U.S. State and Territory Flags
Below are the state flags alphabetically from Missouri through Wyoming, including the territories. For more state flags, click here
Missouri -- The 24th state, admitted 1821
Honoring Missouri's history as part of the Louisiana Purchase from France, this flag, designed by Mrs. Marie Elizabeth Oliver, pictures the state's seal in the center. Surrounding the seal are 24 white stars, which stand for the number of states in the Union at the time. The stars at the top of the seal carry the same meaning. The seal has two parts - national and state. The U.S. coat of arms is depicted in the national half. An eagle holds arrows and an olive branch. The state half shows the Missouri coat of arms with a grizzly bear, noted for its strength and size, standing on a red background, representing courage. The two halves together stand for the connection between the state and federal governments. The crest and helmet over the coat of arms symbolizes strength.
Flag Adopted: 1913
Montana -- The 41st state, admitted 1889
The gold-lettered state name makes this flag easily recognizable. The picture below dates back to 1898 when troops from Montana fought in the Spanish-American War. It has undergone some changes, but is similar to the one the troops carried. Now it shows the Rocky Mountains with the Great Falls of the Missouri River in the background. The plow represents the state's rich agricultural history, while the mining tools remind us that the state is also abundant in minerals. The motto, in Spanish, at the bottom of the picture means "Gold and Silver," referring to those minerals as well as to the discovery of gold in Montana in the 1860s.
Flag Adopted: 1905
Nebraska -- The 37th state, admitted 1867
The state seal, designed in 1867 by Isaac Wiles, a member of the House of Representatives, appears in the center of a blue field, but it was a movement led by Mrs. Benjamin G. Miller that resulted in the adoption of the flag. It depicts a blacksmith in the forefront, representing both the mechanical arts and the hardy pioneers. The settler's cabin and the wheat stand for farming. In the background, a steamboat is seen sailing up the Missouri River and a train follows the route of the first transcontinental railroad, which was built westward from Omaha. The train runs along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, although the Rockies are not in Nebraska. The flag was first flown at a football game at the University of Nebraska.
Flag Adopted: 1925
Nevada -- The 36th state, admitted 1864
A winning design by Louis Shellback gave this state its simple sprigs of sagebrush, the state flower, and a silver star, representing the famous Comstock Lode discovered in Nevada in 1859, one of the richest deposits of silver and gold ever found. Silver and gold are still the state colors. The sagebrush is honored, as it served both as food for cattle and medicine for the early ranchers, who were taught how to use it by the Native Americans. The words, "Battle Born," stand for Nevada's admission to the Union during the Civil War.
Flag Adopted: 1929
New
Hampshire -- The 9th state,
admitted 1788
Although the general design used on New Hampshire's flag had been in use since 1784, it became official in 1909, with slight changes made in 1931. The state seal is the focus of this flag, depicting an optimistic rising sun behind the Raleigh, which was a ship built for use in the Revolutionary War. It is surrounded by a wreath of laurel, an ancient symbol of fame, honor, and victory. The nine stars within the wreath show that New Hampshire was the ninth state to join the Union. The water stands for the harbor of Portsmouth, and in the lower left corner is granite, a strong and sturdy rock, representing the state's rugged landscape and the sturdy character of the people. New Hampshire's nickname is the Granite State.
Flag Adopted: 1909
New
Jersey -- The 3rd state,
admitted 1787
The buff color of this flag represents the coats of the uniforms that General George Washington and New Jersey troops wore during the Revolutionary War. The state seal, designed by Eugene de Simitiere, specifically avoided any signs of British dominance. The two female figures are Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, representing prosperity and abundance and Liberty, carrying a pole bearing a liberty cap, which was also a symbol of freedom. The three plows within the shield also stand for agriculture, and above it, the horse's head, represents strength and speed in peace and war. It is now the state animal.
Flag Adopted: 1896
New
Mexico -- The 47th state,
admitted 1912
Before this flag was adopted, a much more elaborate flag existed, but it was too expensive and difficult to reproduce. So a contest was held for a new flag. An archeologist, Dr. Harry Mera, designed this flag, which was adopted with urging by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The colors of red and yellow recall the Spanish rule in the 17th century. The symbol is that of the ancient Zia people, part of the Pueblo tribe located on the north bank of the James River. It represents the belief of the Zias that the Giver of All Good Gifts gave in groups of four - four directions, four seasons, four times of the day and four states of life. All these are connected by a circle of life and love, which is without beginning or end.
