Kentucky

flag of Kentucky
The Bluegrass State
Admitted June 1, 1792

The flag of Kentucky follows a common pattern for U.S. state flags, featuring the seal on a field of blue.

The seal was designed in 1793 by Lexington silversmith David Humphries and placed within the flag design by Jesse Cox Burgess, an art teacher in Frankfort.

The flag was officially adopted March 26, 1918.

Composition

The Kentucky flag features a field of navy charged with the seal of the commonwealth, centered.

flag of Kentucky

Iconography

  • half wreath of leaves and flowers

    goldenrod

    state flower, regional flora

  • two men facing each other and shaking hands

    handshake

    pioneers, statesmen, united we stand

    Note: The two men are often mistaken for Daniel Boone and Henry Clay.

  • “United we stand, divided we fall” in a circle

    motto

    unity

    Note: Historians believe this motto was inspired by “The Liberty Song,” written by John Dickinson in 1768.

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms, along with early versions of the state seal, depicted the two men as statesmen, both in swallowtail coats.

Alternate versions show the men shaking hands and in other versions in full embrace.

the Kentucky coat of arms

Colors

The official colors of the seal are blue and gold, reflected also on the state flag.


Kentucky statute does not provide Cable or Pantone values for the colors of the flag.The hex values here are approximations.
Navy
#000066
White
#ffffff
Gold
#e6ad05
Green
#396f4a

Construction

The fly of the flag must be 1 and 9/10 the width of the hoist.

The seal should be 2/3 the width of the hoist.

Pike

A pike (flagpole) flying the flag should be surmounted by the Kentucky cardinal “in an alert but restful pose, cast in bronze, brass, or other suitable material.”

construction sheet for the flag of Kentucky

Sources