List of flags of the United States facts for kids
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.
Contents
- National flags
- Executive branch flags
- Office of the President
- Office of the Vice President
- Department of State
- Department of the Treasury
- Department of Defense
- Department of Justice
- Department of the Interior
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Labor
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Energy
- Department of Education
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Homeland Security
- Legislative branch flags
- Other federal flags
- State and territory flags
- County flags
- City flags
- Maritime flags
- Native American tribal flags
- Associated state flags
- Historical flags
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 (shown below) have had varied arrangements of the stars.
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1776–1777 (the "Grand Union Flag")
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Betsy Ross circular 13-star version (1792) *other
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Battle of Bennington version (1777) *other
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1795–1818 (the "Star-Spangled Banner", 15 stars, 15 stripes)
Other historical versions
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Betsy Ross circular 13-star version (1792)
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Battle of Bennington version (1777)
Executive branch flags
Office of the President
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Flag of the Trade Representative
Office of the Vice President
Department of State
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Flag of the Department of State
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Flag of the Secretary of State
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Flag of the Deputy Secretary of State
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Flag of a Foreign Service officer
Department of the Treasury
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Flag of the Secretary of the Treasury
Department of Defense
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Flag of the Secretary of Defense
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Flag of the National Security Agency
Department of the Army
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Flag of the Secretary of the Army
Army
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Flag of the Army
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Flag of an Army General of the Army
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Flag of an Army general
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Flag of an Army Lieutenant general
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Flag of an Army Major general
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Flag of an Army Brigadier general
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Flag of the 1st Infantry Division
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Flag of the 101st Airborne Division
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Flag of the Secretary of the Navy
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Flag of the Navy
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Flag of the Navy Fleet admiral
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Flag of an unrestricted line (URL) Navy admiral (staff corps flag officers have white flags with the appropriate number of blue stars in an identical pattern as URL admiral's flags).
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Flag of an URL Navy vice admiral
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Flag of an URL Navy rear admiral
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Flag of an URL Navy rear admiral (lower half)
Marine Corps
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Flag of the Marine Corps
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Flag of a Marine Corps general
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Flag of a Marine Corps lieutenant general
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Flag of a Marine Corps major general
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Flag of a Marine Corps brigadier general
Department of the Air Force
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Flag of the Secretary of the Air Force
Air Force
Space Force
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Flag of the Space Force
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Flag of the Space Force with platinum fringe
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Flag of a Space Force general
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Flag of a Space Force lieutenant general
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Flag of a Space Force major general
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Flag of a Space Force brigadier general
Department of Justice
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Flag of the Department of Justice
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Flag of the Attorney General
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Flag of the Solicitor General
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Flag of a United States Attorney
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Flag of the Drug Enforcement Administration
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Flag of the Marshals Service
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Flag of the Marshals Service
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Flag of the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Department of the Interior
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Flag of the Department of the Interior
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Flag of the Secretary of the Interior
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Flag of the National Park Service
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Guidon of the National Park Service
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Flag of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
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Flag of the Bureau of Land Management
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Flag of the Geological Survey
Department of Agriculture
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Flag of the Department of Agriculture
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Flag of the Secretary of Agriculture
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Flag of the Forest Service
Department of Commerce
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Flag of the Department of Commerce
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Flag of the Secretary of Commerce
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Flag of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Department of Labor
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Flag of the Department of Labor
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Flag of the Secretary of Labor
Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Flag of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Transportation
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Flag of the Department of Transportation
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Flag of the Secretary of Transportation
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Flag of the Deputy Secretary of Transportation
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Flag of an Assistant Secretary of Transportation
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Flag of the Federal Aviation Administration
Department of Energy
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Flag of the Department of Energy
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Flag of the Secretary of Energy
Department of Education
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Flag of the Department of Education
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Flag of the Secretary of Education
Department of Veterans Affairs
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Flag of the Department of Veterans Affairs
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Flag of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Department of Homeland Security
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Flag of the Department of Homeland Security
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Flag of the Secretary of Homeland Security
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Flag of the Border Patrol
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Flag of the Secret Service
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Flag of the Transportation Security Administration
Coast Guard
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Flag of the Coast Guard
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Guidon of the Coast Guard
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Flag of a Coast Guard admiral
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Flag of a Coast Guard vice admiral
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Flag of a Coast Guard rear admiral
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Flag of a Coast Guard rear admiral (lower half)
Legislative branch flags
Congress
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Flag of the Senate
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Flag of the House of Representatives
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Flag of the Speaker of the House of Representatives
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Flag of the Library of 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.
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Flag of the Central Intelligence Agency
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Flag of the Environmental Protection Agency
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Flag of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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Flag of the Securities and Exchange Commission
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Flag of the Peace Corps
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Flag of the Tennessee Valley Authority
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Flag of the National Science Foundation
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Flag of the Smithsonian Institution
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Flag of the Federal Reserve System
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Flag of the Social Security Administration
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Flag of the Agency for International Development
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 Mississippi (November 3, 2020, officially January 11, 2021), 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.)
Current state flags
Dates in parentheses denote when the current flag was adopted by the state's legislature.