Flag Adopted: 1925
New York -- The 11th state, admitted 1788
The figures of Liberty and Justice support a shield in which boats are sailing on what is said to be the Hudson River, in front of mountains and a rising sun. Liberty holds a liberty cap, another symbol of liberty, and at her feet is a discarded crown, representing the freedom from England. Justice, wearing a blindfold and holding the scales of justice in her hand, stands for the equal treatment of everyone under the law.
Flag Adopted: 1901
North
Carolina -- The 12th state,
admitted 1789
The first date on this flag is supposedly that of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, which was named after Mecklenburg County, where citizens supposedly met to declare the county's independence from Great Britain. The lower date commemorates the adoption of the Halifax Resolves, which called for the people of North Carolina to declare independence.
Flag Adopted: 1885
North
Dakota -- The 39th state,
admitted 1889
This flag was carried by the men of the First North Dakota Volunteers during the Spanish-American War in 1895 and then again when the regiment was in the Philippines in 1899. The figure of the bald eagle is similar to the eagle on the seal of the United States, but this one carries seven arrows instead of 13 and an olive branch with three red berries instead of 13 green olives. Also, the national eagle is holding a scroll in a closed beak, while the state eagle's beak is open. But the olive branch still stands for peace and the arrows, power. The 13 stripes on the eagle's shield stand for the first 13 states. And the fan-shaped design above the eagle symbolize the rising of a new nation.
Flag Adopted: 1911
Ohio -- The 17th state, admitted 1803
Ohio is the only state without a rectangular flag. It is based on the pennon used by the cavalry between 1862 and 1865 and was designed by John Eisenmann. The blue triangle stands for Ohio's hills and valleys, and the red and white stripes for the state's roads and waterways. The stars refer to the 13 original states and four more show that Ohio was the 17th state to join the Union. The white "O" in the triangle could stand for Ohio, or for the Northwest Territory, from which Ohio was formed, and the red inner circle could also represent the "O" of Ohio as well as the fruit of Ohio's most famous tree, the buckeye.
Flag Adopted: 1902
Oklahoma -- The 46th state, admitted 1907
The state name comes from a Native American word meaning "red people" and in Oklahoma today there are more than 60 different groups of Native Americans. So it is fitting that Native American symbolism is featured on the flag. The blue field is taken from a flag carried by Choctaw soldiers during the Civil War. The shield in the center, of buffalo hide decorated with eagle feathers, is the battle shield of an Osage warrior. The crosses on it are the Native American signs for stars. A peace pipe and olive branch lie across the shield, representing peace of both Native and non-Native Americans to show that all people want peace. The flag was designed by Mrs. Louise Fluke.
Flag Adopted: 1925
Oregon -- The 33rd state, admitted 1859
The flag of Oregon is the only flag that retained its double-sided design. Each side has a blue background with gold design. A picture of a beaver, the state animal from where Oregon derives its nickname, the Beaver State, appears on the back. On the front is a picture of the central part of the state's seal, which is the heart-shaped shield. On the bottom is the date of statehood. The shield shows an ocean scene with a British warship departing and an American steamer arriving, signifying the change of control over the Oregon Territory, when in 1846 President James K. Polk signed a treaty with England that gave the land to the United States. The mountain and elk represent the many mountain peaks and game herds in the state. The covered wagon recalls the pioneers' settling of the region and their trek on the Oregon Trail.
Flag Adopted: 1925
Pennsylvania -- The 2nd state, admitted 1787
The design on the blue flag dates back to the 1770s. Then, in 1878, Caleb Lowes designed a new coat of arms with a shield, which is shown on the flag. The shield is divided into three sections, showing a ship, a plow and three sheaves of wheat. The ship represents the ongoing world trade that Pennsylvania has engaged in. The plow stands for farming, and the wheat, the abundant harvests, as well as wealth that comes form human thought and action. On top is an eagle representing the United States and at the bottom, an olive branch and stalk of corn are crossed. Two black horses wear harnesses, which are said to show that they are ready to draw the car of state out of all difficulties to the solid rock of prosperity.
