# Does your city have a flag? What does it look like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 19, 2019, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318 "2019-07-19T21:08:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/21 "2019-07-20T12:16:24Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > [I kinda like the Portland OR flag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Portland,_Oregon#/media/File:Flag_of_Portland,_Oregon.svg). I’ve always been puzzled by the blue cross part. It’s supposed to represent the two rivers Columbia and Willamette. But they don’t “cross”. A “T” (or even better a “T” with a tilted top) would be a better fit. I remember when it came out that people objected to it since it looked like the flag of Scandinavian countries and everyone “knew” those were a bunch of commies. :rolleyes: And how many flags have a truncated hypocycloid on them? ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/22 "2019-07-20T12:26:08Z")
[Kampen flag](https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/n/nl-ov-kp.gif). Nice and simple. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/23 "2019-07-20T12:32:04Z")
[City of Sydney](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Sydney_flag) A bit too much egg in the puddin’ to my taste. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/24 "2019-07-20T12:38:11Z")
My city of ~10k has a flag, or at least I think it does, because there’s a flag at the city building that I don’t recognize as anything else. I’ve never seen it close up, though, and it’s not mentioned on the city website. (It uses the same colors as the local high school sports teams, so it could also just be a generic rah-rah spirit banner or something.) ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/25 "2019-07-20T12:59:28Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Just about every city of 50,000 or so has a flag. > > And just about all of them are unmemorable and without character. My city (Huntsville AL) has a population of 160,000. Over 400,000 if you include the suburbs. We don’t have a flag. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/26 "2019-07-20T15:11:09Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > [City of Sydney](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Sydney_flag) > A bit too much egg in the puddin’ to my taste. My goodness, I see what you mean. Whole lotta stuff going on in that sucker. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/27 "2019-07-20T16:37:40Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > [City of Sydney](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Sydney_flag) > A bit too much egg in the puddin’ to my taste. > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > My goodness, I see what you mean. Whole lotta stuff going on in that sucker. Not only is that unnecessarily busy, FFS the flag has flags in it! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/28 "2019-07-20T18:43:42Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > [Chicago has a flag](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61yWupAFwrL._SL1500_.jpg), which is frequently seen in the city. > > The symbology of the elements of the Chicago flag: > > - The three white background areas of the flag represent Chicago’s North, West, and South sides > > - The top blue stripe represents Lake Michigan, and the North Branch of the Chicago River > > - The bottom blue stripe represents the South Branch of the Chicago River, and the Great Canal > > - The four, six-pointed red stars represent pivotal events in Chicago history: > \>- The first star represents the Chicago Fire of 1871 > \>- The second star represents the Columbian Exposition of 1893 > \>- The third star reprsents the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933-34 > \>- The fourth star represents the Fort Dearborn Massacre of 1812 > \>- Each of the points of each of those stars has symbolism attached to it, as well I’ve always quite liked our city flag. Simple, identifiable from a distance, no text, good symbolism and colors. It’s everything a flag should be, in my opinion. Makes up for the horrendous (to my tastes) state of Illinois flag. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/29 "2019-07-21T00:05:08Z")
[Toronto](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Toronto,_Canada.svg) has a very simple flag, with a stylized image of our iconic City Hall which also shows as a “T” along with a maple leaf. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/30 "2019-07-21T01:44:32Z")
My city of Topeka, Kansas just got a new flag actually. The first link is to the new one, the second is to the old one. > **[This is Topeka’s new flag](https://www.wibw.com/content/news/This-is-Topekas-new-flag-508759061.html)** > > Community leaders revealed which flag will soon fly over Topeka City Hall. > **[Topeka's Original Flag](https://www.visittopeka.com/topeka-flag/original-topeka-flag/)** > > Learn more about Topeka's original flag. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/31 "2019-07-21T08:37:54Z")
