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County · code 17025

Clay CountyIllinois

Clay County is a county in Illinois, formed in 1824 with Louisville as its county seat. It was named after Henry Clay.

  • Founded1824
  • County seatLouisville
  • Named forHenry Clay
  • Land area468 sq mi + 1.2 sq mi water
  • Population13,288 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped15,621 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

EffinghamWayneRichland Louisville Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Clay on the map of Illinois

Illinois has 102 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Adams CountyAlexander CountyBond CountyBoone CountyBrown CountyBureau CountyCalhoun CountyCarroll CountyCass CountyChampaign CountyChristian CountyClark CountyClinton CountyColes CountyCook CountyCrawford CountyCumberland CountyDeKalb CountyDe Witt CountyDouglas CountyDuPage CountyEdgar CountyEdwards CountyEffingham CountyFayette CountyFord CountyFranklin CountyFulton CountyGallatin CountyGreene CountyGrundy CountyHamilton CountyHancock CountyHardin CountyHenderson CountyHenry CountyIroquois CountyJackson CountyJasper CountyJefferson CountyJersey CountyJo Daviess CountyJohnson CountyKane CountyKankakee CountyKendall CountyKnox CountyLake CountyLaSalle CountyLawrence CountyLee CountyLivingston CountyLogan CountyMcDonough CountyMcHenry CountyMcLean CountyMacon CountyMacoupin CountyMadison CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMason CountyMassac CountyMenard CountyMercer CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMorgan CountyMoultrie CountyOgle CountyPeoria CountyPerry CountyPiatt CountyPike CountyPope CountyPulaski CountyPutnam CountyRandolph CountyRichland CountyRock Island CountySt. Clair CountySaline CountySangamon CountySchuyler CountyScott CountyShelby CountyStark CountyStephenson CountyTazewell CountyUnion CountyVermilion CountyWabash CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWhite CountyWhiteside CountyWill CountyWilliamson CountyWinnebago CountyWoodford CountyClay County Clay
Counties of Illinois · Clay highlighted

History

Formed in 1824 from Crawford County, Fayette County, Lawrence County and Wayne County

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

Clay County was created on December 23, 1824, from Crawford, Fayette, Lawrence, and Wayne counties. The county lost territory when Jasper County was created in 1831, though Jasper remained partially attached to Clay until its full organization in 1834. On June 7, 1841, Clay County lost additional territory to the creation of Richland County.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

  1. 1824
    Clay County created Clay created from Crawford, Fayette, Lawrence, and Wayne.
    from Crawfordfrom Fayettefrom Lawrencefrom Wayne
    · Ill. Laws 1824-1825, pp. 18-20
  2. 1831
    Lost territory Clay lost to creation of Jasper. Jasper not fully organized, part attached to Clay until "organized."
    to Jasper
    · Ill. Laws 1830-1831, pp. 50-52
  3. 1834
    Changed Jasper fully organized, detached from Clay.
    Jasper
    · Ill. Laws 1834-1835, pp. 154-155
  4. 1841
    Lost territory Clay lost to creation of Richland.
    to Richland
    · Ill. Laws 1840-1841, pp. 77-79
  5. 1863
    Changed Legislature authorized Clay to gain from Wayne the southern half of township 2 north, ranges 5 to 8 east, dependent on local referendum that failed (no change).
    Wayne
    · Ill. Laws 1863, pub., pp. 84-85

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Clay

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

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
13,288 2020 Census count
Housing units
6,145 2020 Census count
Land area
468 square miles
Water area
1.2 square miles
People per sq mi
28 population ÷ land area

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

Rules and offices

Clay County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

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.

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Questions

Common questions about Clay County

When was Clay County founded?
Clay County was founded in 1824, formed from Crawford County, Fayette County, Lawrence County and Wayne County, and named after Henry Clay.
What is the county seat of Clay County?
The county seat of Clay County is Louisville.
Is there an online parcel map for Clay County?
Yes. Clay County publishes a parcel map of 15,621 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 1824 from Crawford County, Fayette County, Lawrence County and Wayne County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Jasper County and Richland 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

Counties next door