Warren County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 134,554, making it the fifth-most populous county in Kentucky. The county seat is Bowling Green. Warren County is now classified as a

wet county Wet may refer to: * Moisture, the condition of containing liquid or being covered or saturated in liquid * Wetting (or wetness), a measure of how well a liquid sticks to a solid rather than forming a sphere on the surface Wet or WET may also refe ...

after voters approved the measure in 2018. The measure became law in January 2019 that allows alcohol to be sold county wide. Warren County is included in the Bowling Green, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the Pennyroyal Plateau and

Western Coal Fields The West Kentucky Coal Field comprises an area in the west-central and northwestern part of the state, bounded by the Dripping Springs Escarpment and the Pennyroyal Plateau and the Ohio River, but is part of the Illinois Basin that extends into ...

regions.

History

Warren County was the location of several Native American villages and ancient burial mounds constructed by earlier cultures. The first white men to enter the area were the

long hunter A longhunter (or long hunter) was an 18th-century explorer and hunter who made expeditions into the American frontier for as much as six months at a time. Historian Emory Hamilton says that "The Long Hunter was peculiar to Southwest Virginia o ...

s in the 1770s. General Elijah Covington was among the first landowners. McFadden's Station, one of the earliest settlements, was established in 1785 by Andrew McFadden/McFadin on the northern bank of the Barren River at the

Cumberland Trace Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 1974 ...

. Warren County became the 23rd county of Kentucky in 1796, from a section of Logan County. It was named after General Joseph Warren of the Revolutionary War. He dispatched William Dawes and Paul Revere on their famous midnight ride to warn residents of the approaching British troops. He was also a hero of the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...

. Through the riverboat trade, Warren County thrived in the agricultural market. In 1859, the

Louisville and Nashville Railroad The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of the ...

(currently

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

) was laid through the county. During the Civil War, most residents are said to have favored the Union. Because of its strategic value Warren County was occupied by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

forces in September 1861. It was occupied in turn by the Union Army on February 14, 1862, following the Confederate retreat to Tennessee. During the Confederate withdrawal, they destroyed railroad bridges in Barren County, the Bowling Green train depot and other railroad buildings to hinder Union pursuit. The completion of

Interstate 65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between the Great Lakes and the Gulf ...

and

Green River Parkway, later renamed the William H. Natcher Parkway, Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combina ...

(and in 2019 was renamed as the I-165,) in the 1960s and 1970s, brought an industrial boom that transformed the farm-oriented county into a more urban one. In 1997, Bowling Green became a Tree City USA, sponsored by the

National Arbor Day Foundation The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 350 million trees in neighborhoods, communities ...

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water.

Geographic features

The

Green River Green River may refer to: Rivers Canada *Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River *Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte *Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...

forms the northern boundary of the county, and was a means of transportation for settlers. Tributaries of the Green River that flow through Warren County are the

Barren Barren primarily refers to a state of barrenness (infertility) Barren may also refer to: Places * Barren, Missouri *Barren County, Kentucky * Barren Island (Andaman Islands) *Barren Island, Brooklyn *Barren River Lake Other uses * ''Barren Count ...

and Gasper rivers, Drake's and

Jennings Jennings is a surname of early medieval English origin (also the Anglicised version of the Irish surnames Mac Sheóinín or MacJonin). Notable people with the surname include: *Jennings (Swedish noble family) A–G *Adam Jennings (born 1982), A ...

creeks and Bay's Fork. In the north the land is possibly the most rugged, since it lies between the Green and

rivers, with very tall ridges near Riverside and Richardsville. The major drainage in Warren county is Barren River, which flows through Bowling Green and is surrounded by steep ridges in some areas. Several sizable hills rise in Bowling Green proper. They were favored for forts and other development: a reservoir, hospital, and Civil War fort were built on one; much of Western Kentucky University's campus on another; Hobson Grove, a historic Italian Renaissance style civil war era plantation estate on another; and a second civil war fort on another. In the east the land is rolling (much like central Kentucky's landscape) near Drakes Creek. The land in the south and southwest of the county is predominantly flat. In the western side of the county, the land is hilly with steep ridges and rocky and cliff-ridden near

Gasper River The Gasper River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 13, 2011 river in southwestern Kentucky, United States. It flows northeasterly into the Barren River. It is a r ...

. Shanty Hollow Lake is in the northwest corner of the county. The flat elevated areas in the west and the flatland in the south and southwest have soil that is fertile and supports tobacco, hay,

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

and soybean crop production. The rest of the land is predominantly clay soil; it is rocky and not very suitable for agriculture. Many residents rear livestock and horses, or hunt in these areas.

Major highways

* Interstate 165 *

U.S. 231 U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north-south U.S highway that is a parallel route of US 31. It runs for from St. John, Indiana, at US 41 to south of US 98 in downtown Panama City, Florida. One of its most notable landmarks is ...

* U.S. 31-W *

U.S. 68 U.S. Route 68 (US 68) is a United States highway that runs for from northwest Ohio to Western Kentucky. The highway's western terminus is at US 62 in Reidland, Kentucky. Its present northern terminus is at Interstate 75 in Findlay, Ohio, though ...

