Clay County, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clay County
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Clay County Courthouse in Clay Center (2006)
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Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
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 Kansas's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | February 20, 1857 |
| Named for | Henry Clay |
| Seat | Clay Center |
| Largest city | Clay Center |
| Area | |
| • Total | 656 sq mi (1,700 km2) |
| • Land | 645 sq mi (1,670 km2) |
| • Water | 10 sq mi (30 km2) 1.6%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 8,117 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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8,007  |
| • Density | 12.6/sq mi (4.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 785 |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Clay County is a county in the state of Kansas, USA. It's known for its friendly communities and rich history. The main city and county seat is Clay Center. In 2020, about 8,117 people lived here. The county was named after Henry Clay, a very important U.S. Senator from Kentucky.
Contents
History of Clay County
Early Times
For thousands of years, the Great Plains of North America were home to nomadic Native American tribes. They moved around, following animals like buffalo.
Later, from the 1500s to the 1700s, France claimed a huge part of North America, including what is now Kansas. In 1762, after a big war, France secretly gave this land to Spain.
The 1800s
In 1802, Spain gave most of the land back to France. Then, in 1803, the United States bought a massive amount of land from France. This was called the Louisiana Purchase. It included most of modern-day Kansas. It was a huge deal, costing only about 2.83 cents per acre!
In 1854, the Kansas Territory was created. Then, in 1861, Kansas officially became the 34th state in the U.S. Clay County was established in 1857. It was named after Henry Clay, a famous American statesman. He was a Senator from Kentucky and even served as the United States Secretary of State.
In 1887, a railroad line was built through the county. It was called the "Strong City and Superior line." This line helped connect many towns and move goods. Today, this railroad is part of the BNSF Railway, but many local people still call it the "Santa Fe" railroad.
The 2000s
In 2010, a large pipeline called the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline was built through Clay County. This pipeline carries oil. There were some discussions about how it would affect taxes and the environment.
Geography of Clay County
Clay County covers about 656 square miles. Most of this is land, with about 10 square miles being water.
Neighboring Counties
Clay County shares its borders with these counties:
- Washington County (north)
- Riley County (east)
- Geary County (southeast)
- Dickinson County (south)
- Ottawa County (southwest)
- Cloud County (west)
Main Roads
These are the major highways that run through Clay County:
- U.S. Route 24
- Kansas Highway 15
- Kansas Highway 82
People of Clay County
The U.S. Census helps us understand who lives in Clay County. In 2000, there were 8,822 people living here. The population density was about 14 people per square mile. Most people in the county were White.
There were 3,617 households. A household is a group of people living together in one home. About 30.5% of these households had children under 18 living with them. Many households were married couples.
The average age of people in Clay County in 2000 was 41 years old. About 24.9% of the population was under 18.
The median income for a household was $33,965. This means that half of the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less.
Education in Clay County
Clay County has several school districts that serve its students:
- Clay County USD 379
- Clifton-Clyde USD 224
- Southern Cloud USD 334
Communities in Clay County
Clay County has several cities and smaller communities.
Cities
- Clay Center (This is the county seat, where the main government offices are.)
- Wakefield
- Clifton (Part of Clifton is in another county.)
- Morganville
- Green
- Longford
- Vining (Part of Vining is in another county.)
- Oak Hill
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially cities.
Townships
Clay County is divided into 18 smaller areas called townships. Each township has its own population and land area. The city of Clay Center is separate from these township numbers.
| Township | FIPS | Population center |
Population | Population density /km2 (/sq mi) |
Land area km2 (sq mi) |
Water area km2 (sq mi) |
Water % | Geographic coordinates |
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| Athelstane | 02950 | 144 | 2 (4) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.03% | 39°10′17″N 97°12′35″W / 39.17139°N 97.20972°W | |
| Blaine | 07050 | 259 | 2 (6) | 109 (42) | 1 (0) | 0.94% | 39°20′38″N 97°11′11″W / 39.34389°N 97.18639°W | |
| Bloom | 07325 | 125 | 1 (3) | 122 (47) | 1 (0) | 0.53% | 39°26′29″N 97°16′51″W / 39.44139°N 97.28083°W | |
| Chapman | 12525 | Longford | 202 | 2 (6) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.09% | 39°10′21″N 97°19′35″W / 39.17250°N 97.32639°W |
| Clay Center | 13650 | 368 | 4 (10) | 98 (38) | 1 (1) | 1.46% | 39°21′30″N 97°6′17″W / 39.35833°N 97.10472°W | |
| Exeter | 22100 | 81 | 1 (2) | 94 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.08% | 39°15′24″N 97°11′36″W / 39.25667°N 97.19333°W | |
| Five Creeks | 23475 | 159 | 2 (4) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | 39°21′22″N 97°18′14″W / 39.35611°N 97.30389°W | |
| Garfield | 25500 | 107 | 1 (3) | 91 (35) | 0 (0) | 0.05% | 39°31′55″N 97°7′5″W / 39.53194°N 97.11806°W | |
| Gill | 26250 | 140 | 2 (5) | 78 (30) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | 39°10′10″N 97°6′3″W / 39.16944°N 97.10083°W | |
| Goshen | 27025 | 92 | 1 (3) | 91 (35) | 0 (0) | 0% | 39°31′4″N 97°0′14″W / 39.51778°N 97.00389°W | |
| Grant | 27500 | 132 | 2 (5) | 74 (29) | 13 (5) | 14.83% | 39°16′12″N 96°59′27″W / 39.27000°N 96.99083°W | |
| Hayes | 30875 | 206 | 2 (6) | 92 (36) | 0 (0) | 0% | 39°26′9″N 97°5′58″W / 39.43583°N 97.09944°W | |
| Highland | 31825 | Green | 310 | 3 (9) | 92 (35) | 0 (0) | 0.07% | 39°25′28″N 97°0′1″W / 39.42444°N 97.00028°W |
| Mulberry | 49000 | Clifton (part) | 331 | 3 (9) | 97 (38) | 2 (1) | 1.99% | 39°32′19″N 97°16′23″W / 39.53861°N 97.27306°W |
| Oakland | 51725 | 110 | 1 (3) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0% | 39°15′30″N 97°20′21″W / 39.25833°N 97.33917°W | |
| Republican | 59025 | Wakefield | 1,024 | 14 (36) | 73 (28) | 10 (4) | 12.46% | 39°12′7″N 97°0′50″W / 39.20194°N 97.01389°W |
| Sherman | 64850 | Morganville | 328 | 4 (10) | 85 (33) | 1 (0) | 1.00% | 39°30′15″N 97°12′42″W / 39.50417°N 97.21167°W |
| Union | 72075 | 140 | 2 (4) | 92 (35) | 0 (0) | 0.38% | 39°16′16″N 97°4′53″W / 39.27111°N 97.08139°W | |
| Sources: | ||||||||
Notable People from Clay County
Clay County has been home to some important people. Two former Governors of Kansas lived here:
- George Docking was the 35th Governor of Kansas (1957-1961).
- William H. Avery was the 37th Governor of Kansas (1965-1967).
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Clay (Kansas) para niños
