# What’s the deal with state flags? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 30, 2021, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252 "2021-05-30T23:54:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**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:** [June 2, 2021, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/121 "2021-06-02T16:20:23Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Maryland’s indeed, to me, is a mess – I label it as cacophonous upthread, but it “kinda works.” I can’t quite pinpoint what it is about it that works – it’s quirky in all the right ways. Of course it works - it’s the products of centuries of heraldic design principles, that aren’t based on the idea that a flag is only good if it can be drawn by a first-grader. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/122 "2021-06-02T16:59:44Z")
> [@Driver8](#): > > Slightly related, the thing I find weird is the state route markers, essentially stamping the number on Washington’s face. It feels disrespectful in some way. Example: [Washington State Route 522 - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_State_Route_522). The state’s geographical profile is perfect for a route marker (rectangular, wider than it is tall, distinctive west coast so it’s not confused with one of the perfectly rectangular states). Seems like a missed opportunity. I was in my 30s when I realized that other states didn’t use Washington’s head for state highways. It’s something I had never really thought about, until I was driving in the midwest and realized that only Washington was going to put Washington’s profile on everything. > **[American Highways 101: Visual Guide to U.S. Road Sign Designs & Numbering...](https://99percentinvisible.org/article/american-highways-101-visual-guide-to-u-s-road-sign-designs-numbering-systems/)** > > From U.S. Routes and Interstates to state and county roads (each with different signage and numbering systems) highways in the United States can be daunting. But there is beauty within that complexity, particularly at the intersection of state,... ---
**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:** [June 2, 2021, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/123 "2021-06-02T17:09:08Z")
I don’t think there’s anything “of course it works” about it. Plenty of old designs look like shit today to me. Maryland is on the cusp for my graphic preferences, but it just crosses over for its wackiness while still retaining design principles I like. Part of it, I think, is it doesn’t have much competition as far as state flags go, so it’ll make top ten for me. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/124 "2021-06-02T17:15:35Z")
Nor for me now that I try it. Anyhow, it’s an amazon page for the Anglesey County flag. There were a few choices for other counties that came up as well. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/125 "2021-06-02T18:09:36Z")
The ‘h’ is missing in ‘https’ ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/126 "2021-06-02T18:09:47Z")
Right. The MD flag is the result of the secondary purpose of heraldry. The primary purpose is to identify the individual wearing it. The secondary purpose is to show how high-end your family is by blending in the arms of the hoity-toity distaff family as well. Sometimes, like for MD, both of the families already had bold, striking coats of arms. So adding them together just made it even busier visually. Lucky for MD, the result was also beautiful. [And here’s that link with the “h.”](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X7TY3EU?pf_rd_r=HG239K3D6HZZD9XWKK7H&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35-9071-dc3240e894a8&pd_rd_r=2b258059-7445-44bd-a5ea-06f75c034e89&pd_rd_w=oCJ4x&pd_rd_wg=lnxPV&ref_=pd_gw_unk) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/127 "2021-06-03T04:54:33Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I wonder if you can get them in this country There’s a link to a list of suppliers on that County Flags website: [https://britishcountyflags.com/flag-companies/](https://britishcountyflags.com/flag-companies/) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/128 "2021-06-03T06:23:02Z")
I’d argue that they’re distinctive through ubiquity, not through design (e.g. there are other flags quite like the USA one that aren’t as widespread, so it’s clearly not the design itself that renders it distinctive. Similarly, the UK one has been incorporated into other flags, which helps its brand recognition) So they’re distinctive in spite of, not because of, their design. Although IMO neither are _bad_ flag designs. And the “rules” are only guidelines - as I’ve [pointed out](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-being-a-vexillologist-on-flag-design/922934/39) in these threads before, Japanese [prefecture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_of_Japanese_prefectures) and [municipality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_municipal_flags_of_Kansai_region) [flags](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_municipal_flags_of_Kant%C5%8D_region) break rule 3 all the time, and are awesome for it. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/129 "2021-06-04T18:38:01Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Try confusing them with some [British county/civic flags](https://britishcountyflags.com/flag-gallery/) I love the Brecknockshire one! But I like bats. ETA: [mrflag.com](http://mrflag.com) has the county flags in many sizes for sale. