Clay is a town in Onondaga County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 58,805, making it Syracuse's largest suburb. The town was named after Henry Clay, statesman. The Town of Clay is northwest of Syracuse. It is the largest town in the county and contains part of the Village of North Syracuse, New York. It contains the major retail strip of Syracuse's northwesterly suburbs, along NY-31, including the Great Northern Mall.