Washington State Flag

Meaning of the Flag

Washington’s state flag features the official state seal. This state seal features an image of George Washington, the first U.S. President for which the state was named.

Colors of the Flag

The main color in Washington’s state flag is dark green. In the center of the flag is the state seal of Washington, which features a color image of George Washington. The image of Washington is on a light blue background, and a gold circle trimmed in black surrounds the image. The words “The Seal of the State of Washington 1889” are printed in black within the gold circle.

History of the Flag

The state seal of Washington was first adopted in 1889. The state did not have an official flag at this time, but it did have a military flag featuring a profile of George Washington. There were several designs utilizing different colors that were used through the late 19th century.

It was in 1913 when it was proposed to create a commission to create and adopt a state flag. However, patriotic groups were against the idea of having a state flag, believing the national flag to be sufficient.

Prior to this, the Daughters of the American Revolution started a campaign to adopt a state flag to be used during a world fair in Seattle. The DAR formed a committee to create a state flag. The design featured a green background and the state seal. This flag was adopted by DAR in 1915 and was displayed until the next year.

In the years to follow, several designs were proposed. In 1922, the DAR again began lobbying for a state flag. It was the next year when a bill adopting a state flag was introduced and passed. The flag was adopted on June 7, 1923. In 1927, a new design was unveiled, which replaced green fringe on the flag with gold fringe. In 1955, colors were standardized, and in 1967, the new state seal was added to the flag. This version is the design that still flies over the state today.