The community was incorporated on January 1, 1859,[5] and was named after Alabama congressman Franklin Welsh Bowdon.

[8] On August 21, 1995, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 crashed between Bowdon and neighboring city Carrollton.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Bowdon has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2), all land.

The most recent severe weather event occurred on February 26, 2008, when an EF3 tornado hit an area about four miles north of Bowdon.

The fall and spring months tend to bring the nicest weather, with numerous sunny days.

On May 11, 2008, Bowdon was hit by a series of tornadoes known as the "Mother's Day Storm" with a few reported injuries, but no deaths.