Today St. Paul is one of the most populated cities of Minnesota and also serves as the state’s capital. It claims the further distinction of being the county seat of Ramsey County, the county with the densest population of all Minnesota counties and the least amount of physical space (170 square miles, of which 18 square miles is water). The city was designated state capital in 1849 but in 1857, the Minnesota territorial legislature voted to move the capital to St. Peter; before the move become legal, the physical bill was stolen by a legislator, Joe Rolette, who went into hiding, allowing St. Paul to retain its status.

The nearby city of Minneapolis merges with St. Paul, forming the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Other cities within the county include Minnetonka, Burnsville, Lakeville and Stillwater. Residents of the Twin Cities are largely descendants of immigrants from Germany, Norway and Sweden, giving the city a very distinctive cultural identity; the cultural diversity continues to evolve, too, as the area also has a history of welcoming new immigrants from all of the world.