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/130 "2021-06-05T02:18:59Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > 1. Most Americans wouldn’t recognize their own state flag. They are not very prominent in civic life. > > Wisconsins is. I see it flown all over beneath the Stars & Stripes. Schools, city/county/state buildings, court houses, police stations, corporate buildings, etc… Which is NOT a good thing, because it’s boring. Just the State Seal, and not a creative one. It’s the classic “ten pounds in a five pound bag”: you got your basic miner hanging out with a sailor (waiting their turn for the Village People audition), and suddenly, whoa, there’s a badger… clearly coming between them, and they are not happy. I won’t take up your time with the Golden Seal of Misc. Trades, some latin and lead ingots and a cornucopia and a US Flag Shield (so there’s a tiny flag in the middle of our flag)… [One article](https://www.wpr.org/what-do-all-symbols-wisconsin-state-flag-mean) from Wis. Public Radio asked: **The Sgt. Pepper’s Of State Flags?** . Now, Madison, WI has a simple flag. The capitol’s in the middle of an isthmus, so… > **[Flag of Madison, Wisconsin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Madison,_Wisconsin)** > > The flag of Madison, Wisconsin, includes a sky blue background with a diagonal white stripe that goes from the bottom left corner to the top right which symbolizes Lake Mendota, Lake Monona and the isthmus between them. At the center of the flag is a black cross, which symbolizes the four lakes (Mendota, Monona, Kegonsa, and Waubesa), as well as the cross shape of the Wisconsin State Capitol. The gold circle in the middle represents the Wisconsin State Capitol's dome. > Rick and Dennis Stone who w... ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/131 "2021-06-05T13:30:49Z")
> [@digs](#): > > > [@pkbites](#): > > > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > > > 1. Most Americans wouldn’t recognize their own state flag. They are not very prominent in civic life. > > > > Wisconsins is. I see it flown all over beneath the Stars & Stripes. Schools, city/county/state buildings, court houses, police stations, corporate buildings, etc… > > Which is NOT a good thing, because it’s boring They’re not supposed to fly the state flag outside of state buildings because it’s boring? That’s a compelling argument, not. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/132 "2021-06-05T13:53:37Z")
As a graphic designer, hell yeah. I’d love to hear the Governor say "The state flag will be replaced by a succession of more interesting flags. For the next year, the State Capitol will be flying the winning entry from each of the state’s middle schools… " And actually, I think he did replace Wisconsin’s flag with the Pride flag for the month of June. I biked past a state office building and they had the US flag and then the Rainbow Flag (though they still could’ve had a state flag somewhere else…). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/133 "2021-06-05T14:35:26Z")
The Maryland flag is an example of good heraldry, but good heraldry is not always the same thing as good vexillology (though of course, there’s some overlap). Anyone who’s criticizing the Ohio state flag for its shape needs to take a closer look at the flags of Colorado and Wyoming. Both of them have flags shaped like the outline of their state; how crass is that? And yeah, @digs , that flag of Madison, WI is a good one by any measure. I suppose that one might quibble that four colors is too many, but that’s a very minor issue, especially for a city flag. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/134 "2021-06-05T20:30:26Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > The California flag does have a bear on it, and the words “California Republic,” because it was one of the flags California had before it was a state. The bear is a grizzly, btw. A bear which is extinct in California now. > > I collect bear related items, and I’m a native Californian, so I have a number of flag motif items. > > I can recognize some state flags, but mostly I find they’re pretty boring. One of my favorite state flag trivia questions is “Which two state flags have bears on them?” Nearly everyone guesses California correctly, but many people can’t get the second one, even after multiple guesses. Missouri ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/135 "2021-06-05T20:32:42Z")
When I first saw the thumbnail I thought they were gophers. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/136 "2021-06-05T20:35:48Z")
> [@digs](#): > > As a graphic designer, hell yeah. > > I’d love to hear the Governor say "The state flag will be replaced by a succession of more interesting flags. For the next year, the State Capitol will be flying the winning entry from each of the state’s middle schools… " Yeah, I’m not real concerned about how exciting my states flag is. It still should be flown at state buildings and such. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/137 "2021-06-06T16:59:51Z")
Well, thanks to this thread I laid in bed last night redesigning our state flag. The problem being, no matter how cool a new one was, it’d be a hard sell with the public (many of whom would just want the same flag they grew up with). So I moved on to the US flag… I mean, come ON, it’s totally out of balance with that blue rectangle, and can you get any busier than cramming 50 stars up there? And those primary colors! I mean, would you walk into a classy party wearing red and white striped pants with a bright blue shirt (with white paint splattered on it)? . (Any more attacks on democracy, and I think we should go with plain white…) ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/138 "2021-06-06T20:53:05Z")
> [@digs](#): > > [One article](https://www.wpr.org/what-do-all-symbols-wisconsin-state-flag-mean) from Wis. Public Radio asked: **The Sgt. Pepper’s Of State Flags?** The best part of that article was the subtitle: A Miner, A Sailor And A Badger Walk Into A Blue Field. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/139 "2021-06-07T23:33:41Z")
Wisconsin’s flag is ridiculously clutterered. A new one is desperately needed. I suggest a badger and Forward. Nothing else is needed. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252/140 "2021-06-07T23:49:25Z")
Well, a badger holding a beer… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-deal-with-state-flags/943252.md?page=8)