Overview

Introduction to Bowling Green, Kentucky

The Kentucky city of Bowling Green lies in the southern part of the state, about 110 miles south of Louisville and about 60 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee. The city sits alongside the Barren River, and is the county seat of Warren County. Neighboring cities include Franklin, Brownsville, Morgantown, Scottsville, and Russellville. Major highways servicing Bowling Green include Interstate 65; U.S. Routes 231, 31W, and 68; and Kentucky State Highways 185, 234, 240, and 242.

First settled in 1780 and incorporated in 1812, Bowling Green served as the Confederate capital of Kentucky from 1861 to 1862 while the city was under occupation by the Confederacy. After the Civil War, the city saw its economic base expand from agriculture and livestock to a wider variety of industries, as shown by many of the historic business structures still in evidence today. In 1906, The Western Kentucky State Normal School was founded in central Bowling Green and this institution went on to become Western Kentucky University, the third largest public university in the state. Today, the University is one of the city's largest employers, along with other major industries calling Bowling Green home, including the General Motors Corvette Plant, Holley Performance Products, and Pan-Oston.

Bowling Green Attractions

One of the most interesting and vibrant cities in the Bluegrass State of Kentucky, Bowling Green has a lot to offer visitors. Sitting in the center of the city is an urban nature reserve known as the Lost River Cave and Valley. Home to 130 species of birds, reptiles, and mammals, the spacious cavern once housed both Union and Confederate soldiers. Today, floating tours are offered at the underground site. Historic downtown square is near to a multitude of properties listed on the National Register, including the Riverview at Hobson Grove historic house museum, the Kentucky Museum and Library, and several Civil War landmarks. Other area attractions include:

  • Barren River Imaginative Museum of Science
  • Historic L&N Depot and Railpark
  • National Corvette Museum
  • Aviation Heritage Park
  • Fountain Square Park
  • Beech Bend Park & Splash Lagoon
  • Fort Webb
  • Fountain Square
  • Leonard D. Brown Agricultural Exposition Center
  • Beech Bend Raceway
  • Ballance MotoX
  • Race World
  • Shaker Museum at South Union
  • Eloise B. Houchens Center
  • Public Theatre of Kentucky

Sports fans in Bowling Green can follow the exploits of the Western Kentucky University Hilltopper teams. In most sports, including basketball, the Hilltoppers are a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The men's basketball program is one of the most successful in the history of the NCAA. The school has made one appearance in the Final Four (1971) and usually finishes at or near the top of its conference, regularly competing for the conference championship. The Hilltopper football team belongs to the Gateway Football Conference as an NCAA Division 1-AA team; however, the school is considering relocating its football program to Division I-A in the Sun Belt Conference.

There are no major league professional sports teams in Kentucky. However, there are major league teams located only an hour away in nearby Nashville, Tennessee. The National Football League's Tennessee Titans, who moved from Houston before the 1997 season, play in Nashville, as do the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators. Baseball fans can catch some Minor League action there by watching the Nashville Sounds, a Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Sounds compete in the Pacific Coast League.

An early May visitor to Bowling Green will not want to pass up the opportunity to take a two-hour drive north to Louisville to witness the legendary Kentucky Derby. The single most famous event in US thoroughbred racing, the Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The Derby is the first of three major races for three-year-olds which comprise racing's Triple Crown.

Demographics

People

Total Population65,731
Male Share of the Population48.7%
Female Share of the Population51.3%
Senior Citizens11.1%
Employed Population 16+29,783
Age of the Population27

Families

% of people married33.7%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher27.6%
Median Earnings25+$30,821
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$21,547
Median Earnings With High School Degree$24,570

Wealth

Median Family Income$53,346
% Above Poverty Level74.8%
% Below Poverty Level25.2%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time18 minutes
% Working from Home2.1%
% Walking and Biking to Work5.7%
% Using Public Transportation0.4%

