Ramsey

Formed October 27, 1849 (4^th county)

Ramsey County (552,362), Saint Paul (311,518)

The Art Deco style concrete skyscraper, built in 1932, is on Kellogg Boulevard between Wabasha and St. Peter streets.  Interstate Highway 94 is eight blocks to the north of the courthouse.  Thomas Ellerbe & Company and Holabird & Root are the architects.  The facility sits on the banks of the Mississippi River.  There was an 1885 version of the courthouse earlier in Saint Paul, the only county seat.  A Government Center supports the courthouse.  Ramsey County was created on October 27, 1849 as the 4^th county.  It is named for Governor Alexander Ramsey.  The county seat is named for a chapel dedicated to the Biblical saint.  Ramsey County was the birthplace of 2 Minnesota Governors, Wendell R. Anderson and Timothy J. Pawlenty.  The Minnesota state capitol is located in this county. 

Ramsey County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer, an auditor, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-seven District Court Judges serve Ramsey County (judicial.) Minneapolis, Minnesota is directly to the west of the county.  The county center is in Saint Paul 4 miles Northeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Anoka, Washington, Dakota, and Hennepin counties. 

The area of the county is 155.8 square miles.  It is 87 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 2 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 3545.3 persons per square mile making it 1 out of 87 in the state.  Ramsey County has 98.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35E travels north to south in the county from Anoka County to Dakota County.  Interstate Highway 35W goes north to south from Anoka County to Hennepin County.  Interstate Highway 94 passes east to west from Washington County to Hennepin County.  United States Highway 10 enters from Washington County, east, and exits into Anoka County, north.  United States Highway 12 is joined with Interstate Highway 94 from Washington to Hennepin counties.  United States Highway 52 comes from Dakota County, south, and joins Interstate Highway 94 into Hennepin County, west.  United States Highway 61 is joined with United States Highway 10 from Washington County (southeast), splits and goes into Washington County (northeast).  The county looks like a tooth.  Saint Paul dominates the southern end of the county.  Saint Paul is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 56.4% of the county population.  The county is pronounced RAM-SEE.  This county is in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul-Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area.