A portrait of George usa-state/washington/" data-it-autolink="1">Washington in colour on a green field — the only US state flag depicting a US president, and the only one with a green background.
The design
The Flag of Washington is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 125:198, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses green, gold, white, brown, blue, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Green | green | Tends to evoke land, agriculture, hope, Islam or the natural environment. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Brown | brown | Suggests soil, indigenous heritage or the working land. |
| Blue | blue | Frequently symbolises sky, sea, freedom, vigilance or perseverance. |
Symbolism & heraldry
The portrait of George Washington is taken from a Gilbert Stuart 1796 painting, the same image used on the US one-dollar bill. The green field represents Washington State's evergreen forests — the state nickname is "The Evergreen State."
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Washington — 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 1923. Earlier banners flown by Flag of Washington 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 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 | — |
| Continent | North America | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1923 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 125:198 | height : length |
| Colours | green, gold, white, brown, blue | — |
| Designer | — | |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
Washington is the only US state flag with a green field and the only one to depict a person — specifically the namesake president, George Washington.
