About USA Symbol
I couldn't find a good resource for U.S. state symbols. So I built one.
How it started
A few years ago, I was looking up the state bird of Virginia. Simple enough — except I ended up with five browser tabs open, two of which contradicted each other, and one that hadn't been updated since 2009.
State symbols are official. They're established by law. That information should be easy to find and accurate. I didn't think that was too much to ask, and I couldn't understand why it was so hard.
So I built USA Symbol. Not as a business, not as a content farm — as a resource I actually wanted to exist. One place, all 50 states, every official symbol, verified against primary sources.
The person behind it
Artsiom Dusau
Founder & Editor
Chicago, Illinois
I'm a software engineer, originally from Belarus. When I moved to the U.S. and settled in Chicago, I spent a lot of time learning about the country — its regions, its history, the things that give each state its character.
State symbols were part of that. Most people know their state bird, but there's a lot more: state fossils, state beverages, state dances, official songs. Each one was formally voted on and signed into law. There's always a reason it was chosen — sometimes a practical one, sometimes a sentimental one, sometimes both.
That's what this site is about. I research every symbol using official state sources, write the pages myself, and update them when things change. I also built and maintain the site from scratch — C#, ASP.NET Core, modern front-end — so I control the quality end to end.
Living in Chicago has been part of what keeps this interesting. The city has a strong identity of its own, and it makes me curious about how the other 49 states see themselves.
Spotted an error? Have a suggestion?
contact@usasymbol.comHow each page gets made
The same process, every time.
1 Start with the official source
Every symbol is traced back to the state government — the original legislative bill, the governor's proclamation, or the current statute. If it's not officially designated, it doesn't go on the page.
2 Verify against a second source
One source can be outdated or wrong. I cross-check dates, names, and designations before anything goes live. When sources conflict, I dig until I find the authoritative one.
3 Write clearly, not at length
Each page explains what a symbol is, when it was designated, and why. No padded prose, no filler. If a fact is interesting, it's in. If it's just there to take up space, it's out.
4 Update when things change
States do change their official symbols — sometimes after years of lobbying, sometimes after a schoolkid's campaign. When they do, the pages here get updated. This isn't a static archive.
What's on the site
All 50 states, all major symbols
State birds, flowers, trees, flags, mottos, beverages, mammals, fish, fossils, insects, and more — with adoption dates, historical context, and the stories behind the choices.
Verified, not copy-pasted
Everything traces back to official state sources. Not copied from a site that copied from another site. If you find an error, I want to know — and I'll fix it.
Fast and clean on any device
No intrusive ads, no bloated layouts. Works just as well on a phone as on a desktop — whether you're doing homework or settling a pub quiz argument.
Free — and will stay free
No paywalls, no sign-ups. Students, teachers, curious people — everyone gets the same access. That's not changing.
Say something
If you spot something wrong, have a suggestion, or just want to say the site helped — I read every message and take feedback seriously.