Brooksville is a city in Hernando County, Florida, United States, serving as the county seat. Located in east-central Hernando County, it sits approximately 45 miles north of Tampa and 51 miles southwest of Ocala. The geographic center of Florida lies just over 12 miles to the north-northwest. The city occupies a total area of 10.9 square miles, with land comprising the vast majority and water making up less than one percent.

Settled in 1845 by four families, Brooksville was officially established in 1856 through the merger of the towns of Melendez and Pierceville. The new name honored Preston Brooks, a pro-slavery congressman from South Carolina. The city was incorporated on October 13, 1880. Its history includes significant racial violence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, leading to demographic shifts during the Great Depression and the 1920s.

The city features historic buildings and residences, including the homes of former Florida governor William Sherman Jennings and football player Jerome Brown. Notable landmarks include Chinsegut Hill, where a manor house built in the early 1850s was donated to the U.S. government in 1929. The May-Stringer House is a Victorian-era "Painted Lady" listed on the National Register of Historic Places, alongside the Frank Saxon House and the 1885 Brooksville Train Depot.

Brooksville is known for its rolling topography with elevations ranging from 100 to 180 feet, with Chinsegut Hill reaching 269 feet. In the 1920s, it was a major citrus production area known as the "Home of the Tangerine." The city offers several medical facilities, shopping centers, and three city parks with walking trails and sports facilities. A campus of Pasco–Hernando State College is located just north of the city limits.

As of the 2020 census, Brooksville had a population of 8,890. The economy includes residential-commercial sectors and regional airport access six miles south. The median age is 48.0 years, with a significant portion of residents over 65. The city council has maintained its name despite controversies regarding its origin, focusing on preserving local heritage while managing modern community needs and infrastructure.