Ramsey

Formed January 4, 1873 (14^th county)

Ramsey County (11,604), Devils Lake (7,189)                

The Modern building was erected in 1960 to replace an 1887 courthouse.  It is situated on 4^th Avenue between 5^th and 6^th streets.  North Dakota State Highway 20 passes three blocks west of the site.  Foss and Company provided the red brick and steel building designs.  Ramsey County was organized on January 4, 1873 as the 14^th county.  Creel City was the first county seat until 1884 when Devils Lake became the county seat.  The county is named for Senator Alexander Ramsey.  The county seat is named for the local lake.  Ramsey County is the birthplace of 1 North Dakota governor; William L. Guy. 

Ramsey County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Ramsey, Benson, Bottineau, Cavalier, McHenry, Pembina, Pierce, Renville, Rolette, Towner, and Walsh counties and a court clerk serves Ramsey County (judicial.)  The county is in the eastern part of the state.  Grand Forks, North Dakota is east and Minot, North Dakota is west of the county.  The county center is 20 miles Northeast of Devils Lake nearer Webster.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Cavalier, Walsh, Nelson, Benson, and Towner counties. 

The area of the county is 1186 square miles.  It is 26 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 12 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 9.8 persons per square mile making it 10 out of 53 in the state.  Ramsey County has 65.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 2 crosses the county east to west from Nelson County to Benson County.  The county looks like a backwards map of the State of Louisiana.  Devils Lake is located in the southwest quarter of the county.  Devils Lake is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 62.0% of the county population.