When was Ramsey County founded?

Ramsey County was founded in 1873, and named after Alexander Ramsey.

What is the county seat of Ramsey County?

The county seat of Ramsey County is Devils Lake.

Is there an online parcel map for Ramsey County?

Yes. Ramsey County publishes a parcel map of 15,097 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Ramsey County's boundary or name changed?

Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 5 changes for Ramsey County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Benson County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Ramsey County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 38071

Ramsey CountyNorth Dakota

Ramsey County is a county in North Dakota, established in 1873 with its seat at Devils Lake.

Founded1873
County seatDevils Lake
Named forAlexander Ramsey
Land area1,185 sq mi + 116 sq mi water
Population11,605 2020 Census
Parcels mapped15,097 checked 14 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Ramsey County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Founded in 1873

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Ramsey County became a county in the state of North Dakota on November 2, 1889, and is named after Alexander Ramsey. The county gained territory from Benson County in 1885 and again received a non-county area in 1890 when voters in the area agreed to become part of Ramsey.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1885
Gained territory Ramsey gained from Benson.
from Benson
28 April 1885 · Dak. Terr. Laws 1885, 16th sess., ch. 32, sec. 3/p. 270; Hall, 213-214
1889
Became part of North Dakota Ramsey became a county in the state of North Dakota. 2 November 1889 · U.S. Stat., vol. 25, ch. 180[1889]/pp. 676-684 and vol. 26, no. 5/pp. 1548-1549; Swindler, 7:526-527; Van Zandt, 134
1890
Gained territory Ramsey gained all of Non-County Area 18; Non-County Area 18 eliminated. Act passed 11 March 1890; took effect 4 November 1890 when voters in the area agreed to become part of Ramsey. 4 November 1890 · N. Dak. Laws 1889, 1st sess., ch. 201/p. 549
1891
Boundary clarified Ramsey boundaries clarified; confirmed gain of 4 November 1890 (no change).
no change
4 March 1891 · N. Dak. Laws 1891, 2d sess., ch. 129/p. 328
1891
Changed Legislature authorized Ramsey to gain from Benson; gain did not take effect (no change).
Benson
6 March 1891 · N. Dak. Laws 1891, 2d sess., ch. 130/p. 329

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Ramsey

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 15,097 parcels from Ramsey County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 26 June 2026 · checked 14 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 6,922 in all from State of North Dakota — NDGISHUB / ND Department of Emergency Services (owner NDGISHDP-DES).
edited 12 October 2026 · checked 13 October 2026
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Ramsey by the Census

Population

11,605 2020 Census count

Housing units

5,843 2020 Census count

Land area

1,185 square miles

Water area

116 square miles

People per sq mi

10 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Ramsey County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

County government
The official website of Ramsey County.
co.ramsey.nd.us

See your own lot on these maps

Open Ramsey County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Ramsey County

When was Ramsey County founded?: Ramsey County was founded in 1873, and named after Alexander Ramsey.
What is the county seat of Ramsey County?: The county seat of Ramsey County is Devils Lake.
Is there an online parcel map for Ramsey County?: Yes. Ramsey County publishes a parcel map of 15,097 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Ramsey County's boundary or name changed?: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 5 changes for Ramsey County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Benson County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Ramsey County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby