Warren County, Kentucky

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 hunters in the 1770s.[5] General Elijah Covington was among the first landowners.[6] 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.[7]

Warren County became the 23rd county of Kentucky in 1796, from a section of Logan County.[8][9] 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.[10]

Through the riverboat trade, Warren County thrived in the agricultural market. In 1859, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (currently CSX Transportation) was laid through the county.[5]

During the Civil War, most residents are said to have favored the Union.[5][11] Because of its strategic value Warren County was occupied by Confederate forces in September 1861. It was occupied in turn by the Union Army on February 14, 1862, following the Confederate retreat to Tennessee.[5] During the Confederate withdrawal, they destroyed railroad bridges in Barren County, the Bowling Green train depot and other railroad buildings to hinder Union pursuit.[12]

The completion of Interstate 65 and Green River Parkway, later renamed the William H. Natcher Parkway, (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.[5]

In 1997, Bowling Green became a Tree City USA, sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation.[13]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 548 square miles (1,420 km²), of which 542 square miles (1,400 km²) is land and 6.0 square miles (16 km²) (1.1%) is water.[14]

Graph of Warren County population by decade

At the 2000 census,[21] there were 92,522 people, 35,365 households and 23,411 families residing in the county. The population density was 170 per square mile (66/km²). There were 38,350 housing units at an average density of 70 per square mile (27/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.98% White, 8.58% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 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 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 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.

Two public school districts operate in the county:

• Warren County Public Schools, which serves most of the county.[24][25][26]
• Bowling Green Independent Schools, which serves most of the city of Bowling Green.[27]

There are also private schools including

• Anchored Christian School
• Bowling Green Christian Academy
• Foundation Christian Academy
• St. Joseph School, a private Catholic school.
• Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky

• Beech Bend Park - roller coasters, waterpark, raceway
• Chevrolet Corvette and XLR Assembly Plant - daily tours
• Eloise B. Houchens Center - Greek Revival-style mansion built in 1904 by a former Bowling Green mayor
• Fort Webb Historic Park - 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 - exhibits of Kentucky artifacts, located on Western Kentucky University campus
• Lost River Cave and Valley - location of the shortest and deepest river in the world, once a hideout for Jesse James and company
• National Corvette Museum - exhibits of the models of the Chevrolet Corvette since 1953
• Riverview at Hobson Grove - preserved mansion overlooking Barren River built from the late 1850s until 1872

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Warren County, Kentucky

• Warren County Government
• Warren County Public Library
• Beech Bend Park - Official Page
• Bowling Green Daily News
• Corvette Museum
• Corvette Bowling Green Plant
• KYGenWeb Project, Warren County
• Lost River Cave - Official Page
• The Kentucky Museum