Ramsey County, Minnesota

Ramsey County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 552,352, making it the state's second most populous county, and was estimated to be 542,015 in 2024. Its county seat and largest city is Saint Paul, the state capital and the twin city of Minneapolis. The county was founded in 1849 and is named for Alexander Ramsey, the first governor of the Minnesota Territory. Ramsey County is part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul– Bloomington, MN– WI Metropolitan statistical area. It is Minnesota's smallest and most densely populated county, as well as the 38th-most densely populated county in the United States in 2010.

History

With the establishment of the Minnesota Territory in 1849, nine counties, including Ramsey County, were created. In 1849, Ramsey County included all of what later became the present-day counties of Ramsey, Anoka, Isanti, and Kanabec; and parts of Washington, Pine, Carlton, Aitkin, Mille Lacs, and Hennepin. One of Ramsey County's early settlers was Heman Gibbs, whose farm is now the Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life ( Gibbs Farm) in Falcon Heights. Ramsey County remained largely farmland until small villages began to appear in the late 19th century, with the incorporation of North St. Paul in 1887, New Brighton in 1891, and White Bear Lake in 1921.

Government and politics

Ramsey County is overwhelmingly Democratic in presidential elections, not having voted for a Republican presidential nominee since 1924. In 2020, Democratic nominee Joe Biden received the largest share of the vote for any candidate in the county's history, with over 71%.

County sheriff

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office was established in the old Minnesota Territory in 1849. The current sheriff is Bob Fletcher, who was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022. The Ramsey County Sheriff is elected to a four-year term in an election concurrent with the federal midterm elections.

The sheriff's office provides patrol and investigation for communities without local police forces and is available as backup for all communities. In addition to enforcing the law, the office provides town police services under contract to Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Little Canada, North Oaks, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, and White Bear Township.

The Ramsey County Sheriff's office provides a number of unique services as mandated by law. This includes detention for court and other court services, safety, rescue, and law enforcement on the waterways. The office provides safety classes and coordinates community volunteer efforts. It is responsible for the county jail, more officially the Adult Detention Center, which can hold 500 prisoners and has a staff of about 150.

County Attorney

The Ramsey County Attorney prosecutes felony crimes committed within the jurisdiction of Ramsey County. The current County Attorney is John Choi, who was elected in 2010 and reelected in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

County Commissioners

The county commission elects a chair who presides at meetings. Commissioners as of February 24, 2025, are:

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (10.44%) is water. It is Minnesota's smallest county by area, and has been considered completely urbanized since the 1990 census.

Adjacent counties

* Anoka County (north)
* Washington County (east)
* Dakota County (south)
* Hennepin County (west)

National protected area

* Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (part)

Transportation

Rail

Ramsey County is a major freight hub along BNSF's Northern Transcon route and is also served by Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific.

Amtrak offers daily intercity passenger rail service on the ''Empire Builder'' from Union Depot in Saint Paul. Light rail service is provided by Metro, a light rail and bus rapid transit system operated by Metro Transit that connects several communities in Ramsey and Hennepin Counties. The Metro Green Line connects Union Depot to Target Field station in Minneapolis, in neighboring Hennepin County.

Road

Ramsey County is served by several interstate highways, including Interstate 35 and Interstate 94. I-35 has two routes through Ramsey County. I-35E enters the county from Dakota County to the south and proceeds north through Saint Paul, where it intersects I-94, then continues north to Little Canada, where it runs east concurrently with I-694 for several miles before turning north through North Oaks to Washington County. I-35W crosses from Minneapolis to the west through Saint Anthony before turning north through New Brighton, where it intersects I-694, and then to Anoka County, where it goes on to rejoin I-35E in Washington County.

Near the western edge of the county, I-94 enters from Minneapolis where it runs almost parallel to University Avenue until it meets I-35E in Saint Paul and continues east to Washington County. I-494 passes through the southeast corner of the county between Dakota and Washington Counties. From Anoka County in the west, I-694 takes a path through New Brighton, where it meets I-35W, to the junction with I-35E in Little Canada and finally to Washington County in the east.

