are a wide variety of fish in the lake: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass, striped bass, white crappie, yellow and flathead catfish, sunfish (perch), and alligator gar. Camping, waterskiing, jet skiing, and boating are available. It is home of Lake Brownwood State Park, a 538-acre (2.18 km2) area that opened in 1938.

Pecan Bayou is a major tributary of the Colorado River. Due to the damming of the area to form Lake Brownwood, the bayou has a shallow depth and little flow downstream from Brownwood. During heavy rains, the bayou often floods. It runs northwest to southeast and serves as a boundary between Brownwood and Early.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880 725 —
1890 2,176 200.1%
1900 3,965 82.2%
1910 6,967 75.7%
1920 8,223 18.0%
1930 12,789 55.5%
1940 13,398 4.8%
1950 20,181 50.6%
1960 16,974 −15.9%
1970 17,368 2.3%
1980 19,396 11.7%
1990 18,387 −5.2%
2000 18,813 2.3%
2010 19,288 2.5%
2020 18,862 −2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Brownwood racial composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 11,611 61.56%
Black or African American (NH) 948 5.03%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 35 0.19%
Asian (NH) 146 0.77%
Pacific Islander (NH) 27 0.14%
Some Other Race (NH) 66 0.35%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 628 3.33%
Hispanic or Latino 5,401 28.63%
Total 18,862

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,862 people, 7,167 households, and 4,367 families residing in the city.

Education

Almost all of the city is in the Brownwood Independent School District. The portion around Brownwood Regional Airport is in the Early Independent School District.

Brownwood High School has a strong tradition of nonsports UIL participation, including academic competitions and drama (one-act plays). Other opportunities for student participation include band, DECA, FFA, drill team (the Lionettes), Key Club, student council, Students Against Destructive Decisions, and National Honor Society.

The BHS mascot is the lion, with school colors of maroon and white. The school was tied for most state championships in high school football, with seven, the last coming in 1981, until Celina won its eighth state championship in 2007. Gordon Wood, who coached at Brownwood High for a quarter-century, retired in 1985 as one of the greatest coaches in Texas history, with 396 wins. He was recently surpassed by former Celina and Pilot Point coach G. A. Moore. Many athletes from surrounding communities move to Brownwood to play for the maroon and white.

Brownwood is home to Howard Payne University. The university's teams achieved national championship status in 1957 and 1964 in NAIA Cross Country, and in 2008 with NCAA Division III Women's Basketball. The Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom, a museum with recreations of famous rooms in American history, such as Independence Hall, and a 32-foot-high (9.8 m) mural depicting Biblical history, is on the Howard Payne campus.

Brownwood is also the home of a West Texas campus of the Texas State Technical College System. Computer-aided drafting and design, digital imaging and design, software and business accounting, associate degree nursing, health information technology, computer network systems and administration, computer science database and web programming technology, emergency medical technology (paramedics), mechatronics, and welding technology are some of the courses offered at the TSTC campus.

Transportation

Brownwood is served by the following highways: US 67, US 84, US 183, US 377, and Texas State Highway 279. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, Fort Worth and Western Railroad, and Texas Rock Crusher Railway also serve the Brownwood area.

Brownwood is served by Brownwood Regional Airport. The airport has two runways: 17/35, a 5599 × 150-ft (1707 × 46-m) asphalt runway (30,000 lb per wheel), and 13/31, a 4596 × 100-ft (1401 × 30-m) asphalt runway (25,000 lb per wheel). Mostly cargo and private air operations take place at the airport, although Mesa Airlines formerly offered regional connections.

Notable people

See also

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