U.S. state · OH
Flag of Ohio
The Ohio flag is the only U.S. state flag that is not a rectangle. It is a swallowtail "burgee" with red and white stripes, a blue triangle and 17 white stars around a red-centered circle. John Eisenmann designed it in 1901.
What the Ohio state flag looks like
The Ohio state flag is a pennant-shaped flag called a burgee, with two points at the fly end where a notch is cut out. It is the only state flag in the country that is not rectangular. The proportions are 8:13.
Five horizontal stripes run across the flag: three red and two white, with red at the top and bottom. At the hoist is a blue triangle that reaches into the stripes and ends in a point. Inside the triangle sit 17 white stars. Thirteen of them form a group around a white circle with a red center, and the other four are arranged in a point along the triangle's edge.
The white circle with a red center resembles the letter "O", the initial of Ohio, and also suggests a buckeye, the state tree and a nickname for the state. The flag uses red, white and blue, the colors of the U.S. flag.
Ohio flag meaning and symbolism
The law that defines the flag (Ohio Revised Code § 5.01) also gives its symbolism. The blue triangle stands for the state's hills and valleys, and the red and white stripes for its roads and waterways. The 17 stars show that Ohio was the 17th state to join the Union: 13 stars grouped around the circle stand for the original states, and the four stars at the peak of the triangle for the later admissions up to Ohio. The circle is the letter O for Ohio and suggests the buckeye. It also represents the original territory of Ohio in the Northwest Territory.
The flag has no text and does not carry the state motto, "With God, all things are possible".
History of the Ohio flag
Ohio entered the Union in 1803, and the state did not have an official flag for nearly a century. The present design came from John Eisenmann, an architect from Cleveland, who created it in 1901 for the Ohio display at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. It was meant as a banner for the state's exhibit.
In 1902 a bill designating Eisenmann's design as the official flag became law on 9 May, making it the 20th U.S. state flag or banner. At first it was seldom used, but over the following century it became very popular. Eisenmann described his design as a swallow-tailed flag like a cavalry guidon or broad pennant, and the flag has been officially defined as a burgee since 2002, even though burgees are normally maritime flags.
Because of its unusual form, the Ohio flag appears in discussions of flag design as an example of a state breaking from the standard rectangle. See the U.S. state flags page for others, including neighbors Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Flag rules and etiquette in Ohio
Ohio follows the national rule that the flag of the United States is flown in the place of honor. The Ohio flag has no emoji of its own.
Ohio flag colors
#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0#BF0A30RGB
191, 10, 48CMYK
0, 95, 75, 25#00205BRGB
0, 32, 91CMYK
100, 65, 0, 64Ohio flag facts
| Adopted | May 9, 1902 |
|---|---|
| Proportions | 8:13 |
| Designer | John Eisenmann |
| State capital | Columbus |
| State motto | With God, all things are possible |
| Population | 11,799,448 |
Ohio state flag FAQ
Why is Ohio the only state without a rectangular flag?
Its designer, John Eisenmann, chose a swallowtail shape for his 1901 design, which he compared to a cavalry guidon or broad pennant. That makes Ohio's flag the only non-rectangular U.S. state flag, and the law now defines it as a burgee.
Why are there 17 stars on the Ohio flag?
Ohio was the 17th state admitted to the Union. Thirteen stars grouped around the circle represent the original states, and four more at the peak of the triangle show that Ohio was the seventeenth state.
What is the Ohio motto?
The state motto is "With God, all things are possible". It does not appear on the flag, which has no text.
Is there an Ohio flag emoji?
No. There are no emoji for U.S. state flags in the Unicode standard, so the Ohio flag has no emoji of its own.
What do the stripes and triangle on the Ohio flag mean?
Under the law that defines the flag, the red and white stripes represent the roads and waterways of the state, and the blue triangle represents its hills and valleys.
What does the Ohio flag look like today?
The Ohio flag today is still the swallowtail burgee adopted in 1902. It has three red and two white horizontal stripes, a blue triangle at the hoist, and 17 white stars around a white circle with a red center that resembles the letter O. The Ohio flag colors are red, white and blue, and the flag has no text.
What is special about the Ohio state flag?
It is the only non-rectangular U.S. state flag. Its shape, lack of text and mirror symmetry let it hang in different orientations without losing legibility. Some foreign manufacturers set the design on a white rectangle, so check this if you buy an Ohio flag for sale.
