| Clay County, Alabama | |
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Clay County Courthouse in Ashland
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Location in the state of Alabama |
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Alabama's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | December 7, 1866 |
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| Seat | Ashland |
| Largest city | Lineville |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
606.00 sq mi (1,570 km²) 605.07 sq mi (1,567 km²) 0.93 sq mi (2 km²), (0.15%) |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
13,932 23/sq mi (8.8/km²) |
Clay County is a county of the US state of Alabama. 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 in the 19th century. As of 2010 the population was 13,932. Its county seat is Ashland and it is a prohibition or dry county.
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Clay County was established on December 7, 1866 from land taken from Randolph and Talladega County. Named after the famous statesman Henry Clay, the county seat itself was named after his estate in Lexington, Kentucky called "Ashland". Clay County was formed for geographic reasons. The citizens of the area had a difficult time reaching the county seat of Wedowee in Randolph County because of the Tallapoosa River to the east. Talladega was difficult to reach because of the intervening mountains. Even today, 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.[1]
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 606.00 square miles (1,569.5 km2), of which 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.[2]
| Clay County, Alabama | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1870 | 9,560 | — |
| 1880 | 12,938 | +35.3% |
| 1890 | 15,765 | +21.9% |
| 1900 | 17,099 | +8.5% |
| 1910 | 21,006 | +22.8% |
| 1920 | 22,645 | +7.8% |
| 1930 | 17,768 | −21.5% |
| 1940 | 16,907 | −4.8% |
| 1950 | 13,929 | −17.6% |
| 1960 | 12,400 | −11.0% |
| 1970 | 12,636 | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 13,703 | +8.4% |
| 1990 | 13,252 | −3.3% |
| 2000 | 14,254 | +7.6% |
| 2010 | 13,932 | −2.3% |
| Sources: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml. through 1960 | ||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 14,254 people, 5,765 households, and 4,098 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile (9/km2). There were 6,612 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 82.62% White, 15.70% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,765 households out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.80% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,885, and the median income for a family was $34,033. Males had a median income of $26,118 versus $18,637 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,785. About 12.90% of families and 17.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.60% of those under age 18 and 19.00% of those age 65 or over.
Clay County is home to parts of Cheaha State Park in the Talladega National Forest and Lake Wedowee on the eastern boundary. Outdoor adventures abound in Clay County and the surrounding area. The Pinhoti Trail system weaves its way through the Talladega National Forest to Mt. Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama. Hikers along the trail may spy some of the local wildlife, including whitetail deer, wild turkey, and the rare bald eagle.
Home of Doc Hilt Trails for Off-Highway Vehicles. On May 5, 2010, Doc Hilt Trails was awarded the distinction of being a "National Recreation Trail." One of only two private motorized parks in the nation to ever be awarded the NRT designation.
| Cleburne County | ||||
| Talladega County | Randolph County | |||
| Clay County, Alabama | ||||
| Coosa County | Tallapoosa County |
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