Warren County is a county in Kentucky, United States, in the south-central part of the state, anchored by Bowling Green. It had a population of 134,554 at the 2020 census and covers 548 square miles (1,420 km2) centred near 36°59′N 86°25′W.
Bowling Green is the county seat, and its postal code is 42101. The county has 5 incorporated cities and more than 30 unincorporated communities, sits in the Central time zone, and carries FIPS code 21227.
Towns & Villages in Warren County
Warren County has 5 incorporated cities — one of them the county seat — and roughly three dozen unincorporated communities and rural crossroads scattered across the North Warren and South Warren ends of the county. Kentucky has no civil-township layer, so places below are grouped only as incorporated or unincorporated (“Unincorp.”).
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | City · seat | 72,294 | 42101 |
| Plum Springs | City | — | — |
| Smiths Grove | City | — | 42171 |
| Oakland | City | — | 42159 |
| Woodburn | City | — | 42170 |
| Alvaton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Anna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Barren River | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Benleo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blue Level | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boyce | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Briarwood Manor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bristow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Browning | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clark Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Claypool | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crestmoor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Delafield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Drake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eastland Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Girkin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenmore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gotts | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greencastle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenhill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Guy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hadley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hardcastle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hays | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Indian Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kepler | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lost River | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Loving | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Martinsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Matlock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Memphis Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Middle Bridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Motley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Victor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Petros | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Plano | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Polkville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pondsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rich Pond | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Richardsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riverside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rockfield | Unincorp. | — | 42274 |
| Rockland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shawnee Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Springhill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunnyside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Three Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Three Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tuckertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
Rockland appeared twice in the county’s older community lists, once each for North Warren and South Warren; it is listed once here. Most of the crossroads communities above have never had their own ZIP code and are served by Bowling Green’s 42101–42104 range or a neighboring town’s office.
ZIP Codes
- 42101 — Bowling Green (also serves most unincorporated communities north and east of the city)
- 42103 — Bowling Green (Western Kentucky University area)
- 42104 — Bowling Green (south side)
- 42171 — Smiths Grove
- 42159 — Oakland
- 42170 — Woodburn
- 42274 — Rockfield
Plum Springs and the smaller rural communities have no post office of their own and are covered by one of the Bowling Green ZIP codes above.
Geography
Warren County sits on the Pennyroyal Plateau at the edge of the Western Coal Fields, a landscape of karst limestone, sinkholes and cave systems — Lost River Cave, near Bowling Green, is the best known. The Barren River crosses the county and is the main waterway, feeding into Barren River Lake to the southeast; Drakes Creek and Gasper River are its principal tributaries. Of the county’s 548 square miles, 542 square miles are land and 6.0 square miles are water.
Warren County borders Butler County to the northwest, Edmonson County to the northeast, Barren County to the east, Allen County to the southeast, Simpson County to the south, and Logan County to the southwest.
Demographics
Warren County had 134,554 residents at the 2020 census, making it Kentucky’s fifth-most populous county and, with roughly 248 people per square mile, one of its more densely settled rural counties. Bowling Green, with 72,294 residents in 2020, holds the large majority of that population; the next-largest places — Plum Springs, Smiths Grove, Oakland and Woodburn — are all incorporated cities of a few hundred to under a thousand residents. Median household income runs above the Kentucky median of $61,118, driven by manufacturing wages and Western Kentucky University employment, though county-specific income figures are not independently verified here.
Economy & Local Life
Bowling Green is the county’s economic engine. General Motors’ Bowling Green Assembly Plant, the sole factory that builds the Chevrolet Corvette, anchors a wider automotive-and-aerospace manufacturing base, and the National Corvette Museum draws car enthusiasts from across the country. Western Kentucky University, headquartered in Bowling Green, is the county’s largest single employer and shapes much of the city’s economy and housing demand. Health care (Med Center Health) and logistics along the Interstate 65 corridor round out the base. Away from Bowling Green, agriculture — row crops, hay and livestock — and small-scale tourism around Lost River Cave and Barren River Lake carry the rural communities.
History
Warren County was formed on December 19, 1796, from part of Logan County, and named for General Joseph Warren, the Revolutionary War officer killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Bowling Green grew through the 1800s as a river and rail crossroads on the Barren River, then expanded rapidly in the second half of the 20th century with the arrival of Western Kentucky University’s growth and, in 1981, the GM Corvette plant. In 2018, county voters approved countywide alcohol sales, ending decades of local dry-county restrictions outside Bowling Green city limits; the change took effect in January 2019.
Getting There
Interstate 65 runs north–south through the county via Bowling Green, with US 31W and the Natcher Parkway (William H. Natcher Parkway) providing additional connections. Bowling Green–Warren County Regional Airport offers general aviation and limited commercial service.
- Nashville, Tennessee — about 65 miles south
- Elizabethtown — about 50 miles north
- Louisville — about 110 miles north
- Glasgow — about 30 miles east
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Warren County, Kentucky?
It is in south-central Kentucky along Interstate 65, about 65 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee.
What is the population of Warren County?
134,554 at the 2020 census, Kentucky’s fifth-most populous county.
How big is Warren County?
548 square miles (1,420 km2), of which 6.0 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Warren County?
Bowling Green is the county seat.
How many towns are in Warren County?
Five incorporated cities — Bowling Green, Plum Springs, Smiths Grove, Oakland and Woodburn — plus roughly three dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Warren County?
Mainly 42101, 42103 and 42104 (Bowling Green), plus 42171 (Smiths Grove), 42159 (Oakland), 42170 (Woodburn) and 42274 (Rockfield).
Is Warren County a dry county?
No. Voters approved countywide alcohol sales in 2018, and the change took effect in January 2019.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kentucky.