Rhode Island State Flag

The Rhode Island state flag is the official state flag of the state of Rhode Island. A white field holds a gold anchor at the center. Thirteen gold five-pointed stars circle the anchor.

A blue ribbon sits below the anchor. The word Hope appears in gold letters on the ribbon. Three edges of the flag are edged with golden fringe except the hoist. The flag is nearly square at four feet ten inches by five feet six inches.

Rhode Island adopted the current design on November 1, 1897. The General Assembly passed legislation during the January session of 1897. This version returned to a white field after an earlier blue design.

The Rhode Island state flag meaning connects to the state's colonial history and founding principles. The anchor and Hope motto appeared on Rhode Island's seal as early as the 1640s and connect directly with Rhode Island's state motto.

The anchor represents hope and maritime commerce. Howard Chapin of the Rhode Island Historical Society traced the motto to a biblical verse. Hebrews 6:18-19 reads Hope we have as an anchor of the soul. Rhode Island's earliest colonists fled religious persecution in Massachusetts, a history reflected in the Ocean State nickname.

Rhode Island adopted its first official state flag on March 30, 1877. The flag featured a white background with a red shield at the center. A blue anchor appeared on the shield with the word Hope inscribed on it. Thirty-eight blue stars encircled the shield. The design matched the white facings on state militia uniforms.

The state adopted a second flag on February 1, 1882. This version changed to a blue field. Thirteen gold stars encircled a gold anchor. The number of stars dropped from thirty-eight to thirteen representing the original colonies. Rhode Island was the thirteenth state to ratify the Constitution.

The Rhode Island General Assembly adopted the current flag on November 1, 1897. Legislation passed during the January session of 1897. The design returned to a white field. The Hope motto reappeared on a blue ribbon below the anchor. The thirteen gold stars remained in a circle around the anchor.

The flag statute specifies precise measurements. The anchor stands twenty-two inches high. The blue ribbon measures twenty-four inches long and five inches wide. The pike must be nine feet tall with a spearhead on top.

The Rhode Island state flag uses white, gold, and blue. Rhode Island is one of the few states with a white field. Rhode Island statute does not provide Cable or Pantone values for the flag colors, so practical references usually follow Rhode Island's color guide.

White forms the background field. Gold appears on the anchor, stars, motto lettering, and fringe. Blue colors the ribbon beneath the anchor, and this maritime symbolism aligns with geography in States That Border Rhode Island.