Bowling Green is the fourth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kentucky after Louisville, Lexington and Owensboro, with an estimated population in 2006 of 53,112. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of and is included in the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated population of 110,990 (2005). Bowling Green was founded in 1798 after Robert and George Moore donated 30-40 acres to the Warren County trustees. The land surrounded the 2-acre plot they had previously donated for the construction of public buildings. In 2003, Bowling Green and its surrounding communities were designated as a metropolitan area.

General Motors has an assembly plant in Bowling Green in which all Chevrolet Corvettes and Cadillac XLRs have been constructed since 1981 and 2003 respectively. Other significant businesses in Bowling Green include Fruit of the Loom, MedioArts, Holley Performance Products, and Camping World. The third largest Kentucky public university, Western Kentucky University, is situated upon a hill in central Bowling Green, thus its athletes are called Hilltoppers.