Oregon State Flag
Oregon's flag is the only U.S. state flag with different images on each side — a state seal on the front, a beaver on the back. What each side means and why.
Oregon State Flag
Official State Flag of Oregon
- Adopted
- 1925
- Status
- Official flag
How the Oregon State Flag Is Designed
The Oregon state flag is the official flag of the state of Oregon. A navy blue field holds the state coat of arms in gold on the front. The words State of Oregon appear above the emblem. The year 1859 sits below.
The flag's reverse side shows a gold beaver standing on a log. Oregon is the only U.S. state flag with different images on each side. This design requires more expensive manufacturing than single-sided flags.
The Oregon legislature adopted the flag on February 26, 1925. Meier & Frank department store produced the first official flag that year. Employees Marjorie Kennedy and Blanche Cox sewed it by hand.
What the Oregon Flag Communicates
The Oregon state flag meaning connects to the state's settlement history and natural resources. The coat of arms represents Oregon's journey from frontier territory to statehood.
The beaver on the reverse symbolizes Oregon's fur trade heritage. Beaver pelts drove early European settlement in the region. The animal became Oregon's official state mammal and inspired the nickname The Beaver State; see the Oregon beaver page.
Oregon Flag History and Adoption
Oregon used unofficial regimental flags before adopting an official state banner. In 1888, the Oregon State Guard ordered three blue silk flags bearing the state seal. Each flag cost two hundred fifty dollars. Similar flags appeared at various events through the early 1900s.
A banner represented Oregon at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. The front showed a white field with the state seal and the words Exposition 1915. The American flag appeared on the back.
The legislature authorized an official state flag on February 26, 1925. The design featured navy blue and gold, Oregon's state colors. Meier & Frank made the first flag in Portland. The flag showed the state coat of arms on one side and a beaver on the other, reinforcing the Beaver State identity.
Early versions sometimes used a multicolored state seal instead of all gold. The design has remained essentially unchanged since 1925. Two-sided flags cost more to manufacture than standard flags. Paraguay is the only country with a similar two-sided national flag.
Key Symbols on the Oregon Flag
Oregon State Flag Coat of Arms
The state coat of arms dominates the flag's front. An eagle perches atop a shield. Thirty-three stars surround the shield representing Oregon as the thirty-third state admitted to the Union.
The shield shows Oregon's landscape and economy. Mountains rise in the background. A covered wagon and ox team cross the foreground representing the Oregon Trail. An elk with branching antlers stands on the left.
Two ships appear on the water. A British man-of-war sails away while an American merchant vessel arrives. The Pacific Ocean stretches beneath a setting sun. These images mark the transition from British to American control.
Oregon State Flag Agricultural Symbols
A plow, pickax, and sheaf of wheat appear on the coat of arms. These tools represent Oregon's major industries during settlement. The plow stands for farming. The pickax represents mining. The wheat shows agricultural production.
A banner reading The Union wraps beneath these elements. It declares Oregon's place in the United States.
Oregon State Flag Beaver
A gold beaver stands on a log on the flag's reverse. The beaver faces right. This animal appears only on the back of the flag.
The beaver represents Oregon's fur trade history. Beaver pelts attracted trappers and traders to Oregon in the early 1800s. The state adopted the beaver as its official animal. Oregon earned the nickname The Beaver State from this heritage.
Oregon State Flag Text
The words State of Oregon appear in gold letters above the coat of arms. The year 1859 sits below. This marks when Oregon joined the Union as the thirty-third state.
All lettering and symbols use gold against the navy blue field. These are Oregon's official state colors.
Oregon State Flag Colors
The Oregon state flag uses navy blue and gold. These are Oregon's official state colors. Oregon statute describes the colors but does not provide Cable or Pantone values, and broader comparisons appear in the U.S. state colors guide.
Navy blue forms the background field on both sides. Gold appears in all lettering and symbols including the coat of arms and the beaver, with details matched on Oregon's official colors page.
Modern Context
For demographic context, review U.S. states by population.
Oregon State Flag Facts
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