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County · code 29047

Clay CountyMissouri

Clay County is a county in Missouri, with its seat in Liberty. The county was formed in 1822 and named after Henry Clay.

  • Founded1822
  • County seatLiberty
  • Named forHenry Clay
  • Land area398 sq mi + 11 sq mi water
  • Population253,335 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped98,112 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

ClintonJacksonPlatteWyandotte, KSRay Liberty Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Clay on the map of Missouri

Missouri has 115 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

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Counties of Missouri · Clay highlighted

History

Formed in 1822 from Ray County

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

Clay County was created on January 2, 1822, from Ray County and unorganized federal territory. The county's boundaries changed several times in its early years as new counties were organized from adjacent territory.

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

  1. 1822
    Clay County created Clay created from Ray and Non-County Area 7.
    from Ray
    · Mo. Laws 1821-1822, ch. 39, sec. 1/pp. 60-62
  2. 1825
    Lost territory Clay lost to creation of Non-County Area 12; Non-County Area 12 attached to Clay "for civil and military purposes." · Mo. Laws Rev., 1825, ch.1, sec. 28/pp. 241-242
  3. 1833
    Lost territory Clay lost part of attached Non-County Area 12 to creation of Clinton; remainder of Non-County Area 12 detached from Clay and attached to Clinton "for all civil, judicial, and military purposes."
    to Clinton
    · Mo. Laws 1832-1833, pub., ch. 25, secs. 1, 6/pp. 47-48
  4. 1837
    Clay County created Non-County Area 28 created from unorganized federal territory, and attached to Clay "for civil and military purposes." · Mo. Laws 1836–1837, pub., p. 49; U.S. Stat., vol. 5, ch. 86[1836]/p. 34, and res. 2, p. 802
  5. 1838
    Lost territory Clay lost attached Non-County Area 28 to creation of Platte; Non-County Area 28 eliminated.
    to Platte
    · Mo. Laws 1838–1839, pub., pp. 23–25

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
253,335 2020 Census count
Housing units
105,619 2020 Census count
Land area
398 square miles
Water area
11 square miles
People per sq mi
637 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

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

GIS and maps

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 1822, formed from Ray County, and named after Henry Clay.
What is the county seat of Clay County?
The county seat of Clay County is Liberty.
Is there an online parcel map for Clay County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 98,112 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 1822 from Ray County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Clinton County and Platte County.
Who issues building permits in Clay County?
The county's page on building permits: Licenses & Permits. 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

Counties next door