Clayton is located in
Jefferson County 20 miles N of
Watertown near the Canadian border between Millen Bay and Fishers Landing along Highway 12/12E. The
Thousand Islands extend above and below Clayton on the St Lawrence River.
It was named after John M. Clayton, Whig who served as U.S. senator from Delaware. The city was established to discourage timber thieves and was once home to shipbuilders and riverboat captains.