The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River; Loudoun County, Virginia occupies the opposite shore.

A grant to the land was then given to John Hawkins by George II of Great Britain on August 10, 1753.

[3] The land was sold and Leonard Smith platted it in 1787 with the name of “Berlin,” as many Germans settled in the area.

The town continued to grow and was incorporated April 18, 1890 with the name “Brunswick.”[citation needed] Established along the now-defunct Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, the city became a hub for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which built a six-mile-long rail yard along the Potomac from 1891 to 1912, boosting the population to over 5,000, and making Brunswick virtually a company town.

Brunswick High School named their mascot the "railroaders" [5] Since the early 20th century, the unofficial slogan of the town referred to by locals has been "Hills, whores and liquor stores."

However, several elements of new migration to Brunswick have campaigned to change the slogan to "Hills, stores and open doors," which has been met with much criticism from native residents.

[6] The largest citywide event is "Railroad Days" on the first weekend in October, a festival celebrating the city's heritage.

The city markets its historic downtown and its access to recreational activities on the C&O Canal and Potomac River.

There are live music performances many nights of the week at Beans in the Belfry, a café located in the restored former First Evangelical and Reformed Church (built in 1910).

Located in Brunswick are many small businesses and retail chain stores with a Holiday Inn Express just built.

MARC operates commuter trains from Martinsburg, West Virginia, through and stopping at Brunswick then south to Union Station, Washington, D.C.[11] As of the 2010 census[12] of 2010, there were 5,870 people, 2,155 households, and 1,515 families living in the city.