Clay County, Florida

History

Early history

The surrounding region was part of St. Johns culture, an early archaeological culture that spanned from 500 BC until the 17th Century, with the arrival of European explorers. At the time of first contact by French Huguenot explorer René Goulaine de Laudonnière, the region was inhabited by the Agua Dulce people under the Timucua chiefdom of Utina. With the arrival of the Spanish colonists to St. Augustine in the East, the wars and skirmishes with the rival tribes to the north and west, and the defeat of the Huguenots at Fort Caroline by the newly arrived Spanish, the Utina chiefdom collapsed and the surviving natives fled South, leaving the area virtually uninhabited until the late 18th Century with attempts to resettle the area by the Spanish in the newly reclaimed Spanish East Florida.

In 1803, Zephaniah Kingsley, purchased the site of Laurel Grove (later rebuilt into the Town of Orange Park) to establish a plantation for planting oranges, and coffee, and for trading slaves. In 1816, George J. F. Clarke purchased land to build a sawmill on the site that grew into the city of Green Cove Springs. During the Patriot War, Laurel Grove was seized by the insurgents, forcing Kingsley to flee, but not before razing the plantation in order to keep it out of rebel hands.

After the war ended and the eventual annexation of Spanish East Florida to the United States, the area saw an influx of tourists and settlers.

Establishment of Clay County

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 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 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 sqmi, of which 604 sqmi are land and 39 sqmi (6.1%) are covered by water. The average elevation in Clay County is 95 feet above sea level with the highest point, located on the western border in Camp Blanding, being 259 feet. The southwestern portion of the county features many lakes which contribute to the Floridan Aquifer and are an important source of water for the surrounding region. During the 2000s, high growth rates in Northeast Florida caused many of the lakes to dry up as demand for water increased. To combat this, a project began in August 2022 to construct a pipeline from Black Creek in the central part of the county to Alligator Creek in Keystone Heights. This pipeline is expected to restore the water levels in the lakes to their former high points.

Clay County is home to Goldhead Branch State Park, Belmore State Forest, and Jennings State Forest. These protected areas provide critical habitat to many native species of plants and animals, as well as provide a buffer around Camp Blanding from surrounding development.

Adjacent counties

• Duval County, Florida - north
• St. Johns County, Florida - east
• Putnam County, Florida - south
• Bradford County, Florida - west
• Baker County, Florida - northwest

Transportation

Airports

• Keystone Heights Airport

Railroads

• CSX A-Line - Runs north to south through the eastern portion of the county beginning in Orange Park to the north and exiting the county south of Green Cove Springs
• CSX S-Line - Runs very briefly through the northwest corner of the county concurrent with US-301 near Maxville

Major highways

Before the opening of the first segment of the First Coast Expressway in 2019, Clay County was the largest county in Florida without a limited-access highway. Once complete, this project will connect Interstate 10 in Jacksonville with Interstate 95 in St. Johns County and will result in the replacement of the current Shands Bridge with a new, expanded bridge.

• is the main south to north road running through eastern Clay County.
• runs south and north through western Clay County from Lawtey in Bradford County into western Duval County.
• runs west to east from Starke in Bradford County passing around Camp Blanding, and later through Penney Farms. In Green Cove Springs, the route briefly joins southbound US 17 before returning to the east to cross the Shands Bridge.
• runs south to north entering Clay County twice. First from Putnam County and later from Bradford County.
• , the future First Coast Expressway.
• runs northwest to southeast from Bradford County through Keystone Heights and Lake Geneva into Putnam County.

Public Transportation

• Clay Community Transportation - A shuttle service operated by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority with 4 lines and stops throughout the county
• Clay Express-Select - An executive-style bus service that takes riders from multiple stops in Orange Park and Fleming Island to the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center in Downtown Jacksonville

Demographics

| align-fn = center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2019

2022 Census Estimates

Non-Hispanic White According to 2022 census estimates, Clay County's population increased to 226,589. This increase was fueled exclusively by in-migration to the county. In all, 9,101 people have moved to Clay County since 2020 with over 95% of that growth coming from domestic migration.

Since 2020, the county has experienced 5,643 deaths compared to 4,846 births resulting in a natural change of -797. This has corresponded with an increase in the median age to 40.5 years.

2020 Census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 218,245. The median age was 40.2 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.9 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 71.0% White, 12.2% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.1% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.4% from some other race, and 9.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.6% of the population.

85.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 14.4% lived in rural areas.

There were 78,939 households in the county, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 55.0% were married-couple households, 15.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The census counted 57,587 families residing in the county.

There were 85,049 housing units, of which 7.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.7% were owner-occupied and 26.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2021 American Community Survey

According to the 2021 ACS, the median age in Clay County was 40.9 years. 25.6% of residents were 0–19 years, 11.4% were 20–29, 13% were 30–39, 13.3% were 40–49, 14.1% were 50–59, and 22.6% were 60 years and over.

There were 80,459 households in the county, of which 31.9% had children under 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, and 38.3% were individual householders with no spouse or partner present. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.15.

The median income for a household in the county was $76,679, and the median income for a family was $85,196. Males had a median income of $47,393 versus $35,103 for females. The per capita income was $33,364. About 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 6% of those age 65 and over.

