Clayton County, Georgia | |
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Clayton County Courthouse in Jonesboro
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Location in the U.S. state of Georgia |
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Georgia's location in the U.S. |
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Founded | November 30, 1858 |
Named for | Augustin Smith Clayton |
Seat | Jonesboro |
Largest city | Forest Park |
Area | |
• Total | 144 sq mi (373 km2) |
• Land | 142 sq mi (368 km2) |
• Water | 2.8 sq mi (7 km2), 1.9% |
Population (est.) | |
• (2015) | 273,955 |
• Density | 1,832/sq mi (707/km²) |
Congressional districts | 5th, 13th |
Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
Website | www |
Clayton County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 259,424. The county seat is Jonesboro.
Clayton County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the home of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The county was established in 1858 and named in honor of Augustin Smith Clayton (1783–1839), who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1832 until 1835.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 144 square miles (370 km2), of which 142 square miles (370 km2) is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) (1.9%) is water. It is the third-smallest county by area in Georgia.
The eastern portion of Clayton County, between Forest Park and Lovejoy, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The western portion of the county is located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 259,424 people residing in the county. 66.1% were Black or African American, 18.9% White, 5.0% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 7.1% from some other race and 2.5% from two or more races. 13.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).