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Clay County, Missouri
South side of the Clay County Courthouse (designed by Wight and Wight) in Liberty
Location in the U.S. state of Missouri
Missouri's location in the U.S.
Founded	January 2, 1822
Seat	Liberty
Largest city	Kansas City
Area
• Total	409 sq mi (1,059 km2)
• Land	397 sq mi (1,028 km2)
• Water	11 sq mi (28 km2), 2.8%
Population (est.)
• (2017)	242,874
• Density	612/sq mi (236/km2)
Congressional districts	5th, 6th
Time zone	Central: UTC−6/−5
Website	www.claycountymo.gov

Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 221,939,^[1] making it the fifth-most populous county in Missouri. Its county seat is Liberty.^[2] The county was organized January 2, 1822, and named in honor of U.S. Representative Henry Clay from Kentucky, later member of the United States Senate and United States Secretary of State.^[3][4]

Clay County is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area and contains many of the city's northern suburbs, along with a substantial portion of the City of Kansas City.

Clay County owns and operates the Midwest National Air Center in Excelsior Springs.

History

Clay County was settled primarily from migrants from the Upper Southern states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. They brought slaves and slaveholding traditions with them, and quickly started cultivating crops similar to those in Middle Tennessee and Kentucky: hemp and tobacco. Clay was one of several counties settled mostly by Southerners to the north and south of the Missouri River. Given their culture and traditions, this area became known as Little Dixie. In 1860, slaves made up 25% or more of the county's population.^[5] Residents generally supported the Confederacy during the Civil War, as the Confederate flag flew over the county courthouse for many years following the end of the Civil War.

Many members of the Latter Day Saint movement found refuge in Clay County in November 1833. In 1836, mobs drove the members of the church from the county.^[6] Leaders of this church, most notably Joseph Smith, were imprisoned for some months in Clay County in the jail at Liberty. In May 2012, the LDS Church opened a Kansas City Missouri Temple six miles southwest of the Liberty Jail site at 7001 Searcy Creek Parkway in Kansas City, Missouri.^[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 409 square miles (1,060 km²), of which 397 square miles (1,030 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28 km²) (2.8%) is covered by water.^[8] 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^[14] of 2010, 221,939 people, 72,558 households, and 50,137 families resided in the county. The population density was 558 people per square mile (216/km²). The 93,918 housing units averaged 236 per square mile (91/km²). 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 census^[15] 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 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.
^[16]

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 for the county was $23,144. About 3.80% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.40% of those under age 18 and 5.50% of those age 65 or over.

Registered voters number 151,042.^[17]

Education

Public schools

• 
  Excelsior Springs School District No. 40 – Excelsior Springs
  
  
  
  • Lewis Elementary School (PK–5)
  
  
  • Westview 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 (PreK–5)
  
  
  • Hawthorne Elementary School (K–5)
  
  
  • Holt 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
  
  
  
  • 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 Elementary School (Pre-K–2)
  
  
  • Smithville Upper Elementary School (3–5)
  
  
  • Smithville Middle School (6–8)
  
  
  • 
    Smithville High School (9–12)
  
  
  
  

Private schools

• 
  Northland Christian School - Kansas City (Preschool-12) - Independent Christian
  


• 
  Outreach Christian Early Education Center – Avondale (Pre-K–12) – Nondenominational Christian
  


• 
  Gladstone KinderCare – Gladstone (NS–Pre-K) – Nonsectarian


• 
  Oakhill Day School – Gladstone (Pre-K–7) – Nonsectarian – (Special Programs Emphasis)