KY 80 Kentucky Route 80 (KY 80) is a state highway in the southern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. The route originates on the state's western border at Columbus in Hickman County and stretches across the southern portion of the state, ...

* KY 185 * KY 234 * KY 880

Adjacent counties

* Butler County - northwest *

Edmonson County Edmonson County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,126. Its county seat is Brownsville. The county was formed in 1825 and named for Captain John "Jack" ...

- northeast * Barren County - east * Allen County - southeast * Simpson County - south * Logan County - southwest

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 92,522 people, 35,365 households and 23,411 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 38,350 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 86.98% White, 8.58% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.35%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.33% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. 2.67% of the population were Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 35,365 households, of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.40% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.97. The age distribution was 23.10% under the age of 18, 16.20% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males. The median household income was $36,151, and the median family income was $45,142. Males had a median income of $32,063 versus $22,777 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,847. About 10.80% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Education

Two public school districts operate in the county:
Text list
- For more detailed boundaries of the independent school districts see: * Warren County Public Schools, which serves most of the county, including outerlying parts of Bowling Green *

Bowling Green Independent Schools Bowling Green Independent School District (BGISD) is a school district headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It includes inner portions of Bowling Green, while outer portions are in Warren County Public Schools. History It was created in th ...

, which serves most of the city of Bowling Green. High schools include: ; County schools *

Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood. Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to: People * Greenwood (surname) Settlements Australia * Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region * Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth C ...

Light House Academy Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...

* Warren Central * Warren East * South Warren High School * GEO International High School ; Bowling Green ISD * Bowling Green High School There is also a state-operated public school for gifted students * Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky There are also private schools including * Anchored Christian School *

Bowling Green Christian Academy Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though i ...

Foundation Christian Academy Foundation Christian Academy (FCA) is a private Christian school serving pre-kindergarten through high school students located in Valrico, Florida, United States. It was established in 1992. Foundation Christian Academy enrolls over 400 students. ...

* St. Joseph School, a private Catholic school of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro The Diocese of Owensboro ( la, Dioecesis Owensburgensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Kentucky. , the diocese contained of 78 parishes and two Newman Centers in 32 counties of western Kentucky. ...

Colleges and universities

* Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College * Western Kentucky University

Public Library System

* Warren County Public Library

Attractions

Beech Bend Park Beech Bend is an amusement park, campground and automobile race track located in Warren County, in the U.S. state of Kentucky, just outside the limits of the city of Bowling Green. History The park takes its name from a bend in Barren River whe ...

- roller coasters, waterpark, raceway * Chevrolet Corvette and XLR Assembly Plant - daily tours *

Eloise B. Houchens Center Eloise B. Houchens Center is a Greek Revival style house in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 1980. History The house was built circa 1904 by Francis L. Kister, one-time Mayor of Bowling G ...

- Greek Revival-style mansion built in 1904 by a former Bowling Green mayor *

Fort Webb Historic Park A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''face ...

- preserved Civil War site * Historic Railpark at the L&N Depot - two floor train museum with 6 restored railcars inside a 1925 depot. *

Kentucky Museum and Library Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Vir ...

- exhibits of Kentucky artifacts, located on Western Kentucky University campus *

Lost River Cave and Valley Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland *Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have been ...

- location of the shortest and deepest river in the world, once a hideout for

Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained stro ...

and company *

National Corvette Museum The National Corvette Museum showcases the Chevrolet Corvette, an American sports car that has been in production since 1953. It is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, off Interstate 65's Exit 28. It was constructed in 1994, and opened to the pu ...

- exhibits of the models of the Chevrolet Corvette since 1953 *

Riverview at Hobson Grove Riverview at Hobson Grove, also known as Riverview or as Hobson House, is an historic home with classic Italianate architecture located in western Bowling Green, Kentucky. Its construction started in the 1850s but was interrupted by the Civil War ...

- preserved mansion overlooking Barren River built from the late 1850s until 1872

Communities

Cities

* Bowling Green (county seat) *

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

Plum Springs Plum Springs is a home rule-class city in Warren County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 453 at the time of the year 2010 U.S. Census. It is included in the Bowling Green metropolitan area. It is named for its location on Plum S ...

* Smiths Grove * Woodburn

Census-designated place

* Plano

Other unincorporated places

* Hays

Northeast Warren

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...

* Bristow * Girkin * Glenmore * Gotts * Hydro * Kepler * Martinsville * Polkville * Pondsville * Richardsville *

Riverside Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...

* Sunnyside * Three Forks * Tuckertown

Southwest Warren

* Alvaton * Blue Level * Boyce * Browning * Claypool * Drake * Greenhill * Guy * Hadley * Hardcastle * Lost River * Matlock * Memphis Junction * Petros * Rich Pond * Rockfield *

Rockland Rockland may refer to: People *Per Bergsland, nicknamed Peter Rockland, one of three successful escapees from Stalag Luft III (the "Great Escape") Places ;In Canada *Rockland, Greater Victoria *Rockland, Nova Scotia *Rockland, Ontario ;In the Uni ...

* Shawnee Estates * Springhill * Three Springs