Clay Center, Kansas
Clay Center is a city of 4,132 people in Clay County, Kansas, founded in 1862.
Why visit Clay Center
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 6 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Rex Theater, Clay Center Carnegie Library and Clay County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 18°F.
Weather in Clay Center
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Clay Center
Clay Center is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,199.
From the Wikipedia article Clay Center, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks3
Clay Center Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Library in Clay Center, Kansas, USA
708 6th Street, Clay Center
Clay County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic courthouse in Clay Center, Kansas, USA
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes6
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.0 mi
638 West Crawford Street, Clay Center
Mo-Su 11:00-23:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-24:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.8 mi
605 West Crawford Street, Clay Center
Mo-Sa 07:00-22:00; Su 08:00-21:00
Wendy's
Fast food · Burger
604 Crawford Street, Clay Center
Mo-Tu 10:00-22:00; We 10:00-20:00; Th-Su 10:00-22:00
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 0.8 mi
525 West Crawford Street, Clay Center
Mo-Th 07:00-23:00; Fr,Sa 07:00-24:00; Su 08:00-23:00
History
Clay Center was first settled in 1862. It was named from its position near the geographical center of Clay County.
The first post office was established in Clay Center on July 3, 1862.
Clay Center was located on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads.
From the History section of Clay Center, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping2
Gibson Ace Hardware
Hardware store · 1.1 mi
728 West Crawford Street, Clay Center
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Clay Center Community Middle School
School · 0.7 mi
935 Prospect Street, Clay Center
Healthcare1
Map of Clay Center
36 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 18°F | 0.7 in | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 21°F | 1.1 in | 2.0 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 31°F | 1.9 in | 0.8 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 41°F | 2.8 in | 0.6 in |
| May | 76°F | 53°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 64°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 68°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 66°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 57°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 44°F | 2.2 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 31°F | 1.5 in | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 21°F | 1.1 in | 3.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Clay Ctr (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Clay County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2022-02-17: Severe Storms And Straight Line Winds (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-06-20: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2018-10-19: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2015-07-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 29 miles away.
- Wakefield 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Leonardville 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Clifton 15 mi northwest, about 25 min by car
- Riley 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Junction City 29 mi southeast, about 46 min by car
- Chapman 29 mi south, about 46 min by car
- Manhattan 31 mi southeast, about 50 min by car
- Belleville 41 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Salina 47 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Beloit 53 mi west, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Clay County Kansas Courthouse, Unknown professional photographer paid by the Clay County Commissioners, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Clay Center Carnegie Library, Unknown professional photographer paid by the Clay County Commissioners, CC BY-SA 4.0
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