Ramsey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 508,640, making it the second-most populous county in Minnesota. Its county seat is St. Paul, which is also Minnesota's state capital. The county was founded in 1849 and is named for Alexander Ramsey (W), the first governor of the Minnesota Territory.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.Government and politicsCounty SheriffThe Ramsey County Sheriff is the top law enforcement official in Ramsey County. The Ramsey County Sheriff is elected for a four-year term via an election running concurrent with the federal mid-term elections.The current sheriff is Matt Bostrom, who was elected Sheriff in 2010 by winning over four-term incumbent Bob Fletcher by a 14% margin.