[5] Brownwood is in the Texas Hill Country and is home to Howard Payne University, which was founded in 1889.

[6] 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.

[8] 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.

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

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."

The two cities are separated by the Pecan Bayou, one of five major tributaries of the Colorado River of Texas.

All three highways head east into Early, where 67 and 377 continue northeast toward Comanche, while 84 leads southeast toward Goldthwaite.

[5] The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

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

[18] The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Brownwood District Parole Office in the city.

[21] Brownwood High School has a strong tradition of nonsports UIL participation, including academic competitions and drama (one-act plays).

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.

Mostly cargo and private air operations take place at the airport, although Mesa Airlines formerly offered regional connections.