List of flags of the United States
This is a list of flags in the United States describing the evolution of the flag of the United States, as well as other flags used within the United States, such as the flags of governmental agencies. There are also separate flags for embassies and ships.
National flags
Historical progression of designs
Since 1818, a star for each new state has been added to the flag on the Fourth of July the year immediately following each state's admission. In years in which multiple states have been admitted, the corresponding number of stars were added to the flag. This change has typically been the only change made with each revision of the flag since 1777, with the exception of changes in 1795 and 1818, which increased the number of stripes to 15 and then returned it to 13, respectively. As the exact pattern of stars was not specified prior to 1912, many of the historical U.S. national flags have had varied arrangements of the stars.Other historical versions
Executive branch flags
Office of the President
Office of the Vice President
Department of State
Department of the Treasury
Department of Defense
Department of the Army
Army
Department of the Navy
''Navy''
''Marine Corps''
Department of the Air Force
''Air Force''
''Space Force''
National Guard Bureau
''Civil Air Patrol''
The Civil Air Patrol is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. It has quasi-military organizational and rank structures modeled on those of the Air Force.Department of Justice
Department of the Interior
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
''National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration''
''National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps''
Department of Labor
Department of Health and Human Services
''[United States [Public Health Service Commissioned Corps]]''
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Transportation
Department of Energy
Department of Education
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Homeland Security
Coast Guard
Legislative branch flags
Congress
Other federal flags
Many agencies, departments, and offices of the U.S. federal government have their own flags, guidons, or standards. Following traditional American vexillology, these usually consist of the agency's departmental seal on a blank opaque background, but not always.State and territory flags
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 every different shade of blue, which remains a source of criticism from vexillologists.The most recent current state flag is that of Minnesota, while the most recent current territorial flag is that of the Northern Mariana Islands.
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.