Clayton County is one of Georgia's smallest counties in land size with an area of 146 square miles. Yet, with more than 251,800 (according to ARC's latest figures), it is one of the most densely populated. A suburban community just minutes south of downtown Atlanta, Clayton County has a relaxed and neighborly feel like a small town, but with all the amenities of a major metropolitan area. An attractive lifestyle, business opportunities, a fine public educational system plus a university, and numerous excellent healthcare facilities make Clayton County a highly attractive place to live, work and play.

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners is the governing authority of Clayton County. The board consists of a full-time chairman - elected county wide, and four part-time commissioners - elected by districts. All serve staggered, four year terms.

Clayton County's new Harold R. Banke Justice Center opened at 9151 Tara Boulevard in November 2000.  This 727,000 sq. ft. facility houses the court system, sheriff's administration and county detention center.  The county's old courthouse (built in 1898, with a front addition built in 1962) is being renovated to house administrative offices and the old detention center is being renovated to house an expanded work release program. Member Atlanta Regional Commission. County provides ambulance service, county-wide fire protection with professional firefighters, police department, landfill, library, planning, zoning, building permits and code enforcement, subdivision regulations, sign ordinance, recreation programs, civic center, parks, senior center, animal control ordinance and animal shelter. Private hospital, private waste collection, public recycling program.

Clayton County offers...

• A county-wide Class 3 Fire Insurance Rating
• Certified as a StormReady Community
• A state-of-the-art landfill that will meet the county's solid waste needs well into the next century
• A nationally acclaimed, self-sustaining wastewater treatment system
• Clayton State University ~ a four year institution offering masters, baccalaureate and associate degrees along with vocational and technical degrees
• Atlanta's only designated Foreign Trade Zone which provides tax advantages for company's foreign goods in transit
• One of the best transportation systems in the region with U.S. interstate highways I-75, I-85, I-285, and I-675 and rail service by Norfolk-Southern and CSX
• Convenient air service at the world's busiest airport. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located in the northwest corner of the county
• The second largest convention and exhibition facility in the state. The Georgia International Convention & Trade Center, located in College Park, has 329,000 square feet of space
• Twenty-five industrial parks - 20 of which house Fortune 500 companies

Clayton County is in the 34th and 44th State Senatorial District, the 60th, 62nd, 74th, 75th, 76th, 77th, and 78th State House Districts, and the 13th and 5th U.S. Congressional District.