Virginia

flag of Virginia
Old Dominion
Admitted June 25, 1788

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

The seal was primarily designed by George Wythe as part of a committee also including George Mason, Richard Henry Lee, and Robert Carter Nicholas Sr.

It borrows heavily from Roman mythological imagery and is the only U.S. flag to show nudity.

The flag was officially adopted April 30, 1861.

Composition

The Virginia flag features a field of deep blue charged with the seal of the commonwealth on a circle of white, centered.

In the 2001 North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) flag survey of United States and Canada flags, the flag of Virginia was ranked 54th out of 72.

flag of Virginia

Iconography

  • the goddess Virtus dressed as an Amazon and holding a spear

    Virtus

    Roman goddess Virtus, peace, victory over tyranny

  • a warrior lays defeated on the ground near a crown and broken chains

    defeated tyrant

    freedom from tyranny

  • a circle of flowers and leaves

    creeper

    red and green Virginia creeper, regional flora

  • Sic Semper Tyrannis

    motto

    Thus Always to Tyrants, a warning to oppressors of defeat

Coat of Arms

Since the coat of arms and seal were created in the 1770s, many versions came about, though each still representing Virtus victorious over Tyranny. To achieve consistency, the seal (and the flag) were standardized in the 1950s.

the Virginia coat of arms

Colors

The prominent colors are a deep blue and white, with supporting colors within the seal like red and green, the colors of Virginia creeper.

The purple robe worn by the tyrant references Julius Caesar.

Virginia statute does not provide Cable or Pantone values for the colors of the flag.The hex values here are approximations.
Blue
#00297b
White
#ffffff
Red
#ff350f
Green
#3f863f
Light Blue
#97c8f0
Purple
#a039a8
Peach
#ffd9c5
Gold
#ffd93c

Construction

Virginia law doesn’t specify dimensions for the flag. It is usually produced with a proportion of 2:3.

The flag should be made of silk, nylon, or similar material and can be trimmed with fringe on three sides measuring 2.5 inches wide.

construction sheet for the flag of Virginia

Sources