Clay Center, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clay Center, Kansas
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City and county seat
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Clay County Courthouse (2006)
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Location within Clay County and Kansas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Clay |
| Founded | 1862 |
| Incorporated | 1875 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.19 sq mi (8.27 km2) |
| • Land | 3.19 sq mi (8.26 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,204 ft (367 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,199 |
| • Density | 1,316.3/sq mi (507.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
67432
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| Area code | 785 |
| FIPS code | 20-13625 |
| GNIS ID | 485555 |
Clay Center is a city in Kansas, United States. It is also the county seat of Clay County. This means it is the main town where the county government is located. In 2020, about 4,199 people lived there.
Contents
History of Clay Center
Clay Center was first settled in 1862. It got its name because it is located near the center of Clay County.
The first post office opened in Clay Center on July 3, 1862. This helped people send and receive mail.
The city was also a stop for two important railroads: the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroad. This helped the city grow.
Geography and Location
Clay Center covers about 3.08 square miles (7.98 square kilometers) of land. It's a special place because it's almost exactly in the middle of the United States.
It is the geographic midpoint between Los Angeles, California and New York City. Both of these huge cities are about 1,224 miles (1,970 km) away from Clay Center!
Climate in Clay Center
The weather in Clay Center has hot and humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate. On climate maps, it's shown as "Cfa."
| Climate data for Clay Center, Kansas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1902–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 77 (25) |
85 (29) |
93 (34) |
99 (37) |
105 (41) |
116 (47) |
116 (47) |
117 (47) |
111 (44) |
101 (38) |
88 (31) |
76 (24) |
117 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 61.5 (16.4) |
68.1 (20.1) |
79.1 (26.2) |
85.9 (29.9) |
92.2 (33.4) |
97.9 (36.6) |
102.3 (39.1) |
101.1 (38.4) |
95.9 (35.5) |
87.8 (31.0) |
73.3 (22.9) |
63.6 (17.6) |
103.6 (39.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 38.7 (3.7) |
43.7 (6.5) |
55.3 (12.9) |
65.7 (18.7) |
75.7 (24.3) |
86.0 (30.0) |
91.1 (32.8) |
88.6 (31.4) |
80.8 (27.1) |
68.2 (20.1) |
53.4 (11.9) |
41.6 (5.3) |
65.7 (18.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 28.3 (−2.1) |
32.5 (0.3) |
43.1 (6.2) |
53.4 (11.9) |
64.5 (18.1) |
74.9 (23.8) |
79.8 (26.6) |
77.2 (25.1) |
68.9 (20.5) |
55.9 (13.3) |
42.1 (5.6) |
31.5 (−0.3) |
54.3 (12.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 17.8 (−7.9) |
21.3 (−5.9) |
30.8 (−0.7) |
41.2 (5.1) |
53.4 (11.9) |
63.7 (17.6) |
68.4 (20.2) |
65.8 (18.8) |
56.9 (13.8) |
43.6 (6.4) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
21.4 (−5.9) |
42.9 (6.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −1.1 (−18.4) |
3.7 (−15.7) |
12.9 (−10.6) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
38.1 (3.4) |
51.3 (10.7) |
57.0 (13.9) |
55.1 (12.8) |
41.5 (5.3) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
15.4 (−9.2) |
4.0 (−15.6) |
−4.7 (−20.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −23 (−31) |
−35 (−37) |
−15 (−26) |
7 (−14) |
21 (−6) |
39 (4) |
45 (7) |
38 (3) |
25 (−4) |
13 (−11) |
−6 (−21) |
−24 (−31) |
−35 (−37) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.72 (18) |
1.09 (28) |
1.94 (49) |
2.83 (72) |
4.90 (124) |
4.50 (114) |
3.98 (101) |
4.13 (105) |
2.89 (73) |
2.24 (57) |
1.49 (38) |
1.14 (29) |
31.85 (808) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.1 (7.9) |
2.0 (5.1) |
0.8 (2.0) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.9 (2.3) |
3.2 (8.1) |
10.8 (27.41) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.9 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 7.9 | 10.1 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 8.1 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 77.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.9 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 6.9 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
People of Clay Center
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,753 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,802 | 59.8% | |
| 1900 | 3,069 | 9.5% | |
| 1910 | 3,438 | 12.0% | |
| 1920 | 3,715 | 8.1% | |
| 1930 | 4,386 | 18.1% | |
| 1940 | 4,518 | 3.0% | |
| 1950 | 4,528 | 0.2% | |
| 1960 | 4,613 | 1.9% | |
| 1970 | 4,963 | 7.6% | |
| 1980 | 4,948 | −0.3% | |
| 1990 | 4,613 | −6.8% | |
| 2000 | 4,564 | −1.1% | |
| 2010 | 4,334 | −5.0% | |
| 2020 | 4,199 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 Census Information
In 2020, the census counted 4,199 people living in Clay Center. There were 1,809 households and 1,116 families.
Most people in Clay Center, about 92.62%, were white. Other groups included black (0.86%), Native American (0.79%), and Asian (0.79%). About 3.02% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 23% of the people were under 18 years old. About 25.1% were 65 years or older. The average age was 43.9 years.
2010 Census Information
The census in 2010 showed that 4,334 people lived in the city. There were 1,920 households.
About 96.9% of the people were White. Other groups included African American (0.5%) and Native American (0.6%). About 1.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 22.5% of residents were under 18 years old. About 23.7% were 65 years or older. The average age was 44.5 years.
Fun Things to Do
The Piotique Festival is a yearly event in Clay Center. It celebrates pioneers and old-fashioned items. You can find food, crafts, activities, live music, and dancing there.
Schools and Library
Students in Clay Center go to schools in the Clay County USD 379 public school district. The main high school is Clay Center Community High School.
The public library for the community is the Clay Center Carnegie Library. It's a great place to read and learn!
Famous People from Clay Center
Many interesting people have come from Clay Center. Here are a few:
- Herb Bradley – a professional baseball player.
- Tracy Claeys – a football coach for college teams.
- Warren Henry Cole – a surgeon who helped start using X-rays in medicine.
- George Docking – a former governor of Kansas.
- Steve Doocy – a TV host for Fox News and an author.
- Tenney Frank – a famous scholar and historian.
- Nicole Ohlde – a professional basketball player in the WNBA.
- Otto D. Unruh – a well-known football coach for both college and high school teams.
- William D. Vincent – a United States Representative.
See also
In Spanish: Clay Center (Kansas) para niños
