U.S. state · TN
Flag of Tennessee
The Tennessee flag has a red field, a blue circle edged in white with three white stars at the center, and a narrow blue stripe on the fly edge. The stars stand for the state's three Grand Divisions.
What the Tennessee flag looks like
The state flag of Tennessee is built from three simple parts. The main field is crimson red. In the center is a round blue disc with a thin white ring, and inside that disc are three white five-pointed stars arranged in a small circle. At the fly end, the right-hand edge, a narrow vertical blue bar is separated from the red by a thin white line.
Tennessee's flag is made in 5:3 proportions, set by law. It uses only three colors, red, white and blue, which are the same as the flag of the United States, and it has no text or seal.
Tennessee flag meaning and symbolism
The three stars are the key. They represent the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee: East, Middle and West. These are the state's regional groupings, each with its own geography and history. The blue circle around the stars represents the unity of those divisions.
The colors are the same red, white and blue as the national flag. The designer said the narrow blue bar at the fly end relieves the sameness of the crimson field, so it is a design choice rather than a symbol.
History of the Tennessee flag
Tennessee entered the Union in 1796 as the sixteenth state, but it went more than a century without an official flag. The current design was created by Captain Le Roy Reeves, a Johnson City attorney and member of the Tennessee National Guard, who wanted Tennesseans to have a distinctive state symbol for public events and gatherings outside the state. The General Assembly adopted it on April 17, 1905.
The flag has not been redesigned since. State law now sets out its proportions, colors and layout in detail.
Interesting facts about the Tennessee flag
- In a 2001 North American Vexillological Association survey of 72 U.S. state, territorial and Canadian provincial flags, it ranked 14th.
- Its design is credited to a single officer, rather than a public contest.
- The state motto, Agriculture and Commerce, appears on the state seal and not on the flag.
You can compare it with other designs on the U.S. state flags page.
Tennessee flag colors
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100, 55, 0, 60#FFFFFFRGB
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0, 0, 0, 0Tennessee flag facts
| Adopted | April 17, 1905 |
|---|---|
| Proportions | 3:5 |
| Designer | Le Roy Reeves |
| State capital | Nashville |
| State motto | Agriculture and Commerce |
| Population | 6,910,840 |
Tennessee state flag FAQ
Who designed the Tennessee flag?
Captain Le Roy Reeves, a Johnson City attorney and Tennessee National Guard member, designed it. The legislature adopted it on April 17, 1905.
Did Tennessee change its state flag?
No. The flag adopted in 1905 is still the current state flag. Tennessee had no official state flag before that date.
What is the Tennessee state motto?
The state motto is Agriculture and Commerce. It is written on the state seal rather than on the flag.
What is special about the Tennessee state flag?
It is a symbolic design with no seal or lettering. A circle of three stars on a red field, with a blue bar on the fly end, makes it unusually simple and easy to recognize.
What was the original Tennessee flag?
Tennessee had no official flag until 1905. Before that, a flag made for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition used red, white and blue diagonal stripes for the three Grand Divisions, with the words The Volunteer State and the number 16. It saw limited use and was never widely accepted.
What does the Tennessee flag mean?
The three white stars stand for East, Middle and West Tennessee, the state's three Grand Divisions, and the blue circle around them stands for their unity. Designer Le Roy Reeves said the blue bar on the fly end only relieves the sameness of the crimson field.
