Clay

Formed January 2, 1822 (27^th county)

Clay County (253,322), Liberty (30,151)

The masonry and concrete Art Deco courthouse was built in 1935 and sits on a square at Water, Kansas, Main, and Franklin streets.  The courthouse is three blocks west of Missouri State Highway 33.  This is a Works Progress Administration designed facility by the architects Wight & Wight.  There were 1833 and 1857 courthouses and a Justice Center was added recently.  The courthouse features marble floors and walls.  The county was established on January 2, 1822 from Ray County as the 27^th county with Liberty as the only county seat.  The county is named for Kentucky Senator Henry Clay.  The county seat is named for the concept of freedom.  Interstate Highway 29 cuts the southwest corner of the county from Platte County, west, to Jackson County, south. 

The area of the county is 396 square miles.  It is 111 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 6 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 639.7 persons per square mile making it 5 out of 115 in the state.  Clay County has 94.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35 enters from the north, Clinton County, and joins Interstate Highway 29 into Jackson County.  United States Highway 69 parallels Interstate Highway 35 from Clinton County to Platte County.  United States Highway 71 is joined with Interstate Highway 29 from Clinton to Jackson counties.  United States Highway 169 comes from Clinton County, north, and joins United States Highway 69 into Platte County. 

Clay County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a collector, a coroner, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Four Circuit Court Judges, Four County Court Judges and a court clerk serve Clay County (judicial.) Clay County is in northwest Missouri.  Kansas City, Missouri is directly south of the county.  The county center is 8.7 miles Northwest of Liberty.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Clinton, Ray, and Jackson counties and Kansas and Platte County.  The county looks like a molar tooth.  Liberty is near the southern Missouri River border of the county.  Liberty is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 11.9% of the county population.  This county is in the Kansas City Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Sugar Creek