Ramsey County is also accessible by several U.S. Highways, in particular US 10, US 52, and US 61. US 10 enters from Washington County in the south and continues north to meet I-94 just east of Saint Paul where it turns west to run concurrently with I-94, I-35E, I-694, and finally I-35W before continuing northwest to Anoka County. US 52 runs from South Saint Paul in Dakota County north to downtown Saint Paul where it meets I-94 and turns west to run concurrently with it all the way to the North Dakota border. From the south, US 61 runs concurrently with US 10 and then I-94 until it continues northeast on surface streets through the East Side of Saint Paul. From Saint Paul, US 61 continues north through Maplewood and White Bear Lake before crossing the border into Washington County.

In addition to these federal highways, Ramsey County is served by several Minnesota State Highways, including MN 36 and MN 51, which are divided highways for much of their length.

The county also has jurisdiction over 264.108 miles of County State Aid Highways as well as 21,031 miles of county roads and 59 bridges maintained and monitored by the county's Public Works Department.

Major highways

* Interstate 35E
* Interstate 35W
* Interstate 94
* Interstate 694
* U.S. Highway 10
* U.S. Highway 12
* U.S. Highway 52
* U.S. Highway 61
* Minnesota State Highway 5
* Minnesota State Highway 13
* Minnesota State Highway 36
* Minnesota State Highway 51
* Minnesota State Highway 96
* Minnesota State Highway 120
* Minnesota State Highway 149
* Minnesota State Highway 156
* Minnesota State Highway 280
* County Road 30 ( Larpenteur Avenue)
* County Road 34 ( University Avenue)
* County Road 36/37 ( Shepard Road/Warner Road)
* '' Other county roads''

Air

The primary airport serving Ramsey County is Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, in neighboring Hennepin County. The only airport in Ramsey County is Saint Paul Downtown Airport, a smaller commercial airport with three runways primarily used for general aviation and military operations., effective December 7, 2017.

Demographics

As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Ramsey County was $329,720.

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 219,075 estimated households in Ramsey County with an average of 2.41 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $81,004. Approximately 11.9% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Ramsey County has an estimated 68.7% employment rate, with 45.5% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 91.5% holding a high school diploma.

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (76.5%), Spanish (5.3%), Indo-European (2.1%), Asian and Pacific Islander (10.6%), and Other (5.4%).

The median age in the county was 36.4 years.

Ramsey County, Minnesota – racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 552,352 people, 218,077 households, and 125,476 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 228,546 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 59.55% White, 12.92% African American, 0.81% Native American, 15.58% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.98% from some other races and 7.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 8.15% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 508,640 people, 202,691 households, and 117,799 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 217,196 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 70.10% White, 11.04% African American, 0.79% Native American, 11.66% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.91% from some other races and 3.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.17% of the population.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 511,035 people, 201,236 households, and 119,936 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 206,448 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 77.37% White, 7.61% African American, 0.83% Native American, 8.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.45% from some other races and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.28% of the population.

There were 201,236 households, out of which 29.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.00% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.40% were non-families. 32.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.60% under the age of 18, 11.30% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 20.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,722, and the median income for a family was $57,747. Males had a median income of $39,806 versus $30,814 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,536. About 7.40% of families and 10.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.70% of those under age 18 and 6.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

* Arden Hills
* Blaine (partial)
* Falcon Heights
* Gem Lake
* Lauderdale
* Little Canada
* Maplewood
* Mounds View
* New Brighton
* North Oaks
* North Saint Paul
* Roseville
* Saint Paul (county seat)
* Shoreview
* Spring Lake Park (partial)
* Saint Anthony (partial)
* Vadnais Heights
* White Bear Lake (partial)

Townships

* McLean Township (defunct)
* Mounds View Township (defunct)
* New Canada Township (defunct)
* Reserve Township (defunct)
* Rose Township (defunct)
* White Bear Township

Unincorporated communities

* Bald Eagle
* Bellaire

Education

School districts include:
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* Mounds View Public School District
* North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District
* Roseville Public School District
* St. Anthony-New Brighton Schools
* St. Paul Public School District
* White Bear Lake School District

Charter schools include:
* Hmong College Prep Academy
* Metro Deaf School

See also

* Ramsey County Library
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Ramsey County, Minnesota

References

External links

Ramsey County government website

Ramsey County Historical Society

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Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Minnesota counties on the Mississippi River
1849 establishments in Minnesota Territory
Populated places established in 1849