# US flag: Which of the 50 stars is your state? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 19, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256 "2006-06-19T05:05:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/1 "2006-06-19T05:05:30Z")
The 50 stars on the US flag represent the 50 states, right? But which star corresponds to which state? More importantly, which star is my state? Is it in the order the states joined the union, so that the first couple rows are the original 13, and then the newer states are toward the bottom? Is it alphabetical? Is it vaguely geographical, so that Alaska would be the top left and Florida the lower right? Is this mundane and pointless? What stupid question keeps _you_ awake at night? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/2 "2006-06-19T07:07:50Z")
No star corresponds to any state, no state has any specific star. It’s hard enough to keep the numbering right, you expect them to keep assignments straight, too? Why isn’t this in GQ, BTW? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/3 "2006-06-19T07:09:18Z")
I didn’t realise that individual states were ever matched with individual stars. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/4 "2006-06-19T08:11:11Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I didn’t realise that individual states were ever matched with individual stars. They weren’t. Ever. [A cite](http://www.nava.org/Flag%20Information/qa/qa2.htm): > [@](#): > > **Q: What do the stars and stripes stand for (symbolize, meaning); this question is for a school project. > Sincerely, > A** > > A: Dear A., > The stars are the only part of the US Symbol that are explicitly described in law, they represent “a new Constellation” referring to the nations of the earth as stars, **and they represent the states collectively, not individually (i.e. no particular star stands for any particular state)**. The stripes, by common understanding, represent the original 13 states. There is no specific symbolism attached to the colors, which we inherited from Great Britain. > > Dave Martucci ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/5 "2006-06-19T08:21:59Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > What stupid question keeps _you_ awake at night? This thread should be renamed this, if only so more people can participate, but I’d be hard-pressed to think of any that would top the OP. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/6 "2006-06-19T09:01:50Z")
If you really wanted to use your imagination, you could assume the first 13 stars are for the first 13 states, and for every one thereafter, that would be the star for the next state admitted into the union by date. So stars 14 and 15, are Kentucky and Vermont. 16-20 are Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee. Enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/7 "2006-06-19T09:12:51Z")
I’d guess we’re the lower-right corner. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/8 "2006-06-19T09:51:05Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > They weren’t. Ever. [A cite](http://www.nava.org/Flag%20Information/qa/qa2.htm): I know. It’s just fun to imagine if they did, and trying to figure out what scheme would be used. And **Askia** , you’re right, I should have used that as thread name. I’m not so good at threadstarting. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/9 "2006-06-19T10:52:36Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > So stars 14 and 15, are Kentucky and Vermont. Vewrmont and Kentucky, actually. (Though you didn’t say so, the way you listed it implied Kentucky was 14, when it was not.) ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/10 "2006-06-20T00:36:38Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Vewrmont and Kentucky, actually. (Though you didn’t say so, the way you listed it implied Kentucky was 14, when it was not.) Oops. You got me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/11 "2006-06-20T03:15:58Z")
According to some rather-wishful calculations, I live in the 54th star. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/12 "2006-06-20T03:38:45Z")
Two. Any dopers from the Dakota’s care to answer? ---
**Author:** ![mrrealtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@mrrealtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrrealtime)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/13 "2006-06-20T11:40:09Z")
Personally, I dont think a flag with 50 stripes ([flag with fifty stripes](http://www.genericise.com/pflag.png)) would look so bad. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/14 "2006-06-20T13:50:54Z")
> [@mrrealtime](#): > > Personally, I dont think a flag with 50 stripes ([flag with fifty stripes](http://www.genericise.com/pflag.png)) would look so bad. Aiii!!! My eyes!! ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/15 "2006-06-20T13:55:42Z")
Yeah…definitely bad for the eyes. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-flag-which-of-the-50-stars-is-your-state/361256/16 "2006-06-20T14:11:25Z")
Geeze, that’s almost as bad as that “proposed” [EU barcode flag](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:European_Presidency_Austria_2006.png).