Map of Clay County, Florida

Clay County is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2020, the population was 218,245. Its county seat is Green Cove Springs. It is included in the Jacksonville metropolitan statistical area. It is named in honor of Henry Clay, a famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky, and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century.

Clay County overview:
Name:	Clay County
FIPS code:	12-019
State:	Florida
Founded:	December 31, 1858
Named for:	Henry Clay
Seat:	Green Cove Springs
Largest city:	Green Cove Springs
Total Area:	644 sq mi (1,670 km²)
Land Area:	604 sq mi (1,560 km²)
Total Population:	218,245
Population Density:	352/sq mi (136/km²)
Time zone:	UTC−5 (Eastern)
Summer Time Zone (DST):	UTC−4 (EDT)
Website:	www.claycountygov.com

Clay County location map. Where is Clay County?

Clay County location on the U.S. Map. Where is Clay County. — Location of Clay County in the the United States.

Clay County location on the Florida map. Where is Clay County. — Location of Clay County in Florida.

History

Early in the 19th century, Zephaniah Kingsley built his prosperous Laurel Grove Plantation, planting oranges and trading slaves, where Orange Park is today.

Clay County was created on December 31, 1858, from a section of Duval County. The area was once a popular destination for tourists because of its hot springs and mild climate. Steamboats brought them to various hotels in Green Cove Springs, such as the St. Elmo, Clarendon, and Oakland. President Grover Cleveland was the most prominent of such tourists and had spring water shipped to the White House. Clay County’s popularity among tourists peaked during the last three decades of the 19th century. Tourism later waned because of Henry Flagler’s extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to other destinations such as Palm Beach and Miami.

The military has also played an important role in Clay County history. In 1939, Camp Blanding opened on Kingsley Lake in southwest Clay County. The Florida National Guard developed this 28,000-acre (110 km) complex. During World War II, it trained over 90,000 troops and became the fourth-largest “city” in the state. In Green Cove Springs, Lee Field was a flight training center. After World War II, Lee Field became a base for the mothball fleet. Although Lee Field closed in the early 1960s, Camp Blanding continues to operate today as a base for military training. Clay County is also a popular choice of residence for military personnel stationed on bases in nearby Duval County (NAS Jacksonville, NS Mayport, and, before it closed, NAS Cecil Field).

Clay County Road Map

Clay CountyStreet Map. — Street map of Clay County, Florida. Source: OpenStreetMap (OSM)

Clay CountyMap — Clay Countypolitical map.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 644 square miles (1,670 km), of which 604 square miles (1,560 km) are land and 39 square miles (100 km) (6.1%) are covered by water.