Housing

People Living Alone33.1%
Median Gross Rent$756
Median House Value$153,600

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)34.2%
German11.3%
Irish10.3%
English7.8%
Scottish2.7%
Italian2.6%
French Except Basque1.7%
Arab1.5%
Polish1.4%
African1.1%
Swedish0.9%
Dutch0.8%
Welsh0.6%
Somali0.4%
Danishn0.4%
Hungarian0.4%
Canadian0.3%
Norwegian0.3%
Russian0.3%
Iraqi0.3%
Czech0.2%
Nigerian0.2%
Austrian0.2%
Finnish0.2%
Belgian0.2%
Ghanaian0.1%
Swiss0.1%
Sudanese0.1%
Greek0.1%
Bulgarian0.1%
Brazilian0.1%
Lebanese0.1%
Croatian0.1%
Iranian0.1%
Serbian0.1%
Portuguese0.1%
Slovak0.1%
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Bowling Green Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyWarren County
Standard Zip Codes42103, 42104, 42101
P.O. Box Zip Codes42102
Phone Area Codes270
Time ZoneAmerica/Kentucky/Louisville
Approximate Latitude37
Approximate Longitude-86.42

Bowling Green Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationBOWLING GREEN FAA AP
Distance0.7 miles
Jan Temp25 to 43 F
Apr Temp45 to 69 F
Jul Temp68 to 89 F
Oct Temp46 to 70 F
Annual Precip51.6 inches
StationBARREN RIVER LAKE
Distance18.3 miles
Jan Temp24 to 44 F
Apr Temp44 to 69 F
Jul Temp67 to 90 F
Oct Temp46 to 72 F
Annual Precip51.3 inches
StationNOLIN RIVER LAKE
Distance22.9 miles
Jan Temp21 to 43 F
Apr Temp40 to 69 F
Jul Temp63 to 90 F
Oct Temp42 to 72 F
Annual Precip51.5 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Auburn1,293$46,364
Brownsville832$39,643
Oakland240$66,250
Plum Springs464$58,611
Smiths Grove764$54,167
Woodburn365$58,750

Bowling Green Public Libraries

Warren County Public Library
1225 STATE STREET
Bowling Green, Kentucky
(270) 781-4882

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More Information for Librarians

Bowling Green Hospitals

Southern Kentucky Rehabilitation Hospital
(Proprietary)
1300 Campbell Lane
(270) 782-6900
Rivendell Behavioral Health Services
(Proprietary)
1035 Porter Pike Rd
(270) 843-1199
Greenview Regional Hospital
(Proprietary)
1801 Ashley Circle
(270) 793-1000
The Medical Center At Bowling Green
(Non-profit)
250 Park Street
(270) 745-1000

