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Points of Interest in Bowling Green

Home of the National Tractor Pull

Located approximately 21 miles south of Toledo, the city of Bowling Green, Ohio mixes a small town, rural atmosphere with diverse college life.

Founded in 1832 as Mount Ararat, the city became known as Bowling Green a few years later when Joseph Gordon named it after having previously lived and worked in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Incorporated as a village in 1856, Bowling Green became the county seat for Wood County in the mid-1870’s. It became a city in 1901 and today some 29,000 residents call it home.

In 1910, the community became an educational center for northwest Ohio when the State Normal College was established by the Ohio legislature. The institution later became known as Bowling Green State University. Today, the thriving city still has its small town atmosphere as well as a diverse population thanks to the 20,000+ students and the BGSU campus community.

Bowling Green has an excellent school system with five elementary buildings, one junior high and one high school. Students consistently score well on the Ohio Proficiency tests.

The city’s eclectic mix of annual events include a popular arts and crafts street fair held in the downtown area and the U.S. National Tractor Pulling Championships held each August at the nearby fair grounds, which is touted as the “world’s largest outdoor tractor pull.”

Bowling Green is also home to Ohio’s first utility-sized wind farm. As tall as a 30-story building at its highest point, the four 257-foot wind turbines generate up to 7.2 megawatts of power?enough to supply electricity for some 3,000 residents. Located about six miles from the city, the turbines can be seen for miles and have become a local attraction.

With its easy access to Interstate 75, Bowling Green is just minutes away from several other local communities and just a couple of hours from Cleveland, Columbus and Detroit.

Written by: Pam Ciepichal