[Flag of Tel Aviv.](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%9E%D7%9C_%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%A8_%D7%AA%D7%9C_%D7%90%D7%91%D7%99%D7%91-%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95#/media/%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A5:Flag_of_Tel_Aviv.svg) It’s basically the Israeli flag with the seal replacing the star, which is common in Israeli municipalities. The seal itself, IMHO, is a bit of a mess, with a (metaphorical) lighthouse, Herzl’s seven stars placed in the least symmetrical manner possible, and a quote from the Book of Jeremiah - “I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt”, which in Hebrew is just two words. [Jerusalem](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%9E%D7%9C_%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%A8_%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D#/media/%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A5:Flag_of_Jerusalem.svg)and my hometown of [Haifa](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%9E%D7%9C_%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%A8_%D7%97%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%94#/media/%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A5:Flag_of_Haifa.svg) have much better flags, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/32 "2019-07-21T13:46:58Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Not only is that unnecessarily busy, FFS the flag has flags in it! That’s not that uncommon. Ensigns often have a flag in the canton. See the Grand Union Flag for an example, or the flags in the wiki Red Ensign page. > **[Grand Union Flag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Union_Flag)** > > The "Grand Union Flag", or the "Continental Colors", also known as the "Congress Flag", the "Cambridge Flag", and the "First Navy Ensign", was the first, unofficial national flag of the United States of America. First hoisted on December 3, 1775 by naval officer John Paul Jones, the flag was used heavily by the Second Continental Congress of the United States, and by George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. > Similar to the current U.S. f... > **[Red Ensign](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ensign)** > > The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" is the civil ensign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is one of the British ensigns, and it is used either plain or defaced with either a badge or a charge, mostly in the right half. > It is the flag flown by British merchant or passenger ships since 1707. Prior to 1707, an English red ensign and a Scottish red ensign were flown by the English Royal Navy and the Royal Scots Navy, respectively. The precise date of the first appearance ... ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/33 "2019-07-21T14:02:03Z")
City of Regina flag is pretty simple. Can’t find a very good stand-alone image, but here’s the City web-page: [https://www.regina.ca/export/sites/Regina.ca/about-regina/regina-history-facts/.galleries/pdfs/City-Symbols.pdf](https://www.regina.ca/export/sites/Regina.ca/about-regina/regina-history-facts/.galleries/pdfs/City-Symbols.pdf) Gold on the bottom for wheat fields; blue on top for the sky. Straight boundary between them because well, that’s what our horizon looks like. ( **Baker** , I’m sure you’ll get that, living in Kansas. 🙂 ) And a St Edwards Crown, because Regina is the “Queen city” taking its name from Her late Majesty, Victoria. Interestingly, the flag of Ukraine uses similar blue-gold symbolism. Another flat prairie country with grain agriculture, which is why the Canadian government encouraged Ukrainian immigrants to come to the Prairies. > **[Flag of Ukraine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Ukraine)** > > The national flag of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Прапор України, romanized: Prapor Ukrayiny) consists of equally sized horizontal bands of blue and yellow. > The blue and yellow bicolour first appeared during the 1848 Spring of Nations in Lemberg, then part of the Austrian Empire. It was adopted as a state flag for the first time in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution by the Ukrainian People's Republic, the West Ukrainian People's Republic and the Ukrainian State. It was also later adopted by Carpa... ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/34 "2019-07-21T14:05:30Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > My city of Topeka, Kansas just got a new flag actually. The first link is to the new one, the second is to the old one. > > [This is Topeka’s new flag](https://www.wibw.com/content/news/This-is-Topekas-new-flag-508759061.html) > > [Topeka's Original Flag](https://www.visittopeka.com/topeka-flag/original-topeka-flag/) I really like the new one. Flag with seals on them are not good. Just not. New one is dtynamic and visually interesting, and the symbology stands out. I got the sunflower thing as soon as I looked at it. (Again, common prairie roots. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/35 "2019-07-21T14:09:03Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > [Jerusalem](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%9E%D7%9C_%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%A8_%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D#/media/%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A5:Flag_of_Jerusalem.svg)and my hometown of [Haifa](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%9E%D7%9C_%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%A8_%D7%97%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%94#/media/%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A5:Flag_of_Haifa.svg) have much better flags, IMHO. I really liked the Jerusalem flag. Again, clear symbolism: the Lion of Judah, on a flag based on the Israeli national flag. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/36 "2019-07-21T14:57:18Z")
