Clay Center is a village in Ottawa County, Ohio, United States.

The town was founded by William Clark, a land speculator who believed a town in the center of the large township would be more likely to grow than the southern population center, Genoa.

[citation needed] Local tradition states that this was the reason for Clay Township splitting in two a few years later.

[citation needed] According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.04 square miles (2.69 km2), all land.

24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

20.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

About 1.1% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.