Brooks County is a county in Georgia, United States, on the state’s southern border with Florida, part of the Valdosta Combined Statistical Area. It had a population of 16,301 at the 2020 census and covers 498 square miles (1,290 km2), of which 493 square miles (1,280 km2) is land, centred near 30°43′44″N 83°42′54″W.
Quitman is the county seat, and its postal code is 31643. The county has four incorporated cities and towns, one census-designated place, and a scatter of smaller unincorporated communities. Brooks County runs on Eastern Time and observes daylight saving.
Towns & Villages in Brooks County
Brooks County’s population centers range from the county seat, Quitman, down to farm-road crossroads with a church and a store. The table below marks incorporated cities and towns, the county’s one CDP (Dixie), and unincorporated communities (Unincorp.) that show on county maps but have no municipal government of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quitman | City · seat | — | 31643 |
| Morven | City | — | 31638 |
| Barwick | City | — | 31720 |
| Pavo | City | — | 31778 |
| Dixie | CDP | — | — |
| Barney | Unincorp. | — | 31625 |
| Grooverville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pidcock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Empress | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nankin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Baden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blue Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Durden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Emerson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fodie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hollis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ione | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Rock Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oaklawn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Rock Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sand Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shelly | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shiver | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spain | Unincorp. | — | — |
Pavo sits mostly across the Brooks–Thomas county line, with only its eastern edge inside Brooks; residents there share a Pavo mailing address regardless of which county side they live on.
ZIP Codes
- 31643 — Quitman (also serves the surrounding rural south of the county)
- 31638 — Morven
- 31720 — Barwick
- 31778 — Pavo
- 31625 — Barney
Smaller communities such as Dixie, Grooverville, Pidcock, Empress, and Nankin have no ZIP code of their own and are served by the nearest post office town above.
Geography
Brooks County lies in Georgia’s coastal-plain farm belt, on gently rolling land given over to row crops, pine timber, and quail-hunting plantations. The Little River and the Withlacoochee River meander together along more than 100 miles of the county’s eastern boundary, and the county’s total area is 4.8 percent water.
Brooks County borders Lowndes County to the east, Cook County to the northeast, Colquitt County to the northwest, Thomas County to the west, Madison County, Florida to the southeast, and Jefferson County, Florida to the southwest.
Demographics
Brooks County had 16,301 residents at the 2020 census. Quitman is the largest municipality, followed by Morven. The Georgia median of $74,632 (2023 American Community Survey) is the statewide benchmark; incomes in rural south Georgia counties like Brooks typically run below that figure. Population density works out to roughly 33 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Cotton plantations built the county’s early economy; today farming, forestry, and quail, dove, and deer hunting on large private plantations anchor local income, a pattern shared with neighboring Thomas County’s well-known “Plantation Belt.” Quitman serves as the county’s retail and government center, and Brooks County High School is the county’s public high school.
History
The Georgia General Assembly created Brooks County on December 11, 1858, from parts of Lowndes and Thomas counties, naming it for U.S. Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina. Between 1880 and 1930, the county recorded 20 documented lynchings, the third-highest total in Georgia; the May 1918 wave of racial violence killed at least 13 African Americans, including Mary Turner, and became a landmark case in the national anti-lynching movement.
Getting There
U.S. Route 84 and U.S. Route 221 cross the county through Quitman; Georgia Route 33 runs north–south.
- Valdosta — 18 miles east
- Thomasville — 20 miles west
- Tallahassee, Florida — 45 miles south
Valdosta Regional Airport is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Brooks County, Georgia?
It sits on Georgia’s southern border with Florida, between Valdosta and Thomasville.
What is the population of Brooks County?
16,301 at the 2020 census.
How big is Brooks County?
498 square miles (1,290 km2), most of it land.
What is the county seat of Brooks County?
Quitman.
How many towns are in Brooks County?
Four incorporated cities and towns — Quitman, Morven, Barwick, and Pavo — plus the Dixie CDP and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Brooks County?
31643 (Quitman), 31638 (Morven), 31720 (Barwick), 31778 (Pavo), and 31625 (Barney).
What river forms part of Brooks County’s boundary?
The Withlacoochee River, joined by the Little River, along more than 100 miles of the eastern edge.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.