Pamplona: green, with the escutcheon of the city in the middle. Tudela: just like the flag of Finland, except for the escutcheon of the city in the middle. Barcelona: y’all know the escutcheon for Barça? Its top half is taken from the city’s symbols. “Quartered, with the bars of Aragon on second and third and the Cross of Saint George on first and fourth” describes both the escutcheon and the flag of Barcelona (the escutcheon bears a Count’s crown). ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/37 "2019-07-21T17:45:41Z")
My hometown, [Morovis PR](https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/p/pr-morov.gif) MUCH more interesting and vexillologically pleasant than my longtime place of residence and work, [San Juan PR](https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/p/pr-sjuan.gif). Many towns in PR, to be fair, did not really have officially sanctioned flags until the 1970s when the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture encouraged research into what had been their heraldry in Spanish times and the island legislature authorized the regulation of their use. My other longest-lived-and-worked location was [Baltimore, MD](https://fotw.info/images/u/us-md-b.gif). Currently I am residing until at least 2021 in [Arlington County, VA](https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/u/us-va-ar.gif), which is pretty meh flagwise. At least it’s not blue or white. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/38 "2019-07-21T18:32:19Z")
i can see why you’d say the San Juan flag isn’t a stand-out, but the symbolism is clear: the Lamb of God, a phrase from the Gispel of St John, on an island. I suppose they could have chosen an eagle instead, but that’s not as distinctive, because it’s used in a lot of hreraldry, as the flag for Morovis shows. That’s certainly a striking flag! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/39 "2019-07-21T19:32:30Z")
My current city of residence, Cleveland, Ohio, has a flag, and it sucks - looks like France’s, but with the city seal on it. Borrrrrring: [Flag of Cleveland - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Cleveland) Ohio has a great state flag (and I’d say that even if I didn’t live here). But the city flags I’ve seen here all suck. > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > [Atlanta’s](http://https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Atlanta.svg) flag is kinda boring, just a gold seal on a blue background. But the phoenix rising from flames and the motto “Resurgens” are completely appropriate for our city’s history. Shame it couldn’t have a bit more pizzazz; the only place I’ve ever seen it flying is outside city buildings. Linky no worky. Try this: [Atlanta - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta#/media/File:Flag_of_Atlanta.svg) > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > …definitely better than the flag of [Rochester, Minnesota](https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-mn-r.html)… Dear Lord, has the long-feared robot uprising already begun there…? > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > That’s not that uncommon. Ensigns often have a flag in the canton… Including in the state flag of Hawaii which, Angophile though I am, I hate: [Flag of Hawaii - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Hawaii) > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I really liked the Jerusalem flag. Again, clear symbolism: the Lion of Judah, on a flag based on the Israeli national flag. Agreed. > [@JRDelirious](#): > > …My other longest-lived-and-worked location was [Baltimore, MD](https://fotw.info/images/u/us-md-b.gif)… Me likey. Nicely compliments the Maryland flag (which people either love or hate; I happen to love it): [Flag of Maryland - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Maryland) ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/40 "2019-07-22T01:35:10Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > i can see why you’d say the San Juan flag isn’t a stand-out, but the symbolism is clear: the Lamb of God, a phrase from the Gispel of St John, on an island. It helps that the Arms of the city date to back when they would be actually issued by the Spanish Crown and people involved knew their stuff. > [@](#): > > I suppose they could have chosen an eagle instead, but that’s not as distinctive, because it’s used in a lot of hreraldry, as the flag for Morovis shows. That’s certainly a striking flag! It is one of the towns who got seals/pseudo-arms and flags in the 70s – flag turned out Aragonese-influenced ISTM, and this eagle is also from John, only this one being specifically the sigil of the Evangelist himself, after the name (Juan Evangelista) of the town founder (a terribly distant ancestor of mine on my maternal grandfather’s side). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318.md?page=3)