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Florida County
Clay County, Florida
Jacksonville's fastest-growing southwestern suburb - from Fleming Island's master-planned lakefront communities to Orange Park's established retail corridor, the historic Green Cove Springs spa resort heritage on the St. Johns River, and one of Florida's fastest-growing counties driven by Jacksonville metro families seeking larger lots, top-rated schools, and lower density in a community that has maintained suburban character while absorbing explosive growth.
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Office: Clay County Emergency Management – (904) 284-7703 | claycountygov.com/em
Alert System: Clay County Alert; Florida FDEM; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Multiple shelter locations; Clay County Emergency Management coordinates; contact OEM for current locations
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: Northeastern Florida Jacksonville metro county; Green Cove Springs is county seat; hurricane risk (Irene 2017 caused damage in Clay County; the county is partially coastal via the St. Johns River; storm surge risk along the St. Johns River); flooding (St. Johns River – one of Florida’s great rivers; flows northward through Clay County; significant flood plain); severe thunderstorms; wildfire risk (Ocala National Forest accessible; clay county’s scrub and flatwood communities); tornadoes; Black Creek basin flooding
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Clay County Transportation Services – (904) 278-3703
Transit: Clay County Transit – (904) 278-4660 (limited bus service; connections to JTA in Jacksonville); primarily auto-dependent; Florida First Coast Expressway
Notes: I-95 (east edge of county); SR-21 (Blanding Boulevard – the major north-south commercial corridor through Middleburg and Keystone Heights); US-17 (along the St. Johns River through Green Cove Springs and Orange Park); Florida’s First Coast Expressway (SR-23 – new limited-access toll road connecting Clay County to the Interstate system more directly); Orange Park is the county’s most commercially active area; Jacksonville is just to the north; significant commuter traffic to Jacksonville
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Clay County Building Division – (904) 278-4700 | claycountygov.com
Services: County permits; Orange Park (separate – very active), Green Cove Springs, Keystone Heights, Penney Farms, Fleming Island (unincorporated but active) separate
Notes: Clay County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Florida; enormous residential development in Fleming Island, Oakleaf, and other Jacksonville exurban communities; one of the most active building counties in northeast Florida; military retiree community from NAS Jacksonville (Duval County) choosing Clay County for affordable housing; First Coast Expressway has spurred additional development
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Clay County Veterans Services – (904) 278-3740
VA Medical: VA Jacksonville CBOC (Duval County – accessible; (904) 475-5300); Malcom Randall VAMC (Gainesville – about 65 miles); Orange Park VA CBOC
Services: Benefits claims; Orange Park and Jacksonville CBOCs provide good local access; large veteran community (NAS Jacksonville proximity)
Notes: Clay County has an enormous veteran and military community – the proximity to NAS Jacksonville creates significant active-duty and veteran presence; Orange Park VA CBOC serves this community well; military retirees choosing Clay County’s affordable Jacksonville suburbs
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Clay County Library System – (904) 278-4750 | myfcl.org (First Coast Library Cooperative); 4 branches
Branches: Orange Park (main), Keystone Heights, Middleburg, Fleming Island
Services: Books, e-books, public computers, Wi-Fi, genealogy (First Coast heritage; strong St. Johns River and northeast Florida history), children’s programs; military heritage
Notes: Solid library system serving a fast-growing commuter county; Fleming Island branch is new and reflects the community growth; military heritage is significant given the NAS Jacksonville proximity; genealogy collections document the deep northeast Florida and First Coast history
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
State Parks: Jennings State Forest (Middleburg – excellent hiking, OHV trails, equestrian; one of northeast Florida’s finest recreation forests); Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park (Keystone Heights – one of Florida’s finest inland parks; the ravine ecosystem with Gold Head spring and swimming area; unusual sand hill ravines created by groundwater erosion; excellent Florida scrub habitat; excellent birding; camping; one of the great state parks of north Florida); Camp Blanding Joint Training Center (Starke/Clay County border – Florida National Guard training facility; not open to the public but significant)
Regional: Kingsley Lake (Keystone Heights area – one of Florida’s most beautiful natural lakes; perfectly round; crystal-clear water; white sand beach; very popular swimming lake for northeast Florida residents; a classic Florida inland lake experience); Black Creek (excellent kayaking; one of northeast Florida’s finest paddling streams; dark tannin-stained water through cypress and bottomland hardwood); St. Johns River (fishing; boating; birding along the riverside); Pigeon Creek (Clark’s Fish Camp area – excellent fishing access)
Notes: Clay County’s parks and natural assets are excellent for a rapidly growing suburban county; Gold Head Branch State Park is genuinely special – the unusual geological setting (sand hill ravines with spring-fed streams in a flat Florida landscape) creates a dramatically varied terrain with excellent wildlife habitat; Kingsley Lake’s perfectly round shape (formed in a limestone sinkhole) and crystal-clear water make it one of the finest swimming lakes in Florida
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Clay County GIS – claycountygov.com/gis; SJRWMD watershed maps; St. Johns River floodplain mapping; First Coast Expressway corridor maps; FEMA flood maps
Notes: Active GIS for a rapidly growing county; St. Johns River flood plain mapping is critical; Clay County’s growth tracking GIS is heavily used by planners; Black Creek watershed mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Clay County Animal Care and Control – (904) 269-6342; First Coast No More Homeless Pets (regional partner)
Services: Stray intake, adoptions, owner surrenders, spay/neuter; wildlife management (black bears – increasing in Clay County’s wooded areas; gopher tortoises; Florida scrub jays in scrub habitat; alligators in lakes and waterways; white-tailed deer; wild turkey)
