Clay County is located in the U.S. state of

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

and is part of the

Kansas City metropolitan area The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 253,335, making it the fifth-most populous county in Missouri. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

. The county was organized January 2, 1822, and named in honor of U.S. Representative

Henry Clay Henry Clay (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the United States Senate, U.S. Senate and United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives. He was the seventh Spea ...

from

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, later a member of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

and

United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the ...

. Clay County contains many of the area's northern

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

s, along with a portion of the city of

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

. It also owns and operates the Midwest National Air Center in

Excelsior Springs Excelsior Springs is a city in Clay County, Missouri, Clay and Ray County, Missouri, Ray counties in the U.S. state of Missouri and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The population was 10,553 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census ...

History

Clay County was settled primarily from migrants from the

Upper South The Upland South and Upper South are two overlapping cultural and geographic subregions in the inland part of the Southern United States. They differ from the Deep South and Atlantic coastal plain by terrain, history, economics, demographics, ...

ern states of

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. They brought

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

and slaveholding traditions with them, and quickly started cultivating crops similar to those in

Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the state's capital an ...

and Kentucky: hemp and tobacco. Clay was one of several counties settled mostly by Southerners to the north and south of the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

. Given their culture and traditions, this area became known as Little Dixie. In 1860, enslaved persons made up 25% or more of the county's population. The 1828 execution of Annice, a slave owned by Jeremiah Prior, was the first to occur in Clay County. She was also the first female slave executed in the state of Missouri. Many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints found refuge in Clay County in November 1833 after they were driven from Jackson County, Missouri. In 1836, mobs and the Missouri State militia viciously drove the members of the church from the county. Leaders of this church, most notably

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the age of 24, Smith attracted tens of thou ...

, were imprisoned for some months in Clay County in the jail at Liberty. In May 2012, the LDS Church built the Kansas City Missouri Temple six miles southwest of the Liberty Jail site at 7001 Searcy Creek Parkway in Kansas City, Missouri.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.8%) is covered by water. It is the fourth-smallest county in Missouri by area.

Adjacent counties

* Clinton County (north) * Ray County (east) * Jackson County (south) * Wyandotte County, Kansas (southwest) * Platte County (west)

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, 221,939 people, 72,558 households, and 50,137 families resided in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . The 93,918 housing units averaged . The racial makeup of the county was 87.46% White, 5.18% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 2.05% Asian, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 1.77% from other races, and 2.75% from two or more races. About 5.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the

of 2000, 23.3% were of German, 14.5% American, 11.0% English, 10.8% Irish, and 5.6% Italian ancestry. Of the 72,558 households, 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were not families. About 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county, the population was distributed as 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 32.30% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.80 males. In 2015 the median income for a household in Clay County was $62,099. The income per capita in Clay county was $29,793. In 2010 the median income for a household in the county was $48,347, and for a family was $56,772. Males had a median income of $40,148 versus $27,681 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $23,144. About 3.80% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 6.40% of those under age 18 and 5.50% of those age 65 or over. Registered voters number 151,042.

2020 Census

Education

School districts include: K-12: * Excelsior Springs 40 School District * Kearney R-I School District * Lawson R-XIV School District * Liberty 53 School District * North Kansas City 74 School District * Platte County R-III School District * Clinton County R-III School District * Smithville R-II School District Elementary-only district: * Missouri City 56 School District

Public schools

Excelsior Springs School District No. 40
–

**Lewis Elementary School (PK–5) **Cornerstone Elementary School (K–5) **Elkhorn Elementary School (K-5) **Excelsior Springs Middle School (6–8) **Excelsior Springs High School (9–12) **Excelsior Springs Technical High School (12) – Alternative/Technical School
Kearney R-I School District
– Kearney **Dogwood Elementary School (K–5) **Hawthorne Elementary School (K–5) **Kearney Elementary School (K–5) **Southview Elementary School (K–5) **Kearney Middle School (6–7) **Kearney Junior High School (8–9) **Kearney High School (10–12)
Liberty School District No. 53
–

**Liberty Early Childhood Education Center (PreK) **Alexander Doniphan Elementary School (K–5) **Franklin Elementary School (K–5) **Kellybrook Elementary School (K–5) – Kansas City **Lewis & Clark Elementary School (K–5) **Liberty Oaks Elementary School (K–5) – Kansas City **Lillian Schumacher Elementary School (K–5) **Manor Hill Elementary School (K–5) **Ridgeview Elementary School (K–5) **Shoal Creek Elementary School (K–5) **Warren Hills Elementary School (K–5) **Liberty Middle School (6–8) **South Valley Middle School (6–8) **Heritage Middle School (6–8) **Discovery Middle School (6–8) ** Liberty High School (9–12) ** Liberty North High School (9–12)
Missouri City School District No. 56
– Missouri City **Missouri City Elementary School (K–8)
North Kansas City School District No. 74
– North Kansas City **Bell Prairie Elementary School (K–5) **Briarcliff Elementary School (K–5) **Chapel Hill Elementary School (K–5) **Chouteu Elementary School (Pre-K–5) **Clardy Elementary School (2–5) **Crestview Elementary School (K–5) **Davidson Elementary School (Pre-K–5) **Fox Hill Elementary School (K–5) **Gashland Elementary School (K–1) **Gracemor Elementary School (Pre-K–5) **Lakewood Elementary School (Pre-K–5) **Linden West Elementary School (K–5) – Gladstone **Maplewood Elementary School (K–5) **Meadowbrook Elementary School (K–5) **Nashua Elementary School (K–5) **Northview Elementary School (K–5) **Oakwood Manor Elementary School (K–5) **Ravenwood Elementary School (K–5) **Rising Hill Elementary School (K-5) **Topping Elementary School (K–5) **West Englewood Elementary School (Pre-K–5) **Winnwood Elementary School (Pre-K–5) **Antioch Middle School (6–8) **Eastgate 6th Grade Center (6) **Gateway 6th Grade Center (6) **Maple Park Middle School (6–8) **New Mark Middle School (6–8) **Northgate Middle School (6–8) ** North Kansas City High School (9–12) ** Oak Park High School (Kansas City) (9–12) ** Staley High School (9–12) ** Winnetonka High School (9–12)
Smithville R-II School District
– Smithville **Smithville Maple Elementary School (Pre-K–6) **Smithville Horizon Elementary School (Pre-K-6) **Smithville Eagle Heights Elementary School (Pre-K-6) **Smithville Middle School (7–8) ** Smithville High School (9–12)

