Clay Center Nebraska 68933

Clay Center is the seat of Clay County, laid out in 1879 at the junction of US-6 and NE-14 after winning a hard-fought county-seat election over Sutton and Harvard. The town's name pairs the county's own name — a tribute to statesman Henry Clay — with "Center," reflecting its central location within the county.

Clay Center later became home to the "Old Trusty" incubator factory, radio station KMMJ, and the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, which occupies the site of a former World War II naval ammunition depot. Clay Center High School has long ranked above the state academic average.