Flag of Jacksonville, Florida facts for kids
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| Name | Bold New City of the South |
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| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | February 24, 1976 |
| Design | The flag shall be divided horizontally into two equal panels: The upper panel has a rampant equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson in silhouette over sunburst; the lower panel has a silhouette of Duval County and the words CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA in a recumbent concave arc thereunder, all on a solid field. The rays of the sunburst, silhouette of Duval County and the words CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA are gold; the equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson is dark brown, the upper panel background is white and the lower panel field is orange. |
The current flag of Jacksonville is the official symbol of the city of Jacksonville, Florida. It was chosen by the Jacksonville City Council on February 24, 1976. This flag was designed by Don Bozeman, who won a special contest. The contest was held before the 1975 Bold CityFest, a big celebration for the city and county joining their governments. Before this, Jacksonville had an older flag designed in 1914 by Edmund Jackson, but it was thought to be out of date.
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What the Jacksonville Flag Means
Symbols on the Flag
The flag has several important symbols that tell the story of Jacksonville. The dark brown shape of a person riding a horse is Andrew Jackson. This image comes from a bronze statue in the city's downtown area. It reminds us of the city's history and how it got its name.
The bright sunburst behind the horse means a hopeful and bright future for the city. The map-like shape shows the city and county together. The St. Johns River flows through the middle of this shape. This shows how important the river is to the community.
The color orange is also special. Florida is known as the "Sunshine State," and orange is a common color there. One of Jacksonville's neighborhoods is even called Mandarin, which is a type of orange.
Understanding the Design
If you look closely, you might see a small, confusing shape under the horse. This shape is actually the tip of the scabbard, which is the cover for Andrew Jackson's sword.
How Good is the Flag's Design?
The North American Vexillological Association (which studies flags) looked at the quality of many city flags. Jacksonville's flag was ranked the second best in Florida. It was also ranked 38th out of 150 American city flags.
The flag scored 5.03 out of 10. This score was based on a few simple rules for good flag design:
- It should be simple and easy to recognize.
- Its symbols should have clear meanings.
- It should use only 2 or 3 basic colors.
- It should not have writing or seals on it.
- It should be unique and stand out.
Jacksonville's flag does well in many of these areas, making it a well-designed city symbol.
