When was Clay County founded?

Clay County was founded in 1866, formed from Randolph County and Talladega County, and named after Henry Clay.

What is the county seat of Clay County?

The county seat of Clay County is Ashland.

Is there an online parcel map for Clay County?

Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 17,541 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Clay County's boundary or name changed?

Clay County was created in 1866 from Randolph County and Talladega County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Talladega County, Randolph County and Cleburne County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Clay County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 01027

Clay CountyAlabama

Clay County is a county in Alabama with its seat at Ashland, formed in 1866.

Founded1866
County seatAshland
Named forHenry Clay
Land area604 sq mi + 2 sq mi water
Population14,236 2020 Census
Parcels mapped17,541 checked 15 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Clay County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1866 from Randolph County and Talladega County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Clay County was created in 1866 from Randolph and Talladega counties. The county was named after Henry Clay. Its boundaries changed multiple times in subsequent years through adjustments with neighboring counties including Cleburne, Coosa, Tallapoosa, and Talladega.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1866
Clay County created Clay created from Randolph and Talladega.
from Randolph from Talladega
7 December 1866 · Ala. Acts 1866, reg. sess., no. 110, sec. 1/p. 92
1867
Lost territory Clay lost to Cleburne and Talladega.
to Cleburne to Talladega
15 February 1867 · Ala. Acts 1866, reg. sess., no. 438/p. 496
1867
Lost territory Clay lost to Talladega.
to Talladega
16 February 1867 · Ala. Acts 1866, reg. sess., no. 467/p. 528
1877
Lost territory Clay lost to Talladega.
to Talladega
10 January 1877 · Ala. Acts 1876, bien. sess., no. 208/p. 233
1893
Gained territory Clay gained from Talladega.
from Talladega
9 February 1893 · Ala. Acts 1892, bien. sess., no. 170/p. 343

Show all 10 changes (5 more, mostly small adjustments)

1866
Clay County created Clay created from Randolph and Talladega.
from Randolph from Talladega
7 December 1866 · Ala. Acts 1866, reg. sess., no. 110, sec. 1/p. 92
1867
Lost territory Clay lost to Cleburne and Talladega.
to Cleburne to Talladega
15 February 1867 · Ala. Acts 1866, reg. sess., no. 438/p. 496
1867
Lost territory Clay lost to Talladega.
to Talladega
16 February 1867 · Ala. Acts 1866, reg. sess., no. 467/p. 528
1870
Lost territory Clay lost small area to Coosa to accommodate local property owner..
to Coosa
3 March 1870 · Ala. Acts 1869, reg. sess., no. 333/p. 434
1871
Changed Legislature authorized Clay to gain from Randolph.
Randolph
16 December 1871 · Ala. Acts 1871, reg. sess., no. 155/p. 163
1873
Gained territory Clay gained small area from Randolph.
from Randolph
17 March 1873 · Ala. Acts 1872, reg. sess., no. 100/p. 138
1877
Lost territory Clay lost to Talladega.
to Talladega
10 January 1877 · Ala. Acts 1876, bien. sess., no. 208/p. 233
1877
Gained territory Clay gained small area from Tallapoosa.
from Tallapoosa
9 February 1877 · Ala. Acts 1876, bien. sess., no. 207/p. 233
1893
Gained territory Clay gained from Talladega.
from Talladega
9 February 1893 · Ala. Acts 1892, bien. sess., no. 170/p. 343
1894
Exchanged territory Clay exchanged with Talladega.
with Talladega
12 December 1894 · Ala. Acts 1894, bien. sess., no. 35, secs. 1-2/pp. 55-56

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Clay

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 17,541 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 8 October 2026 · checked 15 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Clay County yet.
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Clay by the Census

Population

14,236 2020 Census count

Housing units

7,035 2020 Census count

Land area

604 square miles

Water area

2 square miles

People per sq mi

24 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

See your own lot on these maps

Open Clay County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Clay County

When was Clay County founded?: Clay County was founded in 1866, formed from Randolph County and Talladega County, and named after Henry Clay.
What is the county seat of Clay County?: The county seat of Clay County is Ashland.
Is there an online parcel map for Clay County?: Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 17,541 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Clay County's boundary or name changed?: Clay County was created in 1866 from Randolph County and Talladega County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Talladega County, Randolph County and Cleburne County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Clay County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby