The Design of the United States Flag
The flag of The United States of America is one of if not the most recognizable flags in the world. It has had many evolutions through years that it has been the symbol of our great nation.
Check out our pictures of the evolution of the flag. Coming soon the evolution of the US flag. The current flag of the United States of America was adopted in July 4th, 1959 after the admittance of Alaska and Hawaii into the Union. The design of the field was originally attributed to the U.S. Army Bureau of Heraldry.
A different story if of a High school student named Robert G. Heft. Mr. Heft as part of a school project redesigned the flag to include Alaska and Hawaii. Unfortunately he was unskilled with a needle, and his Mother a seamstress by trade feared that what he was doing would be considered desecrating the flag. Mr. Heft received a B- for a grade on the project. This did not sit well with him, his teacher agreed that his grade would be adjusted if Congress would adopt his flag design.
Today the design of Mr. Heft is the nations flag. His original flag is now soiled and faded from frequent display. It has flown over every state capital building and over 88 U.S. embassies. An uneven patch at a lower corner is evidence of an attack on the embassy in Saigon in 1967. It is truly a piece of American history, and will not be easily given away by its creator. He says that he has turned down an offer of $350,000 for it.
Specifications for the flag
- Hoist (width) of the flag: A = 1.0
- Fly (length) of the flag: B = 1.9
- Hoist (width) of the Union: C = 0.5385 (7/13, spanning seven stripes)
- Fly (length) of the Union: D = 0.76 (1.9 × 2/5, two fifths of the flag length)
- E = F = 0.0538 (C/10, One tenth the width of the Union)
- G = H = 0.0633 (D/12, One twelfth the length of the Union)
- Diameter of star: K = 0.0616
- Width of stripe: L = 0.0769 (1/13)
Accepted flag ratios
The flags Hoist(width) to Fly(length) ratio is not absolutely fixed. Although the official diagram a ratio of 1.9, the official list of flag sizes specifies several that do not meet the 1.9 ratio. This list permits eleven specific flag sizes (specified by height and width) for executive agencies:
- 20.00 × 38.00
- 10.00× 19.00
- 8.95 × 17.00
- 7.00 × 11.00
- 5.00 × 9.50
- 4.33 × 5.50
- 3.50 × 6.65
- 3.00 × 4.00
- 3.00 × 5.70
- 2.37 × 4.50
- 1.32 × 2.50
Eight of these sizes conform to the 1.9 ratio, within a small rounding error (less than 0.01). However, three of the authorized sizes vary significantly: 1.57 (for 7.00 × 11.00), 1.27 (for 4.33 × 5.50) and 1.33 (for 3.00 × 4.00).
Colors of the Flag