Clay County, Kansas

**Clay County** (county code **CY**) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, 8,117 people lived there. Its county seat and the city with the most people is Clay Center.

## History

On February 20, 1857, Clay County was created. It was named in honor of the famous American statesman Henry Clay. Clay was a member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century.

## Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (1.6%) is water.

### Bordering counties

- Washington County (north)
- Riley County (east)
- Geary County (southeast)
- Dickinson County (south)
- Ottawa County (southwest)
- Cloud County (west)

### Major highways

Sources:  National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau
- U.S. Route 24
- Kansas Highway 15
- Kansas Highway 82

### Presidential elections

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**76.0%** _3,177_|style="text-align:center;"|21.4% _894_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.7% _111_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**75.7%** _2,891_|style="text-align:center;"|17.7% _677_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.6% _252_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**75.6%** _2,788_|style="text-align:center;"|22.6% _834_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% _64_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**74.0%** _2,998_|style="text-align:center;"|24.9% _1,009_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% _47_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**79.2%** _3,174_|style="text-align:center;"|19.8% _793_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.1% _43_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**73.3%** _2,998_|style="text-align:center;"|23.3% _951_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.4% _139_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.9%** _2,793_|style="text-align:center;"|23.1% _963_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|10.1% _421_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|**47.9%** _2,198_|style="text-align:center;"|20.6% _947_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|31.5% _1,445_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|**72.1%** _2,997_|style="text-align:center;"|26.8% _1,112_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% _48_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**78.8%** _3,559_|style="text-align:center;"|20.3% _919_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% _41_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**73.9%** _3,449_|style="text-align:center;"|20.0% _932_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.1% _286_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|**63.9%** _3,085_|style="text-align:center;"|33.3% _1,610_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.8% _137_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**78.4%** _3,562_|style="text-align:center;"|19.5% _887_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.0% _93_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**72.0%** _3,335_|style="text-align:center;"|20.0% _926_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.1% _374_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|**62.2%** _3,030_|style="text-align:center;"|37.1% _1,806_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% _37_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|**75.3%** _3,937_|style="text-align:center;"|23.8% _1,246_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% _43_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**80.2%** _4,378_|style="text-align:center;"|18.9% _1,034_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% _49_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**84.9%** _5,059_|style="text-align:center;"|13.9% _831_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% _71_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|**65.9%** _3,763_|style="text-align:center;"|31.6% _1,804_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.5% _144_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**74.0%** _4,101_|style="text-align:center;"|25.1% _1,391_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% _49_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|**68.7%** _4,699_|style="text-align:center;"|30.2% _2,067_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _70_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.5%** _3,525_|style="text-align:center;"|49.3% _3,441_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% _21_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|47.3% _3,115_|style="text-align:center;"|**49.9%** _3,289_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.8% _187_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|**73.7%** _4,457_|style="text-align:center;"|25.1% _1,515_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% _72_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**62.9%** _3,767_|style="text-align:center;"|23.7% _1,417_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|13.4% _802_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**72.7%** _3,521_|style="text-align:center;"|23.8% _1,155_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.5% _168_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|**47.7%** _2,692_|style="text-align:center;"|46.6% _2,632_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.7% _320_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|22.7% _843_|style="text-align:center;"|**37.0%** _1,373_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|40.4%_1,499_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|**53.0%** _1,858_|style="text-align:center;"|42.6% _1,495_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.4% _155_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**68.6%** _2,262_|style="text-align:center;"|12.2% _403_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|19.2% _634_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|**51.5%** _2,001_|style="text-align:center;"|47.0% _1,826_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.6% _61_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|45.6% _1,655_|style="text-align:center;"|**53.1%** _1,929_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% _49_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|43.8% _1,666_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**56.2%** _2,149_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.8%** _1,914_|style="text-align:center;"|24.4% _920_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|24.8% _934_|

### Unified school districts

- Clay County USD 379, in Clay Center

### Cities

- Clay Center
- Wakefield
- Clifton (partly in Washington County)
- Morganville
- Green
- Longford
- Vining (partly in Washington County)
- Oak Hill

### Unincorporated communities

- Athelstane
- Bateham
- Broughton
- Browndale
- Exeter
- Fact
- Fancy Creek
- Garfield Center
- Gatesville
- Idana
- Industry
- Ladysmith
- Northern (no longer exists)
- Republican City

### Ghost towns

- Broughton, razed when Milford Lake was built

### Townships

Clay County is divided into eighteen townships.  The city of Clay Center is considered _governmentally independent_ and is not included from the census figures for the townships.  In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

|Township|FIPS|Population center|Population (2020) !! Population density <small>/km² (/sq mi)</small>|Land area <small>km² (sq mi)</small> !! Water area <small>km² (sq mi)</small> !! Water %|Geographic coordinates||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|Athelstane|02950||106|1 (3)|93 (36)|0 (0)|0.03%||
|Blaine|07050||214|2 (5)|109 (42)|1 (0)|0.94%||
|Bloom|07325||161|1 (3)|122 (47)|1 (0)|0.53%||
|Chapman|12525|Longford|175|2 (5)|93 (36)|0 (0)|0.09%||
|Clay Center|13650||384|4 (10)|97 (38)|1 (0)|1.46%||
|Exeter|22100||60|1 (2)|93 (36)|0 (0)|0.08%||
|Five Creeks|23475||118|1 (3)|93 (36)|0 (0)|0.04%||
|Garfield|25500||91|1 (3)|91 (35)|0 (0)|0.05%||
|Gill|26250||146|2 (5)|78 (30)|0 (0)|0.04%||
|Goshen|27025||41|0 (1)|91 (35)|0 (0)|0%||
|Grant|27500||171|2 (6)|76 (29)|13 (5)|14.83%||
|Hayes|30875||184|2 (5)|92 (35)|0 (0)|0%||
|Highland|31825|Green|254|3 (7)|92 (35)|0 (0)|0.07%||
|Mulberry|49000|Clifton (part)|278|3 (7)|98 (38)|2 (1)|1.99%||
|Oakland|51725||104|1 (3)|92 (36)|0 (0)|0%||
|Republican|59025|Wakefield|1,068|14 (37)|76 (29)|8 (3)|12.46%||
|Sherman|64850|Morganville|235|3 (7)|86 (33)|1 (0)|1.00%||
|Union|72075||128|1 (4)|92 (36)|0 (0)|0.38%||

## Related pages

- List of counties in Kansas

## More reading

- _Standard Atlas of Clay County, Kansas_; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 71 pages; 1918.
- _Standard Atlas of Clay County, Kansas_; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 65 pages; 1900.
- _Historical Plat Book of Clay County, Kansas_; Bird & Mickle Map Co; 88 pages; 1881.

## Other websites

- County
- Clay County - Directory of Public Officials
- Historical
- Clay County Kansas AHGP
- Maps
- Clay County Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
- Kansas Highway Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
- Kansas Railroad Maps: Current , 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

## Infobox (u.s. county)

- **county**: Clay County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: Clay County Kansas Courthouse.jpg
- **ex image cap**: Clay County Courthouse (Clay Center, Kansas), Clay County Courthouse in Clay Center, Kansas, Clay Center (2006)
- **founded**: February 20, 1857
- **named for**: Henry Clay
- **seat wl**: Clay Center
- **largest city wl**: Clay Center
- **area total sq mi**: 656
- **area land sq mi**: 645
- **area water sq mi**: 10
- **area percentage**: 1.6%
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 8117
- **population density sq mi**: 12.6
- **area codes**: Area code 785, 785
- **district**: 1st
- **time zone**: Central