Notes: Black bears are increasingly present in Clay County’s expanding suburban fringe; gopher tortoise surveys required for development permits (Clay County’s scrub habitat); Florida scrub jays in Keystone Heights area scrub; alligator management in the many lakes and waterways; deer management
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Clay County Utility Authority – (904) 272-5999; comprehensive waste management; Green Cove Springs materials recovery
Recycling: Active programs; ClayCounty recycling centers; curbside collection
Environmental: Florida DEP; St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD – the water management district managing the St. Johns River watershed; the St. Johns River flows northward through Clay County and is managed for flood control, water supply, and ecological health); SJRWMD manages the extensive hydrological data on the river
Key Issues: St. Johns River water quality (the St. Johns River flows northward through Clay County and is one of Florida’s most significant rivers; its water quality is affected by development throughout the watershed; the river is eutrophic (nutrient-enriched) in the upper reaches; blue-green algal blooms have occurred; the SJRWMD and DEP coordinate monitoring and restoration; riverfront septic system conversion is underway); rapid growth impacts (Clay County’s explosive growth creates stormwater management challenges; the clay soils that give the county its name can complicate drainage; impervious surface expansion from development increases runoff into Black Creek and other tributaries; wellfield protection for groundwater supplies); scrub and sandhill habitat (Clay County’s scrub and sandhill habitats – the rarest in Florida – are being rapidly converted to residential development; gopher tortoise and Florida scrub jay conservation depend on protecting remaining scrub habitats)
Notes: Clay County’s growth trajectory (from rural to fast-growing suburban county) mirrors many Florida counties; the tension between growth and environmental quality is acute; the St. Johns River provides Clay County’s water supply and recreation base – its water quality is critical; the SJRWMD’s investments in St. Johns River restoration (nitrogen reduction, riparian buffers, spring restoration) are important for Clay County’s water future; the Clay soils (actually a reference to the Catty Clay formation in the area, though the area has various soil types) drain poorly in some areas, making residential development challenging without significant stormwater infrastructure; Camp Blanding’s military training activities (artillery, explosives, vehicle maneuver) affect some eastern Clay County communities with noise and ground disturbance
About Clay County
Clay County is Jacksonville’s primary southwestern growth suburb – one of Florida’s fastest-growing counties by percentage, absorbing Jacksonville metro expansion along the US-17 and I-295 corridors.
Fleming Island (unincorporated, population ~35,000) is the county’s most affluent planned community – a lakefront master-planned development with highly rated schools, Fleming Island Plantation golf, and waterfront properties that draw Jacksonville professionals.
Orange Park (population ~9,000) is the county’s established commercial center – the Blanding Boulevard retail corridor serves the county’s suburban population.
Green Cove Springs (the county seat, population ~8,000) on the St. Johns River was a 19th-century spa resort destination – wealthy Northerners wintered at its sulfur springs hotels, and the historic downtown preserves this heritage.
Naval Air Station Jacksonville’s proximity – across the county line – makes Clay County home to thousands of Navy families who choose its schools and communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
The Clay County Property Appraiser at 477 Houston Street, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043, phone 904-269-6305, assesses at just value. Appeal to the Clay County Value Adjustment Board. No FL estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Clay County Clerk of Court at 825 N. Orange Avenue, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043, phone 904-269-6342, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF COURTS (Records, Marriage Licenses)
825 N. Orange Ave., Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
(904) 284-6302
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Clay County Clerk of the Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Clay County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Clay County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Probate Division
7380 FL-100, Room 10, Keystone Heights, FL 32656 (also listed as P.O. Box 698, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043-0698) (904) 284-6300 Clay County sits in Florida’s 4th Judicial Circuit. Clerk of Court: Tara S. Green. Circuit Judges: Hon. Michael Sharrit, Hon. Don H. Lester, Hon. Angela M. Cox, Hon. Steven B. Whittington.
IMPORTANT – a major statewide law change just took effect: Florida’s summary administration threshold DOUBLED from $75,000 to $150,000 effective July 1, 2026, under CS/HB 1337 (Chapter 2026-57, Laws of Florida). Confirm which threshold applies based on date of death when helping someone (see
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
901 N. Orange Ave., Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
(904) 264-6512
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
500 N. Orange Ave., Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
(904) 269-6350
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
FL Dept of Health — Clay
1525 Kingsley Ave., Orange Park, FL 32073
(904) 278-7260
FL DCF — Clay
(904) 278-7500
FL Medicaid
(800) 299-4833
Orange Park Medical Center
orangeparkmedical.com
Ascension St. Vincent's Clay County
ascension.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Florida DOH in Clay County – (904) 278-7234 | clay.floridahealth.gov
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; St. Johns River environmental health
Hospital: Orange Park Medical Center (HCA – (904) 276-8500; Clay County’s primary hospital); Baptist Medical Center Clay (Middleburg – Baptist Health); Jacksonville hospitals for specialty care
Notes: Orange Park Medical Center and Baptist Clay serve the growing county; Jacksonville’s exceptional hospital system (Baptist, Mayo Clinic, UF Health) is accessible; behavioral health demand is growing with the rapid population growth; military community mental health needs; St. Johns River recreational water quality monitoring for swimming safety
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