Clay County, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clay County
U.S. county
Clay County Courthouse in Henrietta
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1860
Named for	Henry Clay
Seat	Henrietta
Largest city	Henrietta
Area
• Total	1,117 sq mi (2,890 km2)
• Land	1,089 sq mi (2,820 km2)
• Water	28 sq mi (70 km2)  2.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	10,218
• Density	9/sq mi (3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	13th

The Clay County Leader newspaper office in Henrietta

Clay County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2020, about 10,218 people lived there. The main town, or county seat, is Henrietta. Clay County was started in 1857 and officially set up in 1860. It is named after Henry Clay, a famous American leader from Kentucky. He was a Senator and a United States Secretary of State. Clay County is also part of the larger Wichita Falls area in North Texas.

About Clay County

Clay County is known for its history and natural beauty. A rancher and oilman named Joseph Sterling Bridwell once owned a large ranch here. He was also a philanthropist, meaning he gave money to help others.

Geography and Nature

Clay County covers a total area of 1,117 square miles. Most of this area, 1,089 square miles, is land. The rest, 28 square miles, is water.

Lake Arrowhead State Park

One of the special places in Clay County is Lake Arrowhead State Park. This park covers 524 acres and is located on Lake Arrowhead. The lake itself is very large, covering 14,390 acres. Its shoreline stretches for 106 miles!

At Lake Arrowhead State Park, you can enjoy many outdoor activities. These include bicycling, watching birds, boating, camping, canoeing, and fishing. You can also go hiking, horseback riding, or simply study nature. It's a great spot for picnicking, swimming, and observing wildlife.

Neighboring Counties

Clay County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Jefferson County, Oklahoma (to the north)
• Montague County (to the east)
• Jack County (to the south)
• Archer County (to the west)
• Wichita County (to the northwest)
• Cotton County, Oklahoma (to the northwest)

People of Clay County

The number of people living in Clay County has changed over the years. Here's a look at the population from different census counts:

In 2000, there were 11,006 people living in Clay County. The population density was about 10 people per square mile. Most people in the county were White (95.35%). A smaller number were Black or African American (0.42%), Native American (1.03%), or Asian (0.10%). About 3.67% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in the county in 2000 was 40 years old. About 24.90% of the people were under 18 years old.

Getting Around Clay County

Several important roads help people travel through Clay County.

Main Highways

• U.S. Highway 82
• U.S. Highway 287
• State Highway 79
• State Highway 148

Farm to Market Roads

These roads connect rural areas to larger towns.

Towns and Communities

Clay County has several towns and communities where people live.

Cities

• Bellevue
• Byers
• Dean
• Henrietta (This is the county seat, the main town for county government.)
• Jolly
• Petrolia

Town

• Windthorst (Most of this town is in Archer County.)

Small Communities

Ghost Towns

These are places where towns used to be, but now very few or no people live there.

• Deer Creek
• Halsell
• Prospect
• Raymond

Education in Clay County

Students in Clay County attend schools in various school districts:

• Bellevue Independent School District
• Bowie Independent School District
• Burkburnett Independent School District
• Gold-Burg Independent School District
• Henrietta Independent School District
• Midway Independent School District
• Petrolia Consolidated Independent School District
• Windthorst Independent School District

For college, the county is served by Vernon College.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Clay (Texas) para niños