Private schools

*Northland Christian School - Kansas City (Preschool-12) - Independent Christian
Kalos Christian Academy
- Kansas City (K–12) - Nondenominational Christian *Outreach Christian Early Education Center – Avondale (Pre-K–12) – Nondenominational Christian *Oakhill Day School – Gladstone (Pre-K–7) – Nonsectarian – (Special Programs Emphasis) *St. Andrew the Apostle Parish School – Gladstone (K–9) –

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

*Northern Hills Christian Academy – Holt (K–9) –

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

*Prairie Church School – Holt (K–6) *Covenant Memorial Baptist Day School – Kansas City (K) –

*Eagle Heights Christian School – Kansas City (Pre-K–12) –

*Faith Academy – Kansas City (Pre-K–12) – Nondenominational Christian
Refine KC School
- Kansas City (K-12) *St. Charles Borromeo School – Kansas City (K–9) –

*St. Gabriel Catholic School – Kansas City (K–9) –

*St. Patrick School – Kansas City (NS/Pre-K–8) –

St. Pius X High Schoo
– Kansas City (9–12) –

*Liberty Montessori Center –

(K–1) – Montessori *St. James School –

(K–9) –

Postsecondary

*Maple Woods :: Metropolitan Community College—Kansas City—A public, two-year Liberal Arts college **MCC has a service area that includes all of the county, though only the portions in the Liberty and North Kansas City school districts are in the community college district's in-district taxation zone. * William Jewell College –

– A private, four-year Liberal Arts college.

Libraries, archives, museums

Libraries

* Mid-Continent Public Library *North Kansas City Public Library

Museums

*Clay County Museum *Jesse James Bank Museum

Communities

Cities and towns

* Avondale *

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

* Claycomo * Excelsior Estates (mostly in Ray County) *

(small part in Ray County) * Gladstone * Glenaire * Holt (partly in Clinton County) * Kansas City (partly in Jackson and Platte Counties and a small part in Cass County) * Kearney * Lawson (partly in Ray County) *

(county seat) * Missouri City * Mosby * North Kansas City * Oaks * Oakview * Oakwood * Oakwood Park * Pleasant Valley * Prathersville * Randolph * Smithville (small part in Platte County) * Sugar Creek

Unincorporated communities

* Arley * Chandler * Claysville * Clevenger * Ectonville * Miltondale * Roosterville * Stockdale * Winner

Notable people

* Noah Beery (1882–1946), actor * Wallace Beery (1885–1949), actor * Obediah Summers (1844–1896), formerly enslaved, AME minister, and Civil War veteran; born in Clay County *

Frank James Alexander Franklin James (January 10, 1843 – February 18, 1915) was a Confederate States Army, Confederate American Civil War, soldier and Guerrilla warfare in the American Civil War, guerrilla; in the Reconstruction era, post-Civil War p ...

(1843–1915), outlaw, Confederate States guerrilla, and train robber; born in Clay County *

Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, Bank robbery, bank and Train robbery, train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the "Little Dixie (Missouri), Little Dixie" area of M ...

(1847–1882), outlaw, born in Clay County * John Ellis Martineau (1873–1937),

Governor of Arkansas The governor of Arkansas is the head of government of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Governor (United States), governor is the head of the Executive (government), executive branch of the Politics and government of Arkansas, Arkansas government a ...

from 1927 to 1928, born in Clay County * Jesse Sexton (1885–1948), state senator 1936 to 1948

Politics

Clay County, like the rest of Missouri, has swung to the Republican Party in the 21st century, though the margins have been very close. In 2000,

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...

famously won the county by one vote. The county, holding Kansas City, is mainly suburban in culture and remains competitive. In 2016,

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

won the county while

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

failed to improve on

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

's percentages with only 41% of the vote. Joe Biden, however, did improve on those margins, winning nearly 47% of the vote in 2020; Trump still carried the county by 4%.

References

External links

Clay County government's website

Clay County Economic Development Council website

from

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
Missouri Historical Sites
{{authority control Little Dixie (Missouri) Missouri counties 1822 establishments in Missouri Populated places established in 1822 Missouri counties on the Missouri River