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Flag of California
(February 3, 1911) -
Flag of Connecticut
(September 9, 1897) -
Flag of Massachusetts
(July 3, 1971) -
Flag of Mississippi
(January 11, 2021) -
Flag of New Hampshire
(1931) -
Flag of New Jersey
(May 11, 1896) -
Flag of New Mexico
(March 15, 1925) -
Flag of North Carolina
(March 9, 1885) -
Flag of North Dakota
(March 11, 1911) -
Flag of Pennsylvania
(June 13, 1907) -
Flag of Rhode Island
(November 1, 1897) -
Flag of South Carolina
(January 26, 1861) -
Flag of South Dakota
(November 9, 1992) -
Flag of Washington
(March 5, 1923) -
Flag of West Virginia
(March 7, 1929)
Current federal district flag
Current territory flags
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American Samoa (territory)
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Puerto Rico (territory with commonwealth status)
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U.S. Virgin Islands (territory)
Uninhabited territory flags
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 have been used for two of these nine insular areas:
County flags
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Flag of Los Angeles County, California
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Flag of San Diego County, California
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Flag of Orange County, California
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Flag of Kings County, New York
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Flag of Miami-Dade County, Florida
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Flag of Dallas County, Texas
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Flag of Riverside County, California
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Flag of Queens County, New York
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Flag of Tarrant County, Texas
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Flag of Santa Clara County, California
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Flag of Wayne County, Michigan
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Flag of New York County, New York
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Flag of Alameda County, California
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Flag of Sacramento County, California
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Flag of Palm Beach County, Florida
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Flag of Bronx County, New York
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Flag of Hillsborough County, Florida
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Flag of Orange County, Florida
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Flag of Richmond County, New York
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Flag of Oakland County, Michigan
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Flag of Cuyahoga County, Ohio
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Flag of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
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Flag of Fairfax County, Virginia
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Flag of Collin County, Texas
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Flag of Fulton County, Georgia
City flags
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Flag of Albuquerque
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Flag of Anchorage
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Flag of Atlanta
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Flag of Birmingham
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Flag of Boston
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Flag of Charleston
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Flag of Charlotte
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Flag of Cheyenne
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Flag of Cincinnati
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Flag of Columbia
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Flag of Columbus
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Flag of Des Moines
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Flag of Honolulu
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Flag of Indianapolis
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Flag of Jackson
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Flag of Jacksonville
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Flag of Kansas City
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Flag of Little Rock
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Flag of Los Angeles
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Flag of Memphis
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Flag of Miami
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Flag of Minneapolis
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Flag of New Orleans
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Flag of Oklahoma City
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Flag of Oakland
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Flag of Omaha
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Flag of Philadelphia
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Flag of Pittsburgh
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Flag of San Antonio
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Flag of San Diego
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Flag of San Jose
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Flag of San Juan
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Flag of Sioux Falls
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Flag of Tulsa
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Flag of Virginia Beach
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Flag of Wilmington
Maritime flags
Ensigns
National
Since 1777, the national ensign of the United States has also simultaneously served as its national flag. The current version is shown below; for previous versions, please see the section Historical progression of designs above.
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Ensign of the United States (1960–present)
States
Other
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Ensign of the Coast Guard
Jacks
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First Navy Jack (naval jack, 2002–2019)
Native American tribal flags
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Flag of the Arapaho
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Flag of the Cahto Tribe
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Flag of the Choctaw Nation
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Flag of the Comanche Nation
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Flag of the Crow Nation
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Flag of the Mohegan Tribe
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Flag of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe
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Flag of the Oglala Sioux Tribe (Pine Ridge Indian Reservation)
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Flag of the Pawnee Nation
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Flag of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians
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Flag of the Sac and Fox
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Flag of the Seminole Tribe of Florida
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Flag of the Tohono O'odham Nation
Associated state flags
While the countries mentioned are recognized independent nations with United Nations seats, the United States maintains and exercises jurisdictional control over the countries in defense, security, and funding grants.
Historical flags
American Revolutionary War
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Bedford Flag (1775)
Former federal flags
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Flag of the President (1899)
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Flag of the President (1902)
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Flag of the President (1916)
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Flag of the President (1945)
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Flag of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (1899–1970)
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Flag of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (until 2003)
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Flag of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (until 2003)
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Flag of the Immigration and Naturalization Service
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Flag of the Department of the Interior (until 1917)
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Flag of the General Services Administration (1972–1973)
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Flag of the General Services Administration (1973–1989)
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Flag of the Secretary of the Interior (1917–1934)
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Flag of the Secretary of Labor (1915–1960)
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Flag of the Department of Labor (1915–1960)
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Flag of the Secretary of the Treasury (1887–1915)
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Flag of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
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Flag of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
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Ensign of the Revenue-Marine (1799)
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Ensign of the Revenue-Marine (1815)
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Ensign of the Revenue-Marine (1836)
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Ensign of the Revenue-Marine (1841)
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Ensign of the Revenue-Marine (1867)
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Ensign of the Revenue-Marine (1868)
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Ensign of the Coast Guard (1915–1953)
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Flag of the Office of Homeland Security (2001–2002)
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Pennant of the
United States Life-Saving Service
(?–1915) -
Flag of the Marine Corps
(1914–1939) -
Fort Sumter Flag (1861)
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Flag of the Department of Transportation (1967–1980)
Other states
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Flag of the Green Mountain Boys, the Vermont Republic (1777–1791), and the state of Vermont (1791–1804)
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Texas Come and Take It flag
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Flag of the Republic of West Florida (1810)
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Alamo flag (Texas)
Former territories and administered areas
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Flag of the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands (1919–1936)
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Flag of the Commonwealth of the Philippines (1936–1942, 1945–1946)
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Flag of the Panama Canal Zone (1903–1979)