| County: | Ramsey County |
| State: | Minnesota |
| Founded Year: | 1849[1] |
| Founded Date: | October 27 |
| Seat Wl: | Saint Paul |
| Largest City Wl: | Saint Paul |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 170 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 152 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 18 |
| Area Percentage: | 11% |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 552352 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Est: | 536075 |
| Density Sq Mi: | 3633.9 |
| Time Zone: | Central |
| Web: | www.ramseycounty.us |
| Ex Image: | Saint Paul City Hall.jpg |
| District: | 4th |
| District2: | 5th |
Ramsey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 552,352,[2] making it the second-most populous county in Minnesota. Its county seat and largest city is Saint Paul,[3] 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.[4]
Ramsey County is included in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the smallest and most densely populated county in Minnesota, as well as one of the most densely populated counties in the United States.[5]
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 part of Washington, Pine, Carlton, Aitkin, Mille Lacs, and Hennepin. One of Ramsey County's early settlers was Heman Gibbs, whose farm is now operated as the Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life (Gibbs Farm[6]) 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.[7]
Ramsey County is overwhelmingly Democratic in presidential elections, having not voted for a Republican presidential candidate 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%.
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office was established in the old Minnesota Territory in 1849.[8] The current sheriff is Bob Fletcher, who won the general election for Ramsey County Sheriff on November 6, 2018. The Ramsey County Sheriff is elected for a four-year term via an election running concurrent with the federal mid-term 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 throughout the county, 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 across the county as mandated by law. This includes detention for court and other court services. This also includes safety, rescue and law enforcement on the waterways. Proactively, the Sheriff's office provides multiple safety classes and coordinates community volunteer efforts. The office is responsible for the county jail, more officially the "Adult Detention Center." The facility has a capacity of five hundred prisoners and a staff of about 150.
On August 25, 2022, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher announced that the Sheriff's office would be featured on the show , airing on Reelz.[9] However an agreement was not reached, Sheriff Bob Fletcher continues a broadcast of many of his and his deputies' shifts.
| Community | Law Enforcement | Fire Protection | Ambulance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arden Hills | Ramsey County Sheriff | Lake Johanna Fire | Allina Medical Transport | |
| Falcon Heights | Ramsey County Sheriff | Saint Paul Fire | Saint Paul Fire | |
| Gem Lake | White Bear Lake Police | White Bear Lake Fire | White Bear Lake Fire | |
| Lauderdale | Saint Anthony Police | Saint Paul Fire | Saint Paul Fire | |
| Little Canada | Ramsey County Sheriff | Little Canada Fire & Rescue | Allina Medical Transport | |
| Maplewood | Maplewood Police | Maplewood Fire | Maplewood Fire | |
| Minnesota State Fairgrounds | Minnesota State Fair Police | Saint Paul Fire | Saint Paul Fire | |
| Mounds View | Mounds View Police | SBM Fire | Allina Medical Transport | |
| New Brighton | New Brighton Police Division | New Brighton Fire Division | Allina Medical Transport | |
| North Oaks | Ramsey County Sheriff | Lake Johanna Fire | Allina Medical Transport | |
| North Saint Paul | North Saint Paul Police | North Saint Paul Fire | Lakeview Emergency Medical | |
| Roseville | Roseville Police | Roseville Fire | Allina Medical Transport | |
| Saint Anthony | Saint Anthony Police | Saint Anthony Fire | Hennepin EMS | |
| Saint Paul | Saint Paul Police | Saint Paul Fire | Saint Paul Fire | |
| Shoreview | Ramsey County Sheriff | Lake Johanna Fire | Allina Medical Transport | |
| University of Minnesota-St. Paul | University Police | Saint Paul Fire | Saint Paul Fire | |
| Vadnais Heights | Ramsey County Sheriff | Vadnais Heights Fire | Allina Medical Transport | |
| White Bear Lake | White Bear Lake Police | White Bear Lake Fire | White Bear Lake Fire | |
| White Bear Township | Ramsey County Sheriff | White Bear Lake Fire | White Bear Lake Fire |
The Ramsey County Attorney prosecutes felony crimes which are committed within the jurisdiction of Ramsey County. The current County Attorney is John Choi, who was elected in 2010.
The county commission elects a chair who presides at meetings.Commissioners as of January 3, 2023:
| District | Commissioner | In office since | Current term expires on December 31 of | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nicole Joy Frethem | 2019 | 2024 | |
| 2nd | Mary Jo McGuire | 2013 | 2024 | |
| 3rd | Trista MatasCastillo (chair) | 2019 | 2026 | |
| 4th | Rena Moran | 2022 | 2026 | |
| 5th | Rafael Ortega | 1995 | 2026 | |
| 6th | Mai Chong Xiong | 2022 | 2026 | |
| 7th | Victoria Reinhardt | 1997 | 2024 |
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (11%) is water.[10] It is the smallest county by area in Minnesota. It has been considered completely urbanized since the 1990 United States Census.[11]
Ramsey County is a major freight hub along BNSF's Northern Transcon route, as well as being served by Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific.[12]
Amtrak offers daily intercity passenger rail service on the Empire Builder from Union Depot in Saint Paul.[13] 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.[14] The Metro Green Line connects St. Paul Union Depot to Target Field station in Minneapolis, in neighboring Hennepin County.
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.[15]
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 a number of 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 that are maintained and monitored by the Public Works Department of Ramsey County.[16]
The primary airport serving Ramsey County is Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, located in neighboring Hennepin County. The only airport located in Ramsey County is Saint Paul Downtown Airport, a smaller commercial airport with three runways primarily used for general aviation and military operations.[17]
| White alone (NH) | 340,194 | 320,477 | 66.89% | 58.02% | |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 54,835 | 70,101 | 10.78% | 12.69% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 3,143 | 2,914 | 0.62% | 0.53% | |
| Asian alone (NH) | 59,033 | 85,775 | 11.61% | 15.53% | |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 195 | 214 | 0.04% | 0.04% | |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 737 | 2,339 | 0.15% | 0.42% | |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 14,020 | 25,498 | 2.76% | 4.62% | |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 36,483 | 45,034 | 7.17% | 8.15% | |
| Total | 508,640 | 552,352 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2010 census, there were 508,640 people, 202,691 households, and 117,799 families living in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 70.1% White, 11.0% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 11.7% Asian, 2.9% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. 7.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
According to the 2010–2015 American Community Survey, the largest ancestry groups were German (26.0%), Irish (11.5%), Norwegian (9.9%), and Swedish (7.4%).[20]
At the 2000 census, there were 511,035 people, 201,236 households, and 119,936 families living in the county. The population density was 3281sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 206,448 housing units at an average density of 1325sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the county was 77.37% White, 7.61% Black or African American, 0.83% Native American, 8.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.45% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. 5.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
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, 25.60% of the population was 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% was 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. (These figures had risen to $53,141 and $71,485, respectively, as of 2008.) 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.
School districts include:[23]
Charter schools include: