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Saint Paul is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Minnesota in the United States of America. It is the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 287,151. Saint Paul and the adjacent city of Minneapolis form the core of the area known as the Twin Cities. The city is located just south of 45 degrees north latitude (the suburb of Roseville has a marker near an obscure intersection identifying the exact location of the 45th parallel). The city's current mayor is Randy Kelly.
Areas of interest include the Minnesota State Capitol building, and the city's Civic Center, the RiverCentre. It is also home to the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Saint Paul Saints minor league baseball team, and the Minnesota Wild National Hockey League team, which plays at the local Xcel Energy Center.
Nearby attractions include the Mississippi River which forms the southwest and southern border of Saint Paul, the Mall of America in Bloomington, and the Minnesota State Fair's grounds. The fair is open during the two weeks prior to and including Labor Day. It takes place in northern Saint Paul next to the suburb of Falcon Heights, and just north of what is called the Midway, appropriately defining the midway point between downtown districts of the Twin Cities. Immediately west of the state fairgrounds is the "Saint Paul Campus" of the University of Minnesota. The Cathedral of Saint Paul is home to the Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and numerous other religious organizations exist in the metropolitan area. Bordering the southwest edge of Saint Paul and the southeastern tip of Minneapolis is the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. Also notable is the Fort Snelling National Historic Site, which lies on the bluff above the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. Just below the bluff is Fort Snelling State Park, which incorporates Pike Island named for the explorer Zebulon Pike.
Saint Paul is the birthplace of renowned author, F Scott Fitzgerald, as well as cartoonist Charles M. Schulz (Peanuts).
Major corporations headquartered in the Saint Paul area include 3M, source of products such as Scotch-Tape™, Thinsulate™ and Post-It™ notes; insurance firm; and Lawson Software, a business software and support company.
Ground Transportation
Most of the citizens of Saint Paul utilize a car to move throughout the region, although the bus system, provided by Metro Transit, is also used by those with and without cars. Currently, Metro Transit is in the process of developing the Hiawatha Line light rail transit system, which will run through Minneapolis but also provide opportunities for direct connections from buses running in Saint Paul. It is open and running as of June 26, 2004. If the light rail system is expanded in the future, the next link will probably connect to Saint Paul.
In the downtown area, buildings are connected by a skyway system in which buildings are directly connected to each other, and pedestrians may walk from one building to another without going outside. Another system of transportation gaining popularity in Saint Paul is biking, especially with the advent of additional bike lanes throughout the city and the metropolitan area. Bike trails interconnect with those of Minneapolis and other neighboring cities.
Air Transportation
The Major airport for the area is the Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport. Its major provider is Northwest Airlines, although low priced discount airlines are beginning to gain strength in the area.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 145.5 km² (56.2 mi²). 136.7 km² (52.8 mi²) of it is land and 8.8 km² (3.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 6.07% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 287,151 people, 112,109 households, and 60,987 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,101.0/km² (5,441.7/mi²). There are 115,713 housing units at an average density of 846.6/km² (2,192.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 67.02% White, 11.71% African American, 1.13% Native American, 12.36% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 3.84% from other races, and 3.87% from two or more races. 7.91% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 112,109 households out of which 29.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% are married couples living together, 13.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.6% are non-families. 35.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 3.32.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $38,774, and the median income for a family is $48,925. Males have a median income of $35,111 versus $29,432 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,216. 15.6% of the population and 11.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 23.2% are under the age of 18 and 9.7% are 65 or older.
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