Idaho State Flag
Idaho's flag is the only U.S. state flag designed by a woman — Emma Edwards Green. The seal on blue dates to 1907. Learn what each symbol means.
Idaho State Flag
Official State Flag of Idaho
- Adopted
- 1907
- Standardized
- 1957
- Status
- Official flag
How the Idaho State Flag Is Designed
The Idaho state flag is the official civic flag of Idaho. A field of blue covers the entire flag. The state seal appears in full color at the center, and the design is indexed with other official banners on the list of U.S. state flags.
Below the seal sits a red banner with gold borders. The words State of Idaho appear in gold letters. A gold fringe borders the flag edges.
What the Idaho Flag Communicates
The Idaho state flag represents the state's natural resources and industries. The seal depicts mining, agriculture, and forestry as the chief economic activities at statehood, which also align with themes behind Idaho's nickname, the Gem State.
A woman and a miner support the shield. The woman represents liberty, justice, and equality. The miner represents Idaho's mining industry. The two figures stand at equal height, reflecting women's suffrage discussions in the 1890s.
Idaho Flag History and Adoption
Idaho became the 43rd state on July 3, 1890. The First Legislature sponsored a design competition for the state seal in 1891. Emma Edwards Green won unanimously. She became the first and only woman to design a U.S. state seal, a statehood period also covered in states and capital cities reference data.
During the Spanish-American War, the First Idaho Infantry received a regimental flag with the state seal centered on a blue field. The regiment carried this flag to the Philippines in 1899.
The legislature passed an act on March 12, 1907, creating a state flag. The design honored the First Idaho Infantry by using their battle flag, replacing the regiment's name with State of Idaho. In 1957, Paul B. Evans revised the seal to add more detail. This version was approved on March 1, 1957.
Key Symbols on the Idaho Flag
Idaho State Flag Seal
The Idaho state flag features the Great Seal of the State of Idaho at its center. The seal combines symbolic figures, text, and imagery depicting Idaho's key industries and natural scenery, including symbols later reflected in Idaho's state flower, the Syringa.
A woman and a miner support the shield. The woman represents justice and equality, while the miner holds a pick and shovel, symbolizing Idaho's mining industry.
The shield displays natural and economic resources. A pine tree represents timber, a farmer plowing represents agriculture, and a sheaf of grain sits beneath the shield.
Two cornucopias symbolize horticulture, while an elk's head above the shield represents wildlife protection. The river depicted is commonly identified as the Snake River.
The outer ring bears the text Great Seal of the State of Idaho and a star representing a new light in the galaxy of states. The Latin motto Esto perpetua appears within the design, meaning Let it be perpetual.
Idaho State Flag Banner
A red banner with gold borders sits below the seal. The words State of Idaho appear in gold letters.
This banner replaced the regiment's name from the original battle flag. It distinguishes the state flag from the military banner.
Idaho State Flag Colors
The Idaho state flag uses blue as the primary field color. The state seal adds multiple supporting colors. Idaho statute does not provide exact Cable or Pantone values.
Idaho State Flag Facts
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