County · code 54015
Clay CountyWest Virginia
Clay County is a county in West Virginia, with its seat in the town of Clay. It was formed on March 29, 1858, from parts of Braxton, Nicholas, and Kanawha counties and named after Henry Clay.
- Founded1858
- County seatClay
- Named forHenry Clay
- Land area342 sq mi + 1.9 sq mi water
- Population8,051 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped9,033 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Clay on the map of West Virginia
West Virginia has 55 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1858 from Braxton County, Nicholas County and Kanawha County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Clay County was created by Virginia in 1858 from parts of Braxton, Nicholas, and Kanawha counties. It separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863.
- 1858Clay County created Clay created by Virginia from Braxton, Nicholas, and a small part of Kanawha. · Va. Acts 1857-1858, Dec. reg. sess., ch. 158, sec. 1/pp. 111-113; W. Va. Acts 1863, ch. 64, sec. 1/p. 61
- 1863Became part of West Virginia Clay separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. · Swindler, 10:363
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 Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 9,033 parcels from West Virginia University GIS Technical Center. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 5,487 in all from WV GIS Technical Center (WVGISTC, West Virginia University — the state's GIS clearinghouse) serving WV Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (WVDHSEM) SAMS-II address points.
checked 13 October 2026 -
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
Clay County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
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 1858, formed from Braxton County, Nicholas County and Kanawha County, and named after Henry Clay.
- What is the county seat of Clay County?
- The county seat of Clay County is Clay.
- Is there an online parcel map for Clay County?
- Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 9,033 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 1858 from Braxton County, Nicholas County and Kanawha County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 1 later change.
- 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