The Commonwealth of Kentucky state seal on a navy blue field, encircled by goldenrod sprays.
The design
The Flag of Kentucky is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 10:19, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses navy blue, gold, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Navy blue | navy blue | A nationally significant colour for this flag — see the symbolism section below for the country-specific meaning. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
Two embracing figures — a frontiersman and a statesman — represent the union of all Kentuckians. The state motto reads “United we stand, divided we fall.” Goldenrod, the state flower, frames the central design.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Kentucky — 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 1918. It is credited to Jesse Cox Burgess. Earlier banners flown by Flag of Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky | — |
| Continent | North America | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1918 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 10:19 | height : length |
| Colours | navy blue, gold | — |
| Designer | Jesse Cox Burgess | — |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
Kentucky is one of four US states officially styled as a commonwealth (alongside Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia) — the flag uses “Commonwealth of Kentucky” rather than “State of Kentucky.”
