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The flags of the U.S. states, territories and federal district exhibit a variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as different styles and design principles. Nonetheless, the majority of the states' flags share the same design pattern consisting of the state seal superimposed on a monochrome background, commonly blue.
Contents
- History
- Current state flags
- Current federal district and territory flags
- Current state ensigns
- References
The most recent current state flag is that of Utah (February 16, 2011), while the most recent current territorial flag is that of the Northern Mariana Islands (July 1, 1985).
History
Modern U.S. state flags date from the 1890s, when states wanted to have distinctive symbols at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. Most U.S. state flags were designed and adopted between 1893 and World War I.
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 design. (Georgia adopted a new flag in 2003; Nebraska's state flag, whose design was rated second worst, remains in use to date.) About half the flags have a common "seal on a bed sheet" design, wherein the state seal is simply put on a solid, usually blue, background. Such flags consistently get the lowest ranks from the Vexillological Association.
Current state flags
Dates in parentheses denote when the current flag was adopted by the state's legislature.
Current federal district and territory flags
These are the current flags of the federal district and territories of the United States. Dates in parenthesis denote when the district or territory's current flag was adopted by its respective political body.
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 in use on five of these nine insular areas:
Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island and Kingman Reef do not have flags.
Current state ensigns
Maine and Massachusetts have ensigns differing from the state flag for use at sea.