Flag of Springfield, Illinois facts for kids
The flag of Springfield, Illinois, is the official flag for the city of Springfield. Springfield is the capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. The flag has a background of "Old Glory blue," which is the same deep blue color found on the United States flag.
In the middle of the flag, there's a circle of 20 small, white stars. These stars all point upwards. Inside this circle, there is a larger, white-bordered "Old Glory red" star, also pointing upwards. This red color is like the red on the U.S. flag. Sometimes, the flag used to have the words "Springfield Illinois" at the bottom, but newer flags often don't have this text.
How Big is the Springfield Flag?
When you see the Springfield flag being carried by hand, it's usually designed so that it's 2 units tall for every 3 units wide. This is called a 2:3 proportion.
If the flag is flying on a flagpole, it should usually be 1 unit tall for every 2 units wide (a 1:2 proportion). However, if the U.S. government says the United States flag should be a different size, the Springfield flag will follow those rules. When the flag is shown from windows or across city streets, it can have special shapes, like being notched or pointed.
How the Flag is Used
The person in charge of the Springfield flag is the city clerk. You can see the flag displayed at city hall and other city buildings. It's also flown in public places. The flag is put up on special national holidays or other important days when flags are usually shown. It's important to remember that the Springfield city flag should never be placed higher than the United States flag. The U.S. flag always comes first.
History of the Springfield Flag
The idea for the Springfield flag came from a famous poet named Vachel Lindsay, who lived in Springfield. He helped start a contest to design the flag. The Springfield Art Association sponsored the contest, and the winning design was created by S.T. Wallace.
The Springfield city council officially chose this flag design on October 22, 1917. The flag was first shown to the public on November 8, 1917. Today, some versions of the flag have the words "Springfield, Illinois" on them. However, older photos from 1953 show the flag without any words. The city's official rules don't actually require the words to be on the flag. They describe the flag and a "pennant" (a type of long, narrow flag) as separate things. The pennant is described as having the same design as the flag, but with the words added.
