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Flags of the U.S. states and territories

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 18 min

Map showing the flags of the 50 states of the United States, its five territories, and the capital district, Washington, D.C.

The flags of the U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) exhibit a variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as different styles and design principles. Modern U.S. state flags date from the turn of the 20th century, when states considered distinctive symbols for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. Most U.S. state flags were designed and adopted between 1893 and World War I.[1]

The most recently adopted state flag is that of Minnesota, adopted on May 11, 2024, while the most recently adopted territorial flag is that of the Northern Mariana Islands, adopted on July 1, 1985. The flag of the District of Columbia was adopted in 1938. Recent legislations in Massachusetts (2021) and Illinois (2024) have started the process of redesigning their state flag. Michigan also has plans to redesign their flag in the future, but this has not been confirmed. Maine had put a flag redesign on the ballot in November 2024, but the redesign had failed the vote.[2][3]

Despite a variety of designs, the majority of the states' flags share the same design pattern consisting of the state seal superimposed on a monochrome background, commonly a shade of blue, which remains a source of criticism from vexillologists. According to a 2001 survey by the North American Vexillological Association, New Mexico has the best-designed flag of any U.S. state, U.S. territory, or Canadian province, while Georgia's state flag was rated the worst (the latter of which has been changed since the survey was conducted).[4]

Current state flags

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Listed alphabetically with their respective date of adoption.

Current federal district flag

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This is the current flag of the District of Columbia.

Current territory flags

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These are the current official flags of the five permanently inhabited territories of the United States.

Current state ensigns

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Maine and Massachusetts have ensigns for use at sea.

Former state ensigns

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Commemorative state flags

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Historical state and territory flags

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Former state flags

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Former territory flags

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Pre-statehood flags

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California, Texas, and Hawaii were independent nations with flags before entering the union. The Utah Territory had a flag before receiving statehood.

Native American flags

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Further information: Flags of Native Americans in the United States on Wikimedia Commons
Further information: Official seals of Native American tribes on Wikimedia Commons

Many Native American nations have tribal sovereignty, with jurisdiction over their members and reserved land. Although reservations are on state land, the laws of the state(s) do not necessarily apply.[68] Below are the flags of some of the largest Indian tribes reservations by population and area:

Unofficial flags of United States Minor Outlying Islands

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The U.S. national flag is the official flag for all islands, atolls, and reefs composing the United States Minor Outlying Islands. However, unofficial flags are sometimes used to represent some of these insular areas:

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ Artimovich, Nick. "Questions & Answers". North American Vexillological Association. p. 8. Archived from the original on April 17, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
  2. ^ General Election Ballot Referendum Questions
  3. ^ Budion, Kaitlyn (November 6, 2024). "Referendum to replace Maine state flag fails". Maine Public. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  4. ^ Kaye, Ted (June 10, 2001). "New Mexico tops state/provincial flags survey, Georgia loses by wide margin". North American Vexillological Association. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2007.
  5. ^ "Official Symbols and Emblems of Alabama: State Flag of Alabama". Alabama Department of Archives & History. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  6. ^ "Arkansas Secretary of State". www.sos.arkansas.gov. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  7. ^ "State Flag". Colorado State Archives. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  8. ^ "Delaware Facts & Symbols". Viola Delaware. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  9. ^ Smith, Whitney. "flag of Florida". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  10. ^ "Flags That Have Flown Over Georgia: The History of the Georgia State Flag". Secretary of State of Georgia. 2003. Archived from the original on September 16, 2008. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
  11. ^ Smith, Whitney. "flag of Idaho". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  12. ^ "Official State Flag". Illinois Facts. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010.
  13. ^ Smith, Whitney. "flag of Indiana". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  14. ^ Encyclopedia of Kentucky, New York, New York: Somerset Publishers, 1987, ISBN 0-403-09981-1
  15. ^ Bonham, Milledge L., Jr. "The Flags of Louisiana." The Louisiana Historical Quarterly 2.1 (1919): 439-446.
  16. ^ Chapter 48, Acts of 1904, effective March 9, 1904
  17. ^ "HF 1830 4th Engrossment". MN Revisor's Office. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  18. ^ "Mississippi Legislature 2020 Regular Session House Bill 1796". Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System. July 21, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  19. ^ State Flag - Missouri Secretary of State
  20. ^ a b NH.gov. "State Flag, New Hampshire Almanac". Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  21. ^ "New York (U.S.)". Crwflags.com. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  22. ^ Huntington, Webster Perit, ed. (July 1906). "The Flag of Ohio (editorial)". The Ohio Illustrated Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 1. pp. 96–97 – via Google Books.
  23. ^ "The Oklahoma State Flag". NetState. NState, LLC. February 6, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  24. ^ "Status of the Pennsylvania Flag". September 12, 2007. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved October 26, 2007.
  25. ^ Darnell, Riley C. (2006), Tennessee Blue Book (PDF), Nashville, Tennessee: State of Tennessee, pp. 515–516, archived from the original (PDF) on July 23, 2015
  26. ^ Flags of Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
  27. ^ Ellis, Josh (March 2, 2023). "Utah Legislature approves new state flag". KSL.
  28. ^ "The Vermont State Flag". NetState.com. September 24, 2009.
  29. ^ a b State of Wisconsin, "Section: 1.08: State flag", Laws of 1979, archived from the original on June 10, 2023, retrieved August 21, 2015
  30. ^ a b Bradley, Robert B. (2000). "Flags of the Confederacy – Flags of Alabama". Flags of the Confederacy. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
  31. ^ a b "Arkansas Secretary of State". www.sos.arkansas.gov. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  32. ^ "Bill Information". Arkansas State Legislature - 88th General Assembly. 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  33. ^ Daily Alta California, 22 June 1861
  34. ^ "Daily Alta California 14 July 1864 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  35. ^ "California State Flag Specifications" (PDF). bearflagmuseum.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 7, 2019.
  36. ^ Krempholtz, Emily. "The History Behind the Colorado Flag". Colorado Info. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  37. ^ Trembath, Brian K. (July 2, 2015). "The Untold Story Behind Colorado's Iconic State Flag". Denver Public Library. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  38. ^ "State Flag - 1845". Florida Department of State.
  39. ^ a b Cannon, Devereaux D. Jr. (2005) [1st pub. St. Lukes Press:1988], The Flags of the Confederacy: An Illustrated History, Cover design by Larry Pardue, Gretna: Pelican Publishing Company, pp. 36–37, ISBN 978-1-565-54109-2, OCLC 970744690
  40. ^ a b Florida Constitution Revision Commission (August 4, 2005). "Amendments, Election of 11-6-1900". The Florida State University. Archived from the original on October 8, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  41. ^ Cannon, Devereaux D. Jr. (2005) [1st pub. St. Luke's Press:1988], The Flags of the Confederacy: An Illustrated History, Gretna: Pelican Publishing Company, p. 39, ISBN 978-1-565-54109-2
  42. ^ a b c d e Azarian, Alexander; Fesshazion, Eden (August 2000). "The State Flag of Georgia: The 1956 Change In Its Historical Context" (PDF). Senate Research Office. State of Georgia: State of Georgia. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  43. ^ Smith, Whitney. "flag of Idaho". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  44. ^ Schock, Barbara (May 12, 2007). "Park Lawrence, Mother of the Illinois Flag". The Zephyr. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012.
  45. ^ General Assembly of Indiana (1903), Legislative and State Manual of Indiana, W.B. Burford, retrieved May 25, 2022
  46. ^ a b Indiana Historical Bureau (December 16, 2020), Indiana State Flag, IN.gov, retrieved May 19, 2024
  47. ^ a b "State Banner". Cool Things. Kansas State Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  48. ^ a b c [1] Archived 2014-08-12 at the Wayback Machine
  49. ^ "U.S. States L-M". WorldStatesmen.org. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  50. ^ a b c d MN Territorial Pioneers, Inc. "Flag of the State of Minnesota". Archived from the original on October 25, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  51. ^ Clay, Moss (June 21, 2015). "Mississippi's Magnolia Flags (U.S.)". Flags of the World. Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  52. ^ "State Flags". State of Mississippi. Archived from the original on April 5, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  53. ^ War Department; Davis, Maj. George W.; Perry, Leslie J.; Kirkley, Joseph William (1898), The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, vol. LIII, Washington: Government Printing Office, pp. 694–695 – via Internet Archive
  54. ^ a b c "Nevada Trivia". The Nevada State Trivia game. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  55. ^ "About New Mexico". New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  56. ^ a b "North Carolina (U.S.)". flags of the world. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  57. ^ a b c "The Oklahoma State Flag". NetState. NState, LLC. February 6, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  58. ^ "Enrolled Senate Bill No. 1359". Oklahoma State Courts Network. May 23, 2006. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  59. ^ "The Pennsylvania State Flag" (PDF). PA State Rep. Brett Miller. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2021.
  60. ^ "South Carolina State and Secession Flags". freeuk.net. Archived from the original on June 25, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  61. ^ Huff, Caitlin (January 6, 2021). "The Tri-Star Flag: What's behind the beloved emblem". WKRN.com. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  62. ^ a b "The Vermont State Flag". NetState.com. September 24, 2009.
  63. ^ Virginia Convention (April 30, 1861), An ORDINANCE to establish a Flag for this Commonwealth, Ordinance No. 33, Virginia{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  64. ^ "§ 1-506. Flag of the Commonwealth". Code of Virginia. Commonwealth of Virginia. February 1, 1950. Retrieved January 28, 2015 – via Virginia Law.
  65. ^ "Chapter 65: State Seal—State Flag" (PDF), Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1967 Extraordinary Session, Washington State Legislature, April 19, 1967, pp. 1666–1667, retrieved June 28, 2017
  66. ^ a b Giggenbach, Christian (June 19, 2008). "State didn't have official flag until 1905". The Register-Herald. Beckley, West Virginia. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  67. ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (2007). "Wisconsin Blue Book 2007-2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  68. ^ https://www.bia.gov/frequently-asked-questions BIA. U.S. Department of the Interior. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  69. ^ Klimeš, Roman (January 2011). "Lesser-Known Symbols of Minor U.S. Possessions" (PDF). NAVA News. 209.
  70. ^ Wheeler, Skip (March 2000). "New Flag for Midway" (PDF). NAVA News. 33. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  71. ^ Klimeš, Roman (January 2000). "The Flag of Wake Island" (PDF). NAVA News. 33.
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