The ten largest reported ancestry groups in the county were Irish (11.7%), English (11.6%), German (10.7%), American (4.7%), Italian (3.5%), Scottish (3.1%), French (2.2%), Polish (1.9%), European (1.5%), and Scotch-Irish (1.1%).

45% of residents were born in Florida and 46% were born in another state. The majority of in-migration comes from other Southern states and the Northeast. There is a growing community of Puerto Ricans in Clay County, with the number of residents born on the island numbering 3,590.

Clay County has the second highest percentage of Filipino immigrants in Florida, after neighboring Duval County, with 1.1% of residents hailing from the Philippines. In total, 6.1% of residents were foreign-born with over 68% being naturalized citizens and the majority entering the United States prior to 2010.

Government

Clay County's large population in unincorporated areas is served by the Clay County Sheriff's Office and Clay County Fire & Rescue. The current Sheriff, Michelle Cook (R), was elected in 2020.

Board of County Commissioners

Clay County's government is led by a five-member Board of County Commissioners, each elected from a single-member district. The county commission appoints a County Manager as chief administrative officer of the county. Howard Wannamaker currently serves as the County Manager. The current office holders are:

• District 1: John Sgromolo
• District 2: Alexandra Compere
• District 3: Jim Renninger
• District 4: Betsy Condon
• District 5: Kristen Burke As of 2025, all elected County Commissioners are registered Republicans.

Federal Representation

All of Clay County is located in Florida's 4th Congressional District of the U.S. House of Representatives. The current representative is Aaron Bean (R).

State Representation

Clay County is located in Florida's 6th Senate District represented by Republican Jennifer Bradley. In the Florida House of Representatives, District 11 is located entirely within the northern portion of the county and is represented by Republican Sam Garrison. Florida House District 20 covers the central and southern parts of the county and is represented by Republican Bobby Payne.

Politics

Voter registration

According to the Florida Department of State, Republicans account for a majority of registered voters in Clay County.

Statewide elections

Politically, Clay County is one of the most reliably Republican counties in the state during presidential elections outside of the Panhandle. It last supported a Democrat for president in 1960, and Jimmy Carter is the last Democrat to manage even 40 percent of the county's vote. However, conservative Democrats continued to hold most state and local offices well into the 1980s.

Museums

• Clay County Historical Museum, Green Cove Springs
• Middleburg Historic District, Middleburg
• Black Heritage Museum, Middleburg
• Camp Blanding Museum And Memorial Park, Camp Blanding

Education

The Clay County School District operates 42 public schools, with currently 28 elementary schools, five junior high schools, six high schools, and one junior/senior high school.

As of the 2021-22 school year, the school district received an "A" grade from the Florida Department of Education and was ranked the tenth top school district in the state. In 2023, U.S. News and World Report ranked Fleming Island High School the top high school in Clay County and 91st in Florida.

Libraries

The Clay County Public Library System consists of five branches:

• Green Cove Springs Library
• Headquarters Library (Fleming Island)
• Keystone Heights Library
• Middleburg-Clay Hill Library
• Orange Park Library

The first public library in Clay County was made up of a small collection established by the Village Improvement Association within the county. Other small libraries were established by other organizations within Clay County. In 1961, representatives from different women's organizations in the county started a movement to establish a library system within the county, and resulted in the Clay County Board of County Commissioners beginning to set aside funds to create the county library system. Due to their efforts, the first public library in Clay County was opened in 1961 in Green Cove Springs. The Green Cove Springs Library purchased a bookmobile in 1962 and began to provide outreach services to different areas within Clay County that same year. In 1962 two more public libraries opened in Clay County, the Keystone Heights Library and the Orange Park Library. A fire destroyed the Keystone Heights Library in February 1962. The Keystone Heights Library was relocated to a new building in Theme Park in 1964. The Headquarters Library in Green Cove Springs became open to the public in 1970 after a population boom caused the need for a new library. In 1976, the Orange Park Library moved to a larger location within the town of Orange Park. The population growth experienced in the county during the late 1970s necessitated the development of the Middleburg-Clay Hill Library, which first opened in a storefront in the late 1970s. The permanent facility for this library was completed and opened to the public in 1986.

Communities

Cities

• Green Cove Springs
• Keystone Heights

Towns

• Orange Park
• Penney Farms

Census-designated places

• Asbury Lake
• Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace
• Fleming Island
• Lakeside
• Middleburg
• Oakleaf Plantation

Other unincorporated communities

• Belmore
• Clay Hill
• Doctors Inlet
• Hibernia
• Lake Geneva
• McRae
• Virginia Village
• Camp Blanding/Kingsley Lake

References

References

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8. (1939). "Florida; a Guide to the Southern-Most State". US History Publishers.
9. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
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11. Swirko, Cindy. "Water district launches Keystone Heights recharge project".
12. (October 6, 2022). "North Florida Land Trust has acquired 400 acres for conservation in Clay County".
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31. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
32. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
33. not an option in the 1980 Census
34. not an option in the 1990 Census
35. "Explore Census Data".
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38. Solodev. (November 22, 2022). "Florida School Accountability Reports".
39. "These 8 First Coast high schools just made U.S. News rankings of Florida's top 50 schools".
40. "Clay County Public Library System".