Flag Adopted: 1907
Rhode
Island -- The 13th state, admitted 1790
In 1647, the four original towns of Rhode Island - Providence, Warwick, Portsmouth, and Newport, united under one charter and adopted the anchor as their official seal. Some say the anchor stands for the new colony. On the white field of the flag this anchor is surrounded by 13 gold stars, representing the first thirteen colonies.
Flag Adopted: 1897
South
Carolina -- The 8th state, admitted 1788
Colonel William Moultrie designed this flag for South Carolina's soldiers to carry during the Revolutionary War. The blue matches their uniforms, and the silver crescent is the same that the soldiers wore on their caps. The tree was added to the flag to commemorate the British attack on a log fort in Charleston Harbor. The palmetto wood used in the fort's construction protected the men from bombardment.
Flag Adopted: 1861
South
Dakota -- The 40th state, admitted 1889 
From 1909 until 1963, this flag had two sides - the state seal on one and a large golden sun with lettering around it on the reverse. But when it was decided to keep just one, the designs were combined. The original design was by Senator Ernest May and Doane Robinson, secretary of the State Historical Society. The redesign was done by Will Robinson, Doane Robinson's son. The seal shows a farmer and a rancher, depicting the kind of work of the people of South Dakota. The trees represent the lumber industry, and the river and steamboat, transportation and trade. The gold band is a reminder of the state's nickname.
Flag Adopted: 1963
Tennessee --The 16th state, admitted 1796 
LeRoy Reeves of the Third Regiment, Tennessee Infantry, designed this flag. The three stars stand for the three Grand Divisions of the state - the Great Smoky Mountains and others in the East, the highlands in the middle, and the lowlands along the Mississippi River. These sections are known as East, Middle, and West Tennessee. The circle symbolizes the binding together of the people in these sections of the state. It has also been said that the stars represent the three presidents from Tennessee, Andrew Jackson, James Polk, and Andrew Johnson.
Flag Adopted: 1905
Texas -- The 28th state, admitted 1845 
Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederacy and the United States have all flown flags over Texas. The large white star was first used on flags carried by Texas during the Texas Revolution against Mexico in the 1830s. It is thought that the star comes from the Bonnie Blue Flag used in 1810 by the Settlers in West Florida. An official flag with this star was chosen in 1839, although during the Civil War, the Confederate flag was flown. The flag's color blue stands for loyalty, white for purity and red for bravery.
Flag Adopted: 1839
Utah -- The 45th state, admitted 1896 
Utah's first flag was made in 1903 from silk fibers of the native silkworms raised by local pioneer women. The stitching followed the pattern of the state seal, which was designed by Harry Edwards. The beehive stands for industry or hard work and the ambitious pioneers. Sego lilies, which were sacred to the Native Americans of the region, lie on either side of the hive and are emblems of peace. The eagle is a symbol of national pride, representing protection in peace and war. The date, 1847, refers to the year Brigham Young led a group of Mormons to the Salt Lake Valley seeking religious freedom.
Flag Adopted: 1913
Vermont -- The 14th state, admitted 1791 
The flag, designed by Robert Temple, consists of a field of solid blue with the state coat of arms in the center. On the shield is a tall pine tree, a cow, sheaves of wheat and the Green Mountains in the distance. Before it became official, the flag was carried by Vermont soldiers in the Civil War and later wars.
Flag Adopted: 1923
Virginia -- The 10th state, admitted 1788 
Because Virginia was the first part of the country to be settled by English colonists, the state flag proudly represents Virginia's love of freedom. The seal in the center of the flag pictures two figures acting out the state motto, which is written in Latin on the seal, Sic Semper Tyrannis, meaning "This is what always happens to tyrants." The goddess Virtue, the symbol of the commonwealth, has defeated the man, who holds a whip and chain, showing that he is a tyrant.
Flag Adopted: 1861
Washington -- The 42nd state, admitted 1889
As the Evergreen State, it is appropriate that Washington is the only state to use a green background for its flag. It is also the only state with a picture of a president on it - George Washington. In the center is the state seal, designed in 1889 by Charles Talcott. When the Daughters of the American Revolution wanted a flag to send to American solders fighting in Europe in 1916, this was the one finally adopted in 1923.
Flag Adopted: 1923
West
Virginia -- The 35th state, admitted 1863
The date on the rock on the state flag commemorates the year that West Virginia became a separate state from Virginia. A flag was commissioned for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904, but it was double-sided and highly impractical. When the present flag was adopted in 1929, the designs - the state seal and the state flower - were combined onto one side. The rest of the design shows what people were doing and thinking about during that time. The two men stand for farming and mining. The two rifles with a liberty cap on top stand for freedom.
