A white shield bearing three grapevines on an azure blue field, beneath the Latin motto Qui Transtulit Sustinet.
The design
The Flag of Connecticut is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 26:33, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses azure blue, white, gold, brown, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Azure blue | azure blue | A nationally significant colour for this flag — see the symbolism section below for the country-specific meaning. |
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
| Brown | brown | Suggests soil, indigenous heritage or the working land. |
Symbolism & heraldry
The three grapevines represent the original Connecticut settlements (Hartford, Windsor, Wethersfield), or alternatively the three principal towns transplanted from England. The motto translates as "He who transplanted still sustains."
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Connecticut — 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 1897. Earlier banners flown by Flag of Connecticut 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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut | — |
| Continent | North America | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1897 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 26:33 | height : length |
| Colours | azure blue, white, gold, brown | — |
| Designer | — | |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
The grapevine imagery dates to a 1639 colonial seal sent from England — making it one of the oldest design elements still used on any US state flag.
