Three red stars above two horizontal red stripes on a white field — based on the coat of arms of George usa-state/washington/" data-it-autolink="1">Washington's family.
The design
The Flag of Washington, D.C. 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 white, red, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Red | red | Often signifies courage, sacrifice, revolution or the blood of those who fought for the nation. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
The design directly adapts the heraldic arms of the Washington family of Sulgrave Manor in Northamptonshire, England — the ancestral arms of George Washington himself. The three stars represent the three commissioners who originally governed the District; some interpretations also tie them to the District's separation from the surrounding states.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Washington, D.C. — 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 1938. It is credited to Charles A. R. Dunn. Earlier banners flown by Flag of Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. | — |
| Continent | North America | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1938 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 10:19 | height : length |
| Colours | white, red | — |
| Designer | Charles A. R. Dunn | — |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
The D.C. flag is one of very few sub-national flags in the world based directly on the personal heraldry of a single historical figure — in this case, the family arms of George Washington.
