Brooks County | |
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Coordinates: 30°43′44″N 83°42′54″W / 30.7289°N 83.715°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Georgia |
Founded | December 11, 1858 |
Named for | Preston Brooks |
Seat | Quitman |
Largest city | Quitman |
Area | |
• Total | 498 sq mi (1,290 km2) |
• Land | 493 sq mi (1,280 km2) |
• Water | 4.8 sq mi (12 km2) 1.0% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 16,301 |
• Estimate (2023) | 16,245 |
• Density | 33/sq mi (13/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 8th |
Website | www |
Brooks County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia, on its southern border with Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,301.[1] The county seat is Quitman.[2] The county was created in 1858 from portions of Lowndes and Thomas counties by an act of the Georgia General Assembly and was named for pro-slavery U.S. Representative Preston Brooks, after he severely beat abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner with a cane for delivering a speech attacking slavery. Brooks County is included in the Valdosta metropolitan statistical area.