U.S. state · MS
Flag of Mississippi
The Mississippi flag shows a white magnolia ringed by 20 white stars and a gold star on a dark blue panel with red sides, and carries the words "In God We Trust." Voters chose it in November 2020, and it became official on January 11, 2021, replacing the 1894 flag.
What the Mississippi state flag looks like
The current flag, officially called the "In God We Trust Flag" and known during the design process as the New Magnolia, has a wide dark blue panel in the center. A red bar runs along each side, and a narrower gold bar separates each red bar from the blue; by statute the red bars are five times as wide as the gold ones.
In the middle sits a white magnolia blossom with a gold stamen, the state flower. A circle of 20 white five-pointed stars surrounds it, ten on each side, and the circle is completed at the top by a gold star made up of five diamond-shaped segments. The words "IN GOD WE TRUST" in capital letters complete the circle at the bottom.
Mississippi flag meaning and symbolism
The magnolia is closely tied to the state, which is nicknamed the Magnolia State, and the tree is also the state tree. The design groups its symbols as follows:
- The magnolia represents the state flower, hospitality, hope and rebirth.
- 20 white stars mark Mississippi as the 20th state to join the Union, in 1817.
- The gold star at the top honors Indigenous peoples, and also symbolizes the five inhabited continents.
- The blue panel echoes the American flag and signifies vigilance, justice and perseverance. The red bars symbolize hardiness and valor, and the gold bars and the magnolia stamen represent the state's cultural history in the visual and performing arts.
- "In God We Trust" is required by the 2020 law that set the design rules, and it is also the motto of the United States.
History of the Mississippi flag
Mississippi adopted its previous flag in 1894, and it remained the state flag for 126 years. Voters kept it in a 2001 referendum (64% to 36%), but the debate returned in 2020, and businesses, universities, sports leagues and religious groups called for a change.
On June 28, 2020, the legislature passed a bill to retire the 1894 flag, and Governor Tate Reeves signed it into law on June 30. The bill set up a commission to design a replacement, with two rules: it could not include the emblem used on the earlier flag, and it had to include the words "In God We Trust."
More than 2,000 designs were submitted. The commission voted 8 to 1 on September 2 to put the magnolia design, with its layout by Rocky Vaughan and design support from Sue Anna Joe, Kara Giles and Dominique Pugh, on the ballot. Voters approved it with 73% of the votes cast on November 3, 2020. The legislature passed it on January 5 and 6, 2021, and it became the state flag when the governor signed it on January 11, 2021. See how it compares with Alabama and the neighboring southern states in our state flag gallery.
Flag etiquette in Mississippi
The 2021 flag is used on state buildings and at official events, and the old flag is no longer an official symbol. Standard U.S. flag etiquette applies: the American flag takes the place of honor when two flags are flown together.
Mississippi flag colors
#041E42RGB
4, 30, 66CMYK
94, 55, 0, 74#BA0C2FRGB
186, 12, 47CMYK
0, 94, 75, 27#D69A2DRGB
214, 154, 45CMYK
0, 28, 79, 16#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0Mississippi flag facts
| Adopted | January 11, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Proportions | 3:5 |
| Designer | Rocky Vaughan, Sue Anna Joe, Kara Giles, Dominique Pugh |
| Symbols | five-pointed star, Magnolia |
| State capital | Jackson |
| State motto | Virtute et armis |
| Population | 2,961,279 |
Mississippi state flag FAQ
Why did Mississippi get a new flag?
After a national debate in 2020, the legislature voted to retire the 1894 flag and set up a commission to design a new one, which voters approved in November 2020.
Why are there 20 stars on the Mississippi state flag?
Mississippi was the 20th state to join the Union, in 1817. A gold star at the top of the ring honors Indigenous peoples.
How was the new Mississippi flag chosen?
A commission selected the magnolia design, and Mississippi voters approved it in a statewide vote on November 3, 2020, by a large majority. It became official on January 11, 2021.
When did the Mississippi state flag change?
The legislature voted to retire the old flag in late June 2020 (the governor signed the bill on June 30), voters chose the replacement on November 3, 2020, and the new flag became official on January 11, 2021.
Who designed the new Mississippi flag?
Rocky Vaughan is credited with the flag's overall layout, with design support from Sue Anna Joe, Kara Giles and Dominique Pugh. The commission selected it before the vote.
What was the original flag of Mississippi?
Mississippi's first official flag was the Magnolia Flag, in use from March 30, 1861, to August 22, 1865. A convention committee recommended a white field with a magnolia tree, a blue canton with a white star, and a red border and fringe. Mississippi then had no official flag until 1894.
What does the magnolia on the Mississippi flag mean?
The white magnolia blossom represents the state flower, hospitality, hope and rebirth. Mississippi is nicknamed the Magnolia State, and the flower sits in the center of the blue panel with a gold stamen, which represents the state's cultural history in the visual and performing arts.
What will the Mississippi state flag look like in 2026?
The current design has been official since January 11, 2021: a white magnolia surrounded by twenty white stars and a gold star on a blue panel, with IN GOD WE TRUST below and red and gold bars on each side. This 2021 design is the one described in the state code.
