Clay, West Virginia
| Clay, West Virginia | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Main Street (WV Route 16) in Clay; Photo 2007
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| Nickname(s): Haven In The Hills | |
 Location in Clay County and the state of West Virginia. |
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| Coordinates: 38°27′46″N 81°4′48″W / 38.46278°N 81.08000°WCoordinates: 38°27′46″N 81°4′48″W / 38.46278°N 81.08000°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Clay |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.62 sq mi (1.61 km2) |
| • Land | 0.56 sq mi (1.45 km2) |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2) |
| Elevation | 709 ft (216 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 491 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 486 |
| • Density | 876.8/sq mi (338.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 25043 |
| Area code(s) | 304 |
| FIPS code | 54-15676 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1537360 |
Clay is a town in and the county seat of Clay County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 491 at the 2010 census. It is the only incorporated town in Clay County.
Clay was established on the site of a farm that was the site of Clay County's first court meeting following the county's establishment in 1858. The community was initially known by the name of "Marshall," then briefly as "Henry," and then as "Clay Courthouse" and finally Clay. The town and county are both named for U.S. Senator and Secretary of State Henry Clay (1777–1852). The town was incorporated in 1895. Before 1880, Clay was inaccessible to traffic from horse-drawn vehicles, and the Elk River was its primary mode of transport. Expansion of the Coal and Coke Railway reached Clay in 1905.
In June 2016, the town was impacted by severe flooding from the Elk River.
In November 2016, Clay mayor Beverly Whaling approvingly responded to a racist social media post that referred to U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama as an "ape in heels". Following international media coverage of the incident, Whaling resigned.
The city of Charleston, West Virginia, the state capitol, is about 40 miles away from Clay to the Southwest. Clay is centrally located within Clay County at 38°27′46″N 81°4′48″W / 38.46278°N 81.08000°W (38.462855, -81.080024), along the Elk River and West Virginia Route 16 at an elevation of 708 feet (216 m).West Virginia Route 4 overlaps with Route 16 in the North of Clay. There is not much bottom land in Clay, as the river cuts a deep gorge through the city, limiting growth.
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