Ramsey County, Minnesota
Population: 583,133
Area: 170 square miles
Named for: First Territorial Governor of Minnesota, Alexander Ramsey
Cities included: Saint Paul, Arden Hills, Blaine, Falcon Heights, Gem Lake, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Maplewood, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, North Saint Paul, Roseville, Shoreview, Saint Anthony, Spring Lake Park, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Lake, White Bear Lake Township.
County seat: Saint Paul
Largest city: Saint Paul
Ramsey County is the second-most populous county in Minnesota, with about 10% of the state's residents. It is also the smallest and most densely populated county in Minnesota, and is one of the most densely populated counties in the entire United States.
Established on October 27, 1849, Ramsey County is one of the original counties of the Minnesota Territory.
Ramsey County is home to more than 6,500 acres of parks and recreation facilities including 14 parks, four golf courses and 11 ice arenas. The county library system has seven locations.
Residents of Ramsey County represent a variety of different nationalities and backgrounds with many families as well as young professionals and senior citizens.
Ramsey County is home to several historic places including houses and places of worship and some of the oldest structures in the state of Minnesota. As Saint Paul is the state capital, Ramsey County is home to a number of state agencies, as well as a variety of businesses, educational institutions and heavily developed areas.
Entertainment opportunities are diverse as the county features professional hockey, minor league baseball, and will soon be home to major league soccer. Events include the Saint Paul Winter Carnival and the Minnesota State Fair.
Historically, many sites in the county were home to various first-generation immigrant populations including Germans, Czechs and Scandinavians who comprised the majority of residents in the first century of the county's history. More recently the county has welcomed a growing influx of Hmong, Asian, and Hispanic immigrants.