Bardwell was founded in 1874 when a predecessor rail line of the Illinois Central Railroad was extended to that point.

[4] During their session of 1877–1878, the Kentucky General Assembly passed an act incorporating Bardwell.

The original municipal boundaries consisted of a circle with a radius of 0.5 miles (0.80 km), centered on the local train station for the Illinois Central Railroad.

The two highways together lead northwest 8 miles (13 km) to Wickliffe on the Mississippi River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Bardwell has a total area of 0.89 square miles (2.3 km2), all of it land.

34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.