Clay Center, Kansas
Clay Center is a city in Clay County, Kansas, United States.[4] It is also the county seat of Clay County. In 2020, 4,199 people lived there.[3]
City and county seat | |
 | |
 Location within Clay County and Kansas | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 39°22′48″N 97°07′23″W / 39.38000°N 97.12306°WCoordinates: 39°22′48″N 97°07′23″W / 39.38000°N 97.12306°W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Clay |
| Founded | 1862 |
| Incorporated | 1875 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.19 sq mi (8.27 km2) |
| • Land | 3.19 sq mi (8.26 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,204 ft (367 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 4,199 |
| • Density | 1,316.3/sq mi (507.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 67432 |
| FIPS code | 20-13625 |
| GNIS ID | 485555[1] |
| Website | cityofclaycenter.com |
History
Clay Center was created in 1862.[5] It was named "Clay Center" because it was the geographical center of Clay County.[6]
The first post office in Clay Center was built on July 3, 1862.[7]
Clay Center was on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads.[8]
Geography
Clay Center is at 39°22′48″N 97°7′23″W / 39.38000°N 97.12306°W (39.379920, -97.123168).[9] The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of 3.19 square miles (8.26 km2). All of it is land.<[2] Clay Center is unique, because it is the geographic midpoint between Los Angeles, California and New York City, the two biggest American cities. Both cities are exactly 1,224 mi (1,970 km) from Clay Center.[10]
People
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,753 | ||
| 1890 | 2,802 | 59.8% | |
| 1900 | 3,069 | 9.5% | |
| 1910 | 3,438 | 12.0% | |
| 1920 | 3,715 | 8.1% | |
| 1930 | 4,386 | 18.1% | |
| 1940 | 4,518 | 3.0% | |
| 1950 | 4,528 | 0.2% | |
| 1960 | 4,613 | 1.9% | |
| 1970 | 4,963 | 7.6% | |
| 1980 | 4,948 | −0.3% | |
| 1990 | 4,613 | −6.8% | |
| 2000 | 4,564 | −1.1% | |
| 2010 | 4,334 | −5.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
The 2020 census says that there were 4,199 people, 1,809 households, and 1,116 families living in Clay Center. Of the households, 69.7% owned their home and 30.3% rented their home.
The median age was 43.9 years. Of the people, 92.6% were White, 0.9% were Black, 0.8% were Native American, 0.8% were Asian, 1.0% were from some other race, and 4.0% were two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the people.[3][11]
2010 census
The 2010 census says that there were 4,334 people, 1,920 households, and 1,172 families living in Clay Center.[12]
Famous people
- Herb Bradley, professional baseball player
- Tracy Claeys, Washington State football defensive coordinator and former University of Minnesota football head coach
- Warren Henry Cole, surgeon who pioneered X-ray use in medicine
- George Docking, former governor of Kansas
- Steve Doocy, host for Fox News Fox & Friends tv talk show and author
- Tenney Frank, noted scholar and historian
- Lady Greyhound (dog), marketing mascot for Greyhound Lines in the late 1950s
- Nicole Ohlde, basketball player and WNBA player
- Otto D. Unruh, two-time Bethel College football coach and 21-year coaching career at Clay Center Kansas High School
- William D. Vincent, United States Representative
Clay Center, Kansas Media
Clay Center Carnegie Library (2015)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Clay Center, Kansas
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ↑ Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. Standard Publishing Company. p. 361. ISBN 9780722249055.
- ↑ Kansas State Historical Society (1916). Biennial Report of the Board of Directors of the Kansas State Historical Society. Kansas State Printing Plant. p. 160.
- ↑ "Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961 (archived)". Kansas Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 9, 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
- ↑ "Geohydrology of Clay County". Kansas Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ↑ ""As The Crow Flies" Distance Calculator". Tjpeiffer. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ↑ "P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
Other websites
- Clay Center - Official
- Clay Center Chamber Archived 2019-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
- Clay Center - Directory of Public Officials
- Clay Center - Info
- Schools
- USD 379, local school district
- Media
- Maps
- Clay Center City Map, KDOT