Clay County, Mississippi

Clay County, Mississippi
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Coordinates: 33°39′N 88°46′W / 33.65°N 88.77°W / 33.65; -88.77
Country United States
State Mississippi
Founded1871
Named afterHenry Clay
SeatWest Point
Largest cityWest Point
Area
 • Total
416 sq mi (1,080 km2)
 • Land410 sq mi (1,100 km2)
 • Water5.9 sq mi (15 km2)  1.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
18,636
 • Estimate 
(2024)
18,213
 • Density45/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.claycountyms.com/index.php/

Clay County is a county in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 18,636. Its county seat is West Point. Its name is in honor of American statesman Henry Clay, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. J. Wesley Caradine, an African American, was the first state representative for Clay County after it was established in 1871. The federal government formerly designated Clay County as the West Point Micropolitan Statistical Area, but the county lost that status in 2013. It is part of the Golden Triangle region of the state.