United States · 50 state flags

US State Flags

All 50 US state flags are shown here, from Alabama to Wyoming. Click a state to see its design, history and meaning.

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Flag of Alabama Alabama Montgomery Flag of Alaska Alaska Juneau Flag of Arizona Arizona Phoenix Flag of Arkansas Arkansas Little Rock Flag of California California Sacramento Flag of Colorado Colorado Denver Flag of Connecticut Connecticut Hartford Flag of Delaware Delaware Dover Flag of Florida Florida Tallahassee Flag of Georgia Georgia Atlanta Flag of Hawaii Hawaii Honolulu Flag of Idaho Idaho Boise Flag of Illinois Illinois Springfield Flag of Indiana Indiana Indianapolis Flag of Iowa Iowa Des Moines Flag of Kansas Kansas Topeka Flag of Kentucky Kentucky Frankfort Flag of Louisiana Louisiana Baton Rouge Flag of Maine Maine Augusta Flag of Maryland Maryland Annapolis Flag of Massachusetts Massachusetts Boston Flag of Michigan Michigan Lansing Flag of Minnesota Minnesota Saint Paul Flag of Mississippi Mississippi Jackson Flag of Missouri Missouri Jefferson City Flag of Montana Montana Helena Flag of Nebraska Nebraska Lincoln Flag of Nevada Nevada Carson City Flag of New Hampshire New Hampshire Concord Flag of New Jersey New Jersey Trenton Flag of New Mexico New Mexico Santa Fe Flag of New York New York Albany Flag of North Carolina North Carolina Raleigh Flag of North Dakota North Dakota Bismarck Flag of Ohio Ohio Columbus Flag of Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma City Flag of Oregon Oregon Salem Flag of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Harrisburg Flag of Rhode Island Rhode Island Providence Flag of South Carolina South Carolina Columbia Flag of South Dakota South Dakota Pierre Flag of Tennessee Tennessee Nashville Flag of Texas Texas Austin Flag of Utah Utah Salt Lake City Flag of Vermont Vermont Montpelier Flag of Virginia Virginia Richmond Flag of Washington Washington Olympia Flag of West Virginia West Virginia Charleston Flag of Wisconsin Wisconsin Madison Flag of Wyoming Wyoming Cheyenne

Why do so many state flags look alike?

Flag designers have a nickname for the most common design: the seal on a bedsheet. Over 20 states place their state seal on a solid blue or other single-color field, which makes them hard to tell apart from a distance. Most were adopted in the late 1800s and early 1900s, often when states needed a banner for military units or an exhibition and reused the seal they already had.

Flag experts argue that a good flag should be simple enough for a child to draw from memory, use few colors, avoid lettering, and be distinctive. By that standard, designs such as New Mexico's red Zia sun on yellow, Maryland's heraldic pattern, Colorado's C and Alaska's Big Dipper are praised. Ohio is the only state whose flag is not a rectangle, as it has a swallowtail with a blue triangle and stars.

Recent redesigns: Mississippi, Utah and Minnesota

Mississippi retired its flag in 2020 after a long debate over its design. Voters picked a replacement that year: a white magnolia ringed by stars on a field of red, blue and gold, with the words In God We Trust.

Utah adopted a new flag in 2024 built around the beehive, the state symbol of industry, replacing its seal on a blue field. Minnesota also adopted a new design in 2024, replacing a seal-based flag first used in 1957 and criticized for its imagery of a settler and a Native American horseman. The new flag has a dark blue shape of the state and an eight-pointed star. These changes follow a wider push among flag designers and voters for simpler, more recognizable state flags, and other states have discussed redesigns too. Each state page shows the current design and its history.

Looking for a quiz? Try the US state flags quiz, or compare with the national flag of the United States, which has used 50 stars since 1960.

Frequently asked questions

What is the only flag that can fly above the US flag?

The Navy church pennant, flown above the national flag during religious services on a Navy ship. The US flag has no higher national flag.

Why is Minnesota changing its state flag?

A state commission chose a new flag in December 2023 and it took effect in May 2024. It replaced the earlier flag, whose state seal was criticized as complex, with a design showing the shape of the state and a North Star.

What is special about the North Carolina state flag?

It shows two dates on the flag: May 20, 1775, for the Mecklenburg Declaration, and April 12, 1776, for the Halifax Resolves.

Will there be a new American flag in 2026?

No change is planned. The 50-star US flag has been in use since 1960, and a new version would be needed only if a state joined the union.

Which flag was first, NC or TX?

The Texas flag came first. The Lone Star Flag was adopted on 25 January 1839 for the Republic of Texas and became the state flag when Texas joined the Union in 1845. North Carolina had no official flag until 1861, and its current flag dates from 1885.

Did North Carolina change its flag?

Yes. The state replaced its first flag of 1861, which had a red field, with the current design in March 1885, making the field blue. A 1991 law changed only the proportions, so the length is now one and a half times the width.

When did SC change their state flag?

South Carolina adopted its current flag on 28 January 1861 by adding a palmetto to the older Moultrie flag of 1775. A golden palmetto was used for two days before it became white, so the design has barely changed since. See South Carolina.

Why does the SC flag have a crescent moon?

The crescent comes from the silver crescent worn on the caps of South Carolina troops in 1775. Colonel William Moultrie put it on a blue flag, matching the blue uniforms, for Fort Johnson. The palmetto tree was added in 1861 in honor of his fort on Sullivan's Island.

Are there 50 or 52 states?

There are 50 states, and all 50 state flags in alphabetical order are listed on this page. Washington, D.C. and territories such as Puerto Rico have their own flags but are not states, and the US flag has had 50 stars since 1960.