Bowling Green, Kentucky

Bowling Green, Kentucky
Fountain Square Park, 2008
Location of Bowling Green in Warren County, Kentucky
Bowling Green
Location in the United States
Bowling Green
Bowling Green (the United States)
Coordinates: 36°58′54″N 86°26′40″W / 36.98167°N 86.44444°W / 36.98167; -86.44444
CountryUnited States
StateKentucky
CountyWarren
Government
  MayorTodd Alcott
Area
  City
40.65 sq mi (105.28 km2)
  Land40.39 sq mi (104.61 km2)
  Water0.26 sq mi (0.67 km2)
Elevation
547 ft (167 m)
Population
 (2020)
  City
72,294
  Estimate 
(2023)
76,212
  RankKentucky: 3rd
  Density1,789.81/sq mi (691.05/km2)
  Metro
179,639 (US: 245th)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
42101-42104
Area code(s)270 & 364
FIPS code21-08902
Websitewww.bgky.org

Bowling Green is a city in Warren County, Kentucky, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 72,294 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in the state, after Louisville and Lexington. The Bowling Green metropolitan area is the fourth-largest in the state and had a population of 179,639 in 2020.

Founded by pioneers in 1798, Bowling Green was the provisional capital of Confederate Kentucky during the American Civil War. In the 21st century, it is the location of numerous manufacturers, including General Motors, Spalding, and Fruit of the Loom. The Bowling Green Assembly Plant has been the source of all Chevrolet Corvettes built since 1981. Bowling Green is also home to Western Kentucky University (or WKU for short), and the National Corvette Museum.