Bowling Green Public Schools

Bowling Green Technical College
1845 Loop Drive
ZIP: 42101
(270) 746-7461
Bristow Elementary
6151 Louisville Rd
ZIP: 42101
(270) 842-1960
Primary
Total Enrollment 725
Childrens Crisis Stabilization Unit
501 Chestnut St
ZIP: 42101
(270) 746-2200
Other
Total Enrollment 8
Dishman Mcginnis Elementary School
375 Glen Lily Road
ZIP: 42101
(270) 746-2250
Primary
Total Enrollment 431
Henry F. Moss Middle School
2565 Russellville Rd
ZIP: 42101
(270) 843-0166
Middle
Total Enrollment 509
Jackson Academy High School
877 Jackson Street
ZIP: 42101
(270) 467-0293
High
Total Enrollment 12
Jackson Academy Middle School
877 Jackson Street
ZIP: 42101
(270) 467-0293
Middle
Total Enrollment 4
Kentucky Advanced Technology Center
1127 Morgantown Road
ZIP: 42101
(270) 746-7807
Ky Advanced Tech Center
1127 Morgantown Road
ZIP: 42101
(270) 746-7807
Ky Tech - Bowling Green Regional Tech Center
1845 Loop Drive
ZIP: 42101
(270) 746-7461
Lighthouse Academy
877 Jackson St
ZIP: 42101
(270) 782-5410
High
Total Enrollment 81
Lost River Elementary
450 Modern Way
ZIP: 42101
(270) 746-0334
Primary
Total Enrollment 769
Parker-bennett-curry School
165 Webb Dr
ZIP: 42101
(270) 746-2270
Primary
Total Enrollment 318
Richardsville Elementary
1775 Richardsville Rd
ZIP: 42101
(270) 777-3232
Primary
Total Enrollment 438
Rockfield Elementary
7597 Russellville Rd
ZIP: 42101
(270) 843-8437
Primary
Total Enrollment 671
South Warren High School
8140 Nashville Rd
ZIP: 42101
(270) 467-7500
High
Total Enrollment 1102
The Academy At 11th Street
877 East 11th Avenue
ZIP: 42101
(270) 746-2321
Other
Total Enrollment 17
W R Mcneill Elementary School
1800 Creason Drive
ZIP: 42101
(270) 746-2260
Primary
Total Enrollment 401
Warren Central High School
559 Morgantown Rd
ZIP: 42101
(270) 842-7302
High
Total Enrollment 1034
Warren County Day Treatment
331 Brookwood Drive
ZIP: 42101
(270) 904-4131
High
Total Enrollment 28
Warren East High School
6867 Louisville Rd
ZIP: 42101
(270) 781-1277
High
Total Enrollment 951
Warren East Middle School
7031 Louisville Rd
ZIP: 42101
(270) 843-0181
Middle
Total Enrollment 467
Warren Elementary
1846 Loop Drive
ZIP: 42101
(270) 781-2385
Primary
Total Enrollment 780
Warren Regional Juvenile Detention Ctr
1020 Kentucky St
ZIP: 42102
(270) 746-7155
Other
Total Enrollment 22
Briarwood Elementary School
265 Lovers Ln
ZIP: 42103
(270) 782-5554
Primary
Total Enrollment 705
Cumberland Trace Elementary
830 Cumberland Tr
ZIP: 42103
(270) 781-1356
Primary
Total Enrollment 479
Jody Richards Elementary
2100 Elrod Rd.
ZIP: 42103
(270) 904-1901
Primary
Total Enrollment 736
Potter Gray Elementary
610 Wakefield Dr.
ZIP: 42103
(270) 746-2280
Primary
Total Enrollment 461
Rivendell Elementary
1035 Porter Pike Rd
ZIP: 42103
(270) 843-1199
Primary
Total Enrollment 24
Rivendell High School
1035 Porter Pike Rd
ZIP: 42103
(270) 843-1199
High
Total Enrollment 29
Bowling Green High School
1801 Rockingham Lane
ZIP: 42104
(270) 746-2300
High
Total Enrollment 1222
Bowling Green Junior High
900 Campbell Ln
ZIP: 42104
(270) 746-2290
Middle
Total Enrollment 916
Drakes Creek Middle School
704 Cypress Wood
ZIP: 42104
(270) 843-0165
Middle
Total Enrollment 614
Greenwood High School
5065 Scottsville Road
ZIP: 42104
(270) 842-3627
High
Total Enrollment 1198
Plano Elementary
2650 Plano Rd
ZIP: 42104
(270) 467-0411
Primary
Total Enrollment 584
Rich Pond Elementary
530 Rich Pond Rd
ZIP: 42104
(270) 781-9627
Primary
Total Enrollment 386
South Warren Middle School
295 Rich Pond Road
ZIP: 42104
(270) 467-7510
Middle
Total Enrollment 572
T C Cherry Elementary School
1001 Liberty Ave
ZIP: 42104
(270) 746-2230
Primary
Total Enrollment 295
William H. Natcher Elementary
1434 Cave Mill Rd
ZIP: 42104
(270) 842-1364
Primary
Total Enrollment 602
Warren Co. Area Technology Center
365 Technology Way
ZIP: 42141
(270) 746-7184

Bowling Green Private Schools

Children's House Montessori
3219 Nashville Rd
ZIP: 42101
Elementary
Total Enrollment 3
Holy Trinity Lutheran School
553 Ashmoor Ave
ZIP: 42101
Elementary
Total Enrollment 29
St Joseph Interparochial School
416 Church Ave
ZIP: 42101
Elementary
Total Enrollment 306
Anchored Christian School
1807 Cave Mill Rd
ZIP: 42104
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 97
Bowling Green Christian Academy
1730 Destiny Ln
ZIP: 42104
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 114
Foundation Christian Academy
2480 Three Springs Rd
ZIP: 42104
Elementary
Total Enrollment 100
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