Thirteen red and gold rays radiating from a copper star on a blue field — sunset, statehood, and the usa-state/arizona/" data-it-autolink="1">Arizona copper industry.
The design
The Flag of Arizona is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses red, gold, blue, copper, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Red | red | Often signifies courage, sacrifice, revolution or the blood of those who fought for the nation. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
| Blue | blue | Frequently symbolises sky, sea, freedom, vigilance or perseverance. |
| Copper | copper | A nationally significant colour for this flag — see the symbolism section below for the country-specific meaning. |
Symbolism & heraldry
The 13 rays represent the original 13 colonies and a setting sun. Red and gold are the colours of the Spanish conquistadors who first explored the region. The copper star marks Arizona as the largest US copper producer.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Arizona — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1917. It is credited to Charles W. Harris. Earlier banners flown by Flag of Arizona reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of Arizona should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Flag of Arizona | — |
| Continent | North America | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1917 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | red, gold, blue, copper | — |
| Designer | Charles W. Harris | — |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
When adopted in 1917, the flag passed the legislature without the governor's signature — Governor Thomas Campbell refused to sign it.