• 
  St. Andrew the Apostle Parish School – Gladstone (K–9) – Roman Catholic
  


• 
  Northern Hills Christian Academy – Holt (K–9) – Baptist
  


• Prairie Church School – Holt (K–6) – Nondenominational Christian
  


• 
  Chouteau and Parvin KinderCare – Kansas City (NS–Pre-K) – Nonsectarian


• Covenant Memorial Baptist Day School – Kansas City (K) – Baptist
  


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


• 
  Faith Academy – Kansas City (Pre-K–12) – Nondenominational Christian
  


• 
  St. Charles Borromeo School – Kansas City (K–9) – Roman Catholic
  


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


• 
  St. Patrick School – Kansas City (NS/Pre-K–8) – Roman Catholic
  


• 
  St. Pius X High School – Kansas City (9–12) – Roman Catholic
  


• 
  Liberty Montessori Center – Liberty (K–1) – Montessori
  


• 
  St. James School – Liberty (K–9) – Roman Catholic
  

Postsecondary

• Maple Woods :: Metropolitan Community College—Kansas City—A public, two-year Liberal Arts college


• 
  William Jewell College – Liberty – A private, four-year Liberal Arts college.

Libraries, archives, museums

Libraries

• Mid-Continent Public Library


• North Kansas City Public Library^[18]
  

Archives

• Clay County Archives | https://www.claycountyarchives.org/
  

Museums

• Clay County Museum | http://www.claycountymuseum.org/
  


• Jesse James Bank Museum | https://www.claycountymo.gov/Historic_Sites/Jesse_James_Bank_Museum
  

Politics

Local

The three-person Clay County Commission oversees the issues of Clay County. The current makeup of the commissioners is two Republicans and one Democrat.

State

Clay County is divided into eight legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, five of which are held by Republicans and three by Democrats.

• District 8 — Jim Neely (R— Cameron) — Consists of Holt and Lawson.

• District 12 — Kenneth Wilson (R— Smithville) — consists of Smithville, a part of Kansas City, and a part of Kearney.

• District 14 — Kevin Corlew (R- Kansas City) — consists of a small part of Kansas City.

• District 15 — Jon Carpenter (D—Kansas City) — consists of Gladstone, Oaks, Oakview, Oakwood, Oakwood Park, and a part of Kansas City.

• District 16 — Noel J. Shull (R—Kansas City) — consists of a part of Kansas City.

• District 17 — Mark Ellebracht (D— Liberty) — consists of the communities of Birmingham, Claycomo, Glenaire, a part of Kansas City, and a part of Liberty.

• District 18 — Lauren Arthur (D— Kansas City) — consists of the communities of Avondale, part of Kansas City, and North Kansas City.

• District 38 — T.J. Berry (R— Kearney) — consists of Excelsior Springs, part of Kansas City, part of Kearney, part of Liberty, Missouri City, Mosby, and Prathersville.

Clay County is divided into two districts in the Missouri Senate, both of which are held by Republicans.

• District 12 — Dan Hegeman (R-Cosby) -- consists of the communities of Excelsior Springs, Holt, Kearney, Lawson, Missouri City, Mosby, Prathersville, and Smithville.

• District 17 – Ryan Silvey (R-Kansas City) - consists of the communities of Avondale, Birmingham, Claycomo, Gladstone, Glenaire, Liberty, North Kansas City, Oaks, Oakview, Oakwood, Oakwood Park, Pleasant Valley, Randolph, Sugar Creek, and a part of Kansas City.

Federal

Clay County is split between the 5th and 6th congressional districts of Missouri. The southern 30% of the county is represented by Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City).

The northern 70% of the county is represented by Sam Graves (R-Tarkio).

Communities

Notable people

• 
  Frank James, born in Clay County in 1843


• 
  Jesse James, born in Clay County in 1847


• 
  John Ellis Martineau, Governor of Arkansas (1927–1928), born in Clay County in 1873


• 
  Noah Beery, Sr., actor


• 
  Wallace Beery, actor

See also

• List of counties in Missouri


• Mormon War (1838)


• National Register of Historic Places listings in Clay County, Missouri

References

Further reading

• Woodson, W.H. History of Clay County, Missouri (1920) online
  

External links

Coordinates: 39°19′N 94°25′W / 39.31°N 94.42°W / 39.31; -94.42

• Clay County government's website


• Clay County Economic Development Council website


• 
  Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Clay County from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books


• Clay County Collector and Assessor | https://www.claycountymo.tax/
  


• Missouri Historical Sites