Clay County, Alabama
Clay County is a county of the US state of Alabama. As of 2020 the population was 14,236.[1] Its county seat is Ashland and it is a prohibition or dry county.
| Clay County, Alabama | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Alabama | |
 Alabama's location in the U.S. | |
| Statistics | |
| Founded | December 7, 1866 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Ashland |
| Largest City | Lineville |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
606 sq mi (1,570 km²) 604 sq mi (1,564 km²) 2.0 sq mi (5 km²), 0.3 |
| Population - Density |
|
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website: https://alabamaclaycounty.com/ | |
| Named for: Henry Clay | |
History
Clay County was formed on December 7, 1866 from land taken from Randolph and Talladega County. Its name is in honor of Henry Clay, famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State. Clay County is one of only three counties in Alabama to have no U.S. Highways in its boundaries.
During the Desert Shield/Storm conflict, Clay County had more soldiers serving per capita than any other county in the United States.[2]
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 606.00 square miles (1,569.5 km2). 605.07 square miles (1,567.1 km2) (or 99.85%) is land and 0.93 square miles (2.4 km2) (or 0.15%) is water.[3]
Major highways
Rail
- CSX Transportation
- Norfolk Southern Railway
Border counties
- Cleburne County, Alabama – north
- Randolph County, Alabama – east
- Tallapoosa County, Alabama – south
- Coosa County, Alabama – southwest
- Talladega County, Alabama – west
National protected area
- Talladega National Forest (part)
Cities and towns
Notable natives
- Hugo Black (1886–1971), born in Harlan, served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1937 until 1971
- LaFayette L. Patterson (1888–1987), born near Delta, served three terms in the U.S. Congress from 1928 to 1933
- Byron Lavoy Cockrell (1935–2007), born in Lineville, rocket scientist and engineer
- Bob Riley (b. 1944), Alabama's 52nd governor, native of Ashland
Places of interest
Clay County is home to parts of Cheaha State Park in the Talladega National Forest and Lake Wedowee on the eastern boundary. The Pinhoti Trail system Archived 2009-04-09 at the Wayback Machine weaves its way through the Talladega National Forest to Mt. Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama. Hikers along the trail may see some of the local wildlife, including whitetail deer, wild turkey, and the rare bald eagle.
References
- ↑ "QuickFacts: Clay County, Alabama". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ↑ Small Town Historic Markers, Alabama Tourism Department, retrieved 2011-02-02
- ↑ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13.