A bald eagle holding an olive branch and arrows, with a red shield and 13 white stars below a sun, on a navy blue field.
The design
The Flag of usa-state/north-dakota/" data-it-autolink="1">North Dakota 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 navy blue, red, white, 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. |
| Red | red | Often signifies courage, sacrifice, revolution or the blood of those who fought for the nation. |
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
Symbolism & heraldry
The design closely mirrors the regimental flag carried by the 1st North Dakota Volunteer Infantry in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War. The eagle holds an olive branch (peace) and arrows (war); the 13 stars and sun rays appear above its head; the banner reads "E Pluribus Unum."
Heraldic elements on the Flag of North Dakota — 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 1911. Earlier banners flown by Flag of North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota | — |
| Continent | North America | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1911 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 26:33 | height : length |
| Colours | navy blue, red, white, gold | — |
| Designer | — | |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
North Dakota's flag is essentially a rendering of an early-1900s military regimental colour — making it one of the most explicitly military-derived state flags.
