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About Saint Paul's Survey Office

The City of Saint Paul's Survey Office documents the public boundaries throughout the city of Saint Paul.

Access Saint Paul's Land Survey Map

City of Saint Paul survey crews are only authorized to work within the public right of way or on city property. For all private survey needs, please use the Find a Surveyor tool provided by the Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors.

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Saint Paul's Coordinates:

LATITUDE    44 degrees 56 minutes 41.25629 seconds North 
LONGITUDE 93 degrees 05 minutes 39.64525 seconds West

Saint Paul's Survey History

Saint Paul, east of the Mississippi River, was originally surveyed into 6x6 mile squares called townships. This survey was done by James M. Marsh in October of 1847. The townships were then surveyed into 1x1 mile squares called sections by Deputy Surveyor Isaac Higbee during the months of October & November of 1847. West of the Mississippi River, Saint Paul was surveyed into sections by Jesse T. Jarrett in September of 1853. The area that Saint Paul covers today was surveyed off the 4th Principal Meridian, which runs through Wisconsin. Saint Paul covers parts of Townships 28 & 29 North and Ranges 22 & 23 West of the 4th Principal Meridian.

The City of Saint Paul was originally established as the "The Town of St. Paul" by an act of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Minnesota in November of 1849. Saint Paul remained a town until March of 1854 when it became the "City of Saint Paul, Minnesota Territory". When Minnesota became a state in May of 1858 the city became known as "The City of Saint Paul, State of Minnesota".

When "The Town of St. Paul" came into existence in 1849, it occupied approximately 280 acres. The original town site consisted of two subdivisions, also called plats: "Town of Saint Paul" (sometimes referred to as the "Saint Paul Proper") and "Irvine & Rice's addition", which was filed as "Rice and Irvine's addition to Saint Paul". The plat of "The Town of St. Paul" was filed on February 28, 1849, in County of St. Croix, Wisconsin Territory and was surveyed by Ira B. Brunson. The plat of "Rice's and Irvine's addition to Saint Paul" was filed on May 16, 1849, in the County of St. Croix, Minnesota Territory and was surveyed by Benjamin W. Brunson.

As the result of an Act of Minnesota legislature on February 14, 1866, the town plat was brought to Saint Paul and filed with the Ramsey County Recorder's Office on March 17, 1866. The original town site boundaries were Elm Street on the west, Smith Ave & East Seventh Street on the north, Wacouta Street on the east, and the left bank of the Mississippi River on the south. Between the years 1849 and 1887 Saint Paul went through 14 boundary changes.