Flag Adopted: 1929
Wisconsin -- The 30th state, admitted 1848
The arms and state seal were designed in 1851 by Governor Nelson Dewey and the Chief Justice Edward Ryan. These arms appear on the flag today and represent much of Wisconsin's history. The shield is divided into four sections, each bearing a symbol of the early pioneers and their contribution to the state's development: a plow for agriculture, an arm and hammer for manufacturing, a pick and shovel for mining and an anchor for navigation. The circular part in the center stands for the seal of the United States. the cornucopia and the pile of lead stand for farm products and minerals that lead to prosperity. Above the shield is the state motto and the state animal, the badger.
Flag Adopted: 1913
Wyoming -- The 44th state, admitted 1890
Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote and hold public office, an event that is commemorated on its flag with the woman in the picture and the banner that she holds proclaiming "Equal Rights." The two dates on the seal signify the organization of territorial government and the state's later admission to the Union. The number 44 shows that Wyoming was the 44th state. The two men represent ranching and mining in early times. The flag was designed by A.C. Keyes, who had originally put the buffalo facing the other direction.
Flag Adopted: 1917
From 1521 until the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Guam was considered a colony of Spain. After the war, Guam became a territory of the United States. In 1930, a coat of arms, designed by Mrs. Carrol Paul and adopted by Guam in 1917, was confirmed by an Executive Order issued by the Governor, Captain Willis W. Bradley, Jr., U.S.N. In the flag, a red border separates the coat of arms from the blue background. The coat of arms contains a design characteristic of the island as seen from the mouth of the Agana River. The canoe in the foreground is called a flying proa, commonly used by the native Chamorros. Guam officially flew this flag and the flag of the United States except for the period between December 1941 to August 1944, when it was under Japanese occupation.
Flag Adopted: 1917, confirmed 1931 and 1948.
The flag of Puerto Rico was adopted on the same day Puerto Rico gained a limited degree of autonomy as a Commonwealth associated with the United States. The Puerto Ricans are so proud of their flag that their constitution states that no change will occur in the design of the flag until at least one year after its adoption. Ironically, the same flag design caused a riot twenty years before when it was flown by Puerto Rican nationalists protesting American rule. The origins of the flag are unclear: some claim that the flag was designed by Mauel de Besosa and sewn by his daughter, Mima while others say the flag was created by Antonia Velez Alvarado and first made by Micaela Dalmau de Carreras.
Flag Adopted: 1952
Although Columbus discovered them in 1493, the Virgin Islands were never claimed as a Spanish territory. Instead, they were established as British and Danish colonies in 1625. Over the next several years, Spain and France tried to gain control of the islands but were never successful. In 1917, Denmark sold their island colonies to the United States. In 1921, Governor Sumner E.W. Kitelle established a local flag by Executive Order. The official flag of the Virgin Islands contains the initials of the territory on either side of a representation of the U.S. coat of arms.
Flag Adopted: 1921
For a long time, there was no centralized Samoan government and, as a result, no national or royal flag. The flag of the United States was first flown in 1900, after Britain, Germany, and the U.S. agreed to partition ownership of the islands in 1899. In 1950, the Office of the Governor solicited ideas for a flag from local citizens. The suggestions were screened by the traditional leaders in Executive Council, and the final design was decided on by the Institute of Heraldry of the U.S. Army. In 1960, the flag of American Samoa was officially flown on the anniversary of the hoisting the U.S. flag. Dark blue was added to the Samoan red and white so that all three American colors would be in the flag. The bald eagle, another representation of the United States, carries a "fue" in its right claw and a "uatogi" in its left claw. The fue is a staff used by Samoan chiefs and is a symbol of traditional wisdom of the Councils. The uatogi is a war club suggesting power of state. Together, the fue and uatogi represent peace and order under American direction.
Flag Adopted: 1960
Flag Adopted:
Although the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands was not formed until 1975, the citizens of the islands had already designed a flag in 1972. The flag was used only on land, both by civilians and government. It contained blue background with a five pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone, a traditional foundation stone used in buildings in Northern Mariana. Around late 1994-early 1995, a wreath encircling the star and stone was added to the flag.