Editing Clay County, Illinois (section)

==Geography==
<gallery>
File:Clay County Illinois 1824.png|Clay County from the time of its creation to 1831
File:Clay County Illinois 1831.png|Clay County between 1831 and 1841
File:Clay County Illinois 1841.png|Clay County was reduced to its current size in 1841 by the creation of Richland County.
</gallery>
The low rolling hills of Clay County are devoted to agricultural production. The various drainage areas are still largely wooded. The [[Little Wabash River]] flows southeastward through the center of the county, while Muddy Creek drains the eastern portion (the meanders of Little Muddy delineate a portion of the county's east border with [[Richland County, Illinois|Richland County]]). Buck Creek, in the south part of the county, flows eastward and joins the Little Wabash above [[Clay City, Illinois|Clay City]]. Raccoon Creek flows southeastward from the lower part of the county into [[Wayne County, Illinois|Wayne County]].<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Clay+County,+IL/@38.757218,-88.6140207,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8873de7adad7c7d1:0xcd71997ef74ad6f!8m2!3d38.7279431!4d-88.556531 ''Clay County IL'' (Google Maps, accessed 24 October 2020)]</ref> The highest point on the terrain ({{convert|646|ft|m|abbr=off|disp=x|/|sp=us}} ASL) is a small point along the western border with [[Marion County, Illinois|Marion County]].<ref>[https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=21713 ''Clay County High Point IL'' (PeakBagger.com, accessed 24 October 2020)]</ref>

The county produced excellent timber during the nineteenth century, and some sandstone and limestone. The soil is light and not considered adapted to farming on a large scale.<ref name=CCH/>

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|470|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|468|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|1.3|sqmi}} (0.3%) is water.<ref name=DC/>

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Effingham County, Illinois|Effingham County]] - north
* [[Jasper County, Illinois|Jasper County]] - northeast
* [[Richland County, Illinois|Richland County]] - east
* [[Wayne County, Illinois|Wayne County]] - south
* [[Marion County, Illinois|Marion County]] - west
* [[Fayette County, Illinois|Fayette County]] - northwest
{{div col end}}

===Major highways===
* [[Image:I-57.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 57|I-57]]
* [[Image:US 45.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Route 45 in Illinois|US 45]]
* [[Image:US 50.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Route 50 in Illinois|US 50]]
* [[Image:Illinois 37.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 37|IL 37]]

===Protected areas===
* Martin T Snyder Memorial Nature Preserve<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Martin+T+Snyder+Memorial+Nature+Preserve,+Flora,+IL+62839/@38.6968721,-88.3371317,12.25z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x8873de7adad7c7d1:0xcd71997ef74ad6f!2sClay+County,+IL!3b1!8m2!3d38.7279431!4d-88.556531!3m4!1s0x88715f6679371805:0x8c0f75d64ad57308!8m2!3d38.6372462!4d-88.5311526 ''Martin T Snyder Nature Preserve, Flora IL'' (Google Maps, accessed 24 October 2020)]</ref>

===Cities===
* [[Flora, Illinois|Flora]]

===Villages===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Clay City, Illinois|Clay City]]
* [[Iola, Illinois|Iola]]
* [[Louisville, Illinois|Louisville]] (seat)
* [[Sailor Springs, Illinois|Sailor Springs]]
* [[Xenia, Illinois|Xenia]]
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Bible Grove, Illinois|Bible Grove]]
* [[Camp Travis, Illinois|Camp Travis]]
* [[Cruse, Illinois|Cruse]]
* [[Greendale, Illinois|Greendale]]
* [[Hoosier, Illinois|Hoosier]]
* [[Hord, Illinois|Hord]]
* [[Ingraham, Illinois|Ingraham]]
* [[Kenner, Illinois|Kenner]]
* [[Oskaloosa, Illinois|Oskaloosa]]
* [[Riffle, Illinois|Riffle]]
* [[Wendelin, Illinois|Wendelin]]
{{div col end}}

===Townships===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Bible Grove Township, Clay County, Illinois|Bible Grove]]
* [[Blair Township, Clay County, Illinois|Blair]]
* [[Clay City Township, Clay County, Illinois|Clay City]]
* [[Harter Township, Clay County, Illinois|Harter]]
* [[Hoosier Township, Clay County, Illinois|Hoosier]]
* [[Larkinsburg Township, Clay County, Illinois|Larkinsburg]]
* [[Louisville Township, Clay County, Illinois|Louisville]]
* [[Oskaloosa Township, Clay County, Illinois|Oskaloosa]]
* [[Pixley Township, Clay County, Illinois|Pixley]]
* [[Songer Township, Clay County, Illinois|Songer]]
* [[Stanford Township, Clay County, Illinois|Stanford]]
* [[Xenia Township, Clay County, Illinois|Xenia]]
{{div col end}}