County · code 20027
Clay CountyKansas
Clay County is a county in Kansas, with Clay Center as its seat. It was created on February 20, 1857, and is named after Henry Clay.
- Founded1857
- County seatClay Center
- Named forHenry Clay
- Land area645 sq mi + 10 sq mi water
- Population8,117 2020 Census
Where it is
Clay on the map of Kansas
Kansas has 105 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1857 from Riley County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Clay County was created from part of Riley County by Kansas Territory on February 20, 1857, but was not fully organized at that time. For several years, Clay County was attached to other counties for judicial purposes—first to Riley, then to Davis (now Geary)—before being fully organized on August 10, 1866. After full organization, Jewell County was briefly attached to Clay for judicial purposes from 1867 until Jewell became fully organized in 1870.
- 1857Clay County created Clay created by Kansas Territory from part of Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley; Clay not fully organized. · Kans. Terr. Laws 1857, 2d leg., sec. 36/p. 46
- 1859Changed Clay attached to Riley "for judicial purposes." · Kans. Terr. Laws 1859, 5th leg., ch. 40, sec. 4/p. 330
- 1860
- 1861Became part of Kansas Clay became a county in the state of Kansas. · U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 20 [1861]/pp. 126-128; Van Zandt, 138-139
- 1861Changed Clay remained attached to Davis (now Geary) "for judicial purposes."DavisGeary· Kans. Laws 1861, 1st leg., ch. 23, sec. 1/p. 123
Show all 10 changes
- 1857Clay County created Clay created by Kansas Territory from part of Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley; Clay not fully organized. · Kans. Terr. Laws 1857, 2d leg., sec. 36/p. 46
- 1859Changed Clay attached to Riley "for judicial purposes." · Kans. Terr. Laws 1859, 5th leg., ch. 40, sec. 4/p. 330
- 1860
- 1860Changed Act authorized the organization of Clay, but the organization did not take effect. · Kans. Terr. Laws 1860, ch. 33/pp. 71-72
- 1861Became part of Kansas Clay became a county in the state of Kansas. · U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 20 [1861]/pp. 126-128; Van Zandt, 138-139
- 1861Changed Clay remained attached to Davis (now Geary) "for judicial purposes."DavisGeary· Kans. Laws 1861, 1st leg., ch. 23, sec. 1/p. 123
- 1866Changed Clay fully organized; detached from Davis (now Geary).DavisGeary· Andreas, 1313; Pioneers of the Bluestem Prairie, 10
- 1867Changed Jewell attached to Clay "for judicial purposes." · Kans. Laws 1867, 7th leg., ch. 52, sec. 16/p. 89
- 1868Changed Jewell remained attached to Clay "for judicial purposes." · Kans. Laws 1868, 8th leg., gen., ch. 28, sec. 2/p. 310
- 1870
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Clay
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Missing
No public parcel map found for Clay County yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county (claycountykansas.org).
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Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Clay County yet.
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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
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Records
Permits
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Clay County.
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.
Questions
Common questions about Clay County
- When was Clay County founded?
- Clay County was founded in 1857, formed from Riley County, and named after Henry Clay.
- What is the county seat of Clay County?
- The county seat of Clay County is Clay Center.
- Is there an online parcel map for Clay County?
- Not that we have found yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county assessor's office. When a public parcel map appears, it shows here.
- Has Clay County's boundary or name changed?
- Clay County was created in 1857 from Riley County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Davis County, Geary County and Jewell County.
- Who issues building permits in Clay County?
- The county's page on building permits: Floodplain Development Permit Application (PDF). Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Clay County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health department: septic and well.
- 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