Clay County is a county in Minnesota, United States, on the North Dakota border across the Red River from Fargo. It had a population of 65,318 at the 2020 census and covers 1,053 square miles (2,726 km2) centred near 46°54′N 96°30′W.
Moorhead is the county seat, and its postal code is 56560. The county has 11 incorporated cities, one census-designated place, ten unincorporated communities and 30 organized townships. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Clay County
Clay County’s places range from Moorhead, its largest city, to farm-crossroads settlements scattered across the Red River Valley. Eleven places are incorporated cities, one (Baker) is a census-designated place, and the rest are unincorporated communities without their own municipal government. Where a community shares its name with the surrounding organized township, that township is noted; otherwise the cell is left blank because the two are not confirmed to be the same place.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Averill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Baker | CDP | — | — | — |
| Barnesville | City | Barnesville | — | 56514 |
| Comstock | City | — | — | 56525 |
| Dale | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Dilworth | City | — | — | 56529 |
| Downer | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Felton | City | Felton | — | 56536 |
| Georgetown | City | Georgetown | — | 56546 |
| Glyndon | City | Glyndon | — | 56547 |
| Hawley | City | Hawley | — | 56549 |
| Hitterdal | City | — | — | 56552 |
| Kragnes | Unincorp. | Kragnes | — | — |
| Manitoba Junction | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Moorhead | City · seat | Moorhead | — | 56560 |
| Muskoda | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Oakport | Unincorp. | Oakport | — | — |
| Rollag | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Rustad | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sabin | City | — | — | 56580 |
| Tansem | Unincorp. | Tansem | — | — |
| Ulen | City | Ulen | — | 56585 |
| Winnipeg Junction | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Moorhead accounts for roughly two-thirds of the county’s population and is the anchor of the North Dakota–Minnesota side of the Fargo–Moorhead metro. Dilworth, immediately east of Moorhead along US 10, is the county’s second-largest city.
Townships
Clay County has 30 organized civil townships covering the farmland outside its cities. Individual 2020 township populations are not confirmed here, so the population column is left blank rather than estimated.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Moorhead | — | Surrounds the city of Moorhead |
| Oakport | — | Oakport |
| Glyndon | — | Glyndon |
| Hawley | — | Hawley |
| Barnesville | — | Barnesville |
| Ulen | — | Ulen |
| Georgetown | — | Georgetown |
| Felton | — | Felton |
| Kragnes | — | Kragnes |
| Tansem | — | Tansem |
| Alliance | — | — |
| Cromwell | — | — |
| Eglon | — | — |
| Elkton | — | — |
| Elmwood | — | — |
| Flowing | — | — |
| Goose Prairie | — | — |
| Hagen | — | — |
| Highland Grove | — | — |
| Holy Cross | — | — |
| Humboldt | — | — |
| Keene | — | — |
| Kurtz | — | — |
| Moland | — | — |
| Morken | — | — |
| Parke | — | — |
| Riverton | — | — |
| Skree | — | Downer |
| Spring Prairie | — | — |
| Viding | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 56560 — Moorhead
- 56561 — Moorhead (PO Box only)
- 56562 — Moorhead (PO Box only)
- 56563 — Moorhead
- 56514 — Barnesville
- 56525 — Comstock
- 56529 — Dilworth
- 56536 — Felton
- 56546 — Georgetown
- 56547 — Glyndon
- 56549 — Hawley
- 56552 — Hitterdal
- 56580 — Sabin
- 56585 — Ulen
Fourteen ZIP codes serve the county in total. Smaller unincorporated places such as Averill, Dale, Downer, Kragnes, Muskoda, Rollag, Rustad, Tansem and Winnipeg Junction use the ZIP code of the nearest post-office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Clay County lies in the flat, fertile Red River Valley, the bed of glacial Lake Agassiz. The Red River of the North forms the county’s entire western border, separating it from North Dakota; the Buffalo River crosses the county from east to west and joins the Red River near Georgetown. Land is 1,045 square miles and water is about 7 square miles, or roughly 0.7% of the county.
Clay County borders Norman County to the north, Becker County to the east, Otter Tail County to the southeast, Wilkin County to the south, Richland County, North Dakota, to the southwest, and Cass County, North Dakota, to the west.
Demographics
Clay County had 65,318 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 62.5 people per square mile of land. Moorhead is by far the largest community, followed by Dilworth. The county’s median household income runs close to the Minnesota median of $85,086, reflecting its mix of college-town, metro-commuter and agricultural households; a precise county-level figure is not verified here.
Economy & Local Life
Moorhead is a college town, home to Concordia College and Minnesota State University Moorhead, and its economy is tied closely to Fargo, North Dakota, just across the Red River. Outside the Fargo–Moorhead metro core, farming dominates — Clay County sits in the Red River Valley’s sugar-beet belt, alongside small-grain and soybean production, and the region is a major processing and shipping point for Red River Valley agriculture.
History
The county was established on November 2, 1860, as Breckinridge County and renamed in 1862 for U.S. Senator Henry Clay, known in his lifetime as “The Great Pacificator.” County government did not organize until 1872, after the Northern Pacific Railway reached the area and Moorhead was platted as a rail town opposite Fargo. Like the rest of the Fargo–Moorhead area, the county sits on the flood-prone Red River and has repeatedly dealt with major spring flooding as the north-flowing river backs up against ice further downstream.
Getting There
Interstate 94 crosses the county east–west through Moorhead and Dilworth, and US Routes 10, 52 and 75 along with Minnesota Highways 9, 32, 34 and 336 fill out the local network.
- Fargo, ND — directly across the Red River from Moorhead
- Detroit Lakes — about 45 miles east
- Fergus Falls — about 55 miles southeast
- Wahpeton, ND — about 30 miles south
Hector International Airport, in Fargo, is the nearest commercial airport. Amtrak’s Empire Builder stops in Fargo, a short drive from Moorhead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Clay County, Minnesota?
It is in Minnesota, in the west-central part of the state, on the North Dakota border directly across the Red River from Fargo.
What is the population of Clay County?
65,318 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Clay County?
1,053 square miles (2,726 km2), of which about 7 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Clay County?
Moorhead is the county seat.
How many towns are in Clay County?
Eleven incorporated cities, one census-designated place, ten unincorporated communities and 30 organized townships.
What ZIP codes are in Clay County?
Fourteen ZIP codes, led by 56560 for Moorhead; other towns each have their own code, listed above.
What college is in Clay County?
Moorhead is home to both Concordia College and Minnesota State University Moorhead.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Minnesota.