Tennessee has had two official state flags. The first was adopted 1 May 1897, but did not find widespread popularity.
The current flag was designed by Captain LeRoy Reeves of the Tennessee Infantry, which honors the three divisions of Tennessee. It’s one of few U.S. flags designed with intentional consideration for how it will look draped on a wind-free day.
It was officially adopted April 17, 1905.
The Tennessee flag features a field of red.
At the free end is a uniform, vertical stripe of blue, fimbriated with a stripe of white.
Centered on the field of red is a circle of blue, also fimbriated with white. Upon the blue circle are three white five-pointed stars.
the three divisions of Tennessee: East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee
the three divisions of Tennessee as one “indissoluble trinity”
visual interest when the flag hangs limp
The Tennessee flag uses the same red, white, and blue as the U.S. national flag.
The flag should have a proportion of 3:5.
The blue stripe is 1/8 the width of the hoist and the white stripe is 1/5 the width of the blue stripe. The diameter of the blue circle is one half the hoist.
The three stars are the largest they can be without touching each other or the edge of the blue circle. None of their sides should be parallel with the flag edges.
The first official flag, used from 1897-1905, featured three diagonal sections in red, blue, and white. Tennessee’s nickname “The Volunteer State” is inscribed in gold, along with the number 16 in blue, representing Tennessee as the 16th state.
