Clay County, Florida

Clay County, Florida

Clay County Courthouse

Flag
Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Clay County
Location in the state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location in the U.S.
Founded December 31, 1858
Named for Henry Clay
Seat Green Cove Springs
Largest community Lakeside
Area
 • Total 644 sq mi (1,668 km2)
 • Land 604 sq mi (1,564 km2)
 • Water 39 sq mi (101 km2), 6.1%
Population (est.)
 • (2015) 203,967
 • Density 331/sq mi (128/km²)
Congressional district 3rd
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.claycountygov.com

Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 190,895.[1] Its county seat is Green Cove Springs, Florida.[2]

Clay County is included in the Jacksonville, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Clay County was created on December 31, 1858, from a section of Duval County. Its name is 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.[3][4]

Clay County was once a popular destination for tourists visiting from the northern states. The therapeutic, warm springs and mild climate were major draws for visitors. Steamboats brought them to various hotels in Green Cove Springs - the St. Elmo, Clarendon and the Oakland. President Grover Cleveland was the most prominent of such tourists; he had spring water shipped to the White House. Clay County's popularity among tourists peaked during the last three decades of the 19th century. It was later eclipsed by Henry Flagler's extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to points south 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 acres (110 km2) 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).

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 644 square miles (1,670 km2), of which 604 square miles (1,560 km2) is land and 39 square miles (100 km2) (6.1%) is water.[5]

Adjacent counties

Transportation

Airports

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18601,914—
18702,0989.6%
18802,83835.3%
18905,15481.6%
19005,6359.3%
19106,1168.5%
19205,621−8.1%
19306,85922.0%
19406,468−5.7%
195014,323121.4%
196019,53536.4%
197032,05964.1%
198067,052109.2%
1990105,98658.1%
2000140,81432.9%
2010190,86535.5%
Est. 2015203,967[6]6.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2015[1]

As of the census[11] of 2010, there were 190,865 people, 65,356 households, and 39,390 families residing in the county. The majority of Clay County's population is located in the northeastern part where large suburban communities have been built. Orange Park, Middleburg, and the surrounding area respectively share the majority of the population. Green Cove Springs area has the lower population spread west and south, along with the small city of Keystone Heights, which lies at the southwestern end of the county. Although the population of Clay County is relatively high, the majority of the county is still rural and consists of many farms and county roads less maintained. The population density was 234 people per square mile (90/km²). There were 73,208 housing units at an average density of 89 per square mile (35/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 81.8% White, 9.9% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. 7.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino, with Puerto Ricans being the majority of the population.

There were 50,243 households, out of which 39.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.80% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.60% were non-families. 16.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.00% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,854, and the median income for a family was $53,814. Males had a median income of $36,683 versus $25,488 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,868. About 5.10% of families and 6.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.90% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.

According to the Florida Times-Union, in October 2004, there were 106,114 registered voters in Clay County.

Politics

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans account for a majority of registered voters in Clay County.

Clay County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of September 30, 2015[12]
Political Party Total Voters Percentage
  Republican 73,489 53.14%
  Democratic 31,041 22.45%
  Independent 29,797 21.55%
  Third Parties 3,961 2.86%
Total 138,288 100%

Statewide elections

Clay County is one of the most reliably Republican counties in the state during presidential elections outside of the Panhandle, although it does support conservative Democrats for local and state offices.

Previous Presidential Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2012 72.33% 70,022 26.61% 25,759 1.06% 1,024
2008 70.95% 67,203 28.18% 26,697 0.87% 823
2004 76.17% 62,078 23.28% 18,971 0.55% 446
2000 72.80% 41,903 25.48% 14,668 1.72% 988
1996 64.48% 30,332 28.16% 13,246 7.36% 3,462
1992 57.94% 26,313 23.33% 10,597 18.73% 8,506
Previous Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2014 72.40% 49,330 23.41% 15,948 4.19% 2,861
2010 69.97% 44,547 27.09% 17,246 2.94% 1,874
2006 73.00% 37,632 24.46% 12,610 2.54% 1,309
2002 77.38% 39,347 22.09% 11,233 0.53% 272
1998 76.29% 26,585 23.71% 8,261 0.00% 2
1994 70.86% 24,290 29.13% 9,986 0.00% 1

Museums

Education

The Clay County School District operates 42 public schools. There are currently 28 elementary schools, 6 junior high schools, and 8 high schools.

Library

The Clay County Public Library System consists of 5 branches.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ Publications of the Florida Historical Society. Florida Historical Society. 1908. p. 30.
  4. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 83.
  5. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  11. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  12. ↑ http://dos.myflorida.com/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-monthly-reports/voter-registration-current-by-county/

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Clay County, Florida.
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Putnam County

Coordinates: 29°59′N 81°52′W / 29.98°N 81.86°W / 29.98; -81.86

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