The Clay County Georgia map brings together a river boundary, a reservoir shoreline, and the county’s two incorporated places. Fort Gaines occupies the western edge beside the Chattahoochee River and Walter F. George Lake, while Bluffton stands inland to the southeast. Those anchors explain the county’s layout more accurately than a simple list of labels.
Table of Contents
Download the Clay County map
The webpage displays a WEBP preview; the button opens a JPG for saving or document placement.
- Coverage: County boundary, Fort Gaines, and Bluffton
- Download format: JPG
Quick Facts
| State | Georgia |
|---|---|
| County and FIPS code | Clay County, 13061 |
| County seat | Fort Gaines |
| Incorporated places | Fort Gaines and Bluffton |
| Created | 1854 |
| 2020 Census population | 2,848 |
| July 1, 2025 population estimate | 2,815 |
| 2020 land area | 195.40 square miles |
| Principal waters | Chattahoochee River, Walter F. George Lake, Pataula Creek |
| Download format | JPG |
The Census Bureau recorded 14.6 residents per square mile in 2020. Much of the population is dispersed across rural land between two small municipalities, so the broad unlabeled areas between Fort Gaines and Bluffton reflect the settlement pattern rather than missing cartography.
What the Map Shows
Fort Gaines sits at the county’s western edge on the east bank of the Chattahoochee system. It is both the county seat and the junction of Georgia Routes 37 and 39. Once Fort Gaines is located, the Alabama line, the shoreline, and the principal east-west and north-south approaches fall into place.
Bluffton is the incorporated town southeast of Fort Gaines. Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs lists only the City of Fort Gaines and Town of Bluffton under Clay County. The two labels therefore summarize the county’s complete municipal framework rather than a sample of similarly ranked communities.
The broad water feature along the west is part of the boundary, not background decoration. The Chattahoochee River and Walter F. George reservoir separate Georgia from Alabama, and the dam just north of Fort Gaines defines the lake’s downstream end. A winding shoreline and a legal state boundary are related but not interchangeable lines.
This JPG establishes place and direction at a simplified scale. Clay County’s parcel and voting maps serve property and precinct work, while Georgia DOT data serves current travel. For changing lake levels, launch access, shoreline rules, or flood conditions, consult the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the agency responsible for the specific decision.
County Layout and Location
Clay County occupies Georgia’s southwestern border. Quitman County is north, Randolph northeast, Calhoun east, and Early south. Across the Chattahoochee water boundary lie Barbour and Henry counties in Alabama. On a statewide map, follow Georgia’s western edge southward to the reservoir-centered county containing Fort Gaines.
SR 37 runs east from Fort Gaines toward US 27/SR 1 and crosses west into Alabama as Alabama Route 10. SR 39 passes north-south through Fort Gaines and follows the Georgia side of the lake toward George T. Bagby State Park. SR 266 begins north of town and supplies a northeastern connection toward Cuthbert.
Although Clay County belongs to the Southern Coastal Plain, its surface is not uniformly flat. Low floodplain and shoreline terrain near the Chattahoochee gives way to rolling and locally steep uplands inland. Bluffton spans the Spring Creek–Perry Creek and Chattahoochee–Kolomoki Creek watersheds, while Fort Gaines lies in the Chattahoochee–Cemochechobee Creek watershed.
Pataula Creek enters Walter F. George Lake in the northwestern part of the county, adding tributary valleys, wetlands, and coves to the shoreline pattern. The Army Corps of Engineers describes the lake as extending about 85 miles along the Chattahoochee and bordering both Alabama and Georgia. That long water edge concentrates many roads and settlements on the landward side.
Local Context
Georgia formed Clay County from parts of Randolph and Early counties in 1854 and named it for Kentucky statesman Henry Clay. Fort Gaines predates the county: the community developed around an 1816 fort overlooking the Chattahoochee. Its elevated river position and the nearby creek confluence explain why the county seat arose at the western edge rather than near the geographic center.
Walter F. George Lake is also widely called Lake Eufaula. The dam and reservoir affect power generation, navigation, water management, recreation, and shoreline land use. North of Fort Gaines, George T. Bagby State Park marks the Georgia shore along SR 39 and provides a recognizable reference for the lake-facing side of the county.
Agricultural fields and forests dominate the inland landscape, with county services and commerce concentrated in Fort Gaines and a smaller settlement node at Bluffton. The overlap of an interstate water boundary, a federal dam and reservoir, two municipalities, and three state-route corridors gives this sparsely populated county a surprisingly layered geography.
Ways to Use This Map
- Begin with the state line: Follow the Chattahoochee River and Walter F. George Lake along the Georgia-Alabama boundary.
- Compare the municipalities: Set riverfront Fort Gaines against inland Bluffton to read the county’s settlement pattern.
- Add the highway axes: Mark SR 37 east-west, SR 39 north-south, and SR 266 northeast from the Fort Gaines area.
- Separate the watersheds: Distinguish the main reservoir, Pataula Creek, and the Spring, Perry, Kolomoki, and Cemochechobee creek systems.
- Place the JPG in context: Caption it as a general location map, add an access date, and pair it with authoritative operational layers when needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many incorporated places are in Clay County?
There are two: the City of Fort Gaines, which is the county seat, and the Town of Bluffton in the southeastern interior. Rural settlements outside those municipalities are not separately labeled on this general location graphic.
Are Walter F. George Lake and Lake Eufaula the same reservoir?
Yes. Federal materials use Walter F. George Lake as the official project name and also acknowledge Lake Eufaula as a common name. The water bordering Fort Gaines and western Clay County is part of that reservoir.
Can the download determine a parcel or shoreline right?
No. It communicates the county outline and selected place positions. Use the county parcel map for property research, Corps of Engineers maps and rules for managed shoreline questions, and current transportation data for routing.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Clay County, Georgia
- Georgia Department of Community Affairs: Cities by County
- Georgia DCA: Clay County, Bluffton, and Fort Gaines comprehensive plans
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Walter F. George Lake
- Georgia State Parks: George T. Bagby State Park
- New Georgia Encyclopedia: Clay County
- Georgia Department of Revenue County Property Tax Facts
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line program
Related County Maps
- Candler County Map | Metter, I-16 Access, Rural Services, and Growth
- Carroll County Map | Carrollton, Atlanta Growth, Manufacturing, and Higher Education
- Catoosa County Map | Chattanooga Commuting, I-75, Ringgold, and Fort Oglethorpe
- Charlton County Map | Folkston, Okefenokee, Rail Tourism, and Rural Services
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data.
These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
