Utah State Flag
Utah's 2024 flag replaced a century-old seal-on-blue with a beehive in a gold hexagon and mountain silhouettes. What the sego lily, star, and stripes mean.
Utah State Flag
Official State Flag of Utah
- Adopted
- 2024
- Status
- Official flag
How the Utah State Flag Is Designed
The Utah state flag serves as the official flag of the state of Utah. The flag displays horizontal stripes in three colors. A blue stripe runs across the top. A white stripe forms irregular mountain peaks in the middle. A red stripe fills the bottom section.
A gold hexagon sits in the center of the flag. Inside the hexagon, a gold beehive appears with a white five-pointed star below it. This design replaced the previous flag on March 9, 2024.
What the Utah State Flag Means
The Utah state flag meaning comes from symbols reflecting Utah's geography, settlement history, and civic ideals. The design reflects Utah's geographic features and cultural identity.
The beehive stands for industry and community. Utah uses the beehive as its official emblem and calls itself the Beehive State. The hexagon shape represents strength and unity among Utah's people.
The five-pointed star honors the five original tribal nations in Utah. It also marks 1896, when Utah became the 45th state, and complements the state's formal motto Industry.
How Utah Chose Its State Flag
Utah authorized a new state flag through legislation signed on March 21, 2023. The bill went into effect on March 9, 2024. Governor Spencer Cox signed the measure after the Utah Legislature approved it. The State Flag Task Force managed the redesign process starting in 2021.
The task force received 5,703 design submissions from the public. More than 2,500 came from students. Twenty semifinalist designs were announced in September 2022. Utahns submitted 44,000 survey responses during the comment period. The task force presented a final proposal to the legislature in November 2022.
Utah's first state flag was created in March 1903 for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. The flag showed the state seal embroidered on a blue field. The legislature made it official in 1911. That design served as Utah's flag for 113 years before the 2024 redesign. The old flag now holds status as the Historic State Flag and remains co-official; that same 1911 era also gave Utah its official state flower.
Earlier Versions of the Utah Flag
Historic State Flag
Blue field with the state seal in color, corrected in 2011 after an 89-year mistake in date placement.
Governor's Flag
Original flag with state seal hand-embroidered in white thread before becoming official.
Beehive Flag
Current state flag adopted March 9, 2024, featuring tricolor stripes and gold hexagon with beehive.
Key Symbols on the Utah Flag
Utah State Flag Beehive
A gold beehive sits inside the hexagon at the flag's center. The beehive represents Utah's history and sense of community. It connects to Utah's official state motto, Industry.
The beehive appeared on Utah's seal and earlier flags. Early Mormon settlers used the beehive as a symbol. They valued hard work and cooperation, themes that stayed central to Utah's identity for generations.
Utah State Flag Hexagon
A gold hexagon frames the beehive in the flag's center. The hexagon shape resembles honeycomb. It represents strength and unity.
The gold rim symbolizes prosperity. Hexagons are among nature's strongest shapes. This geometric form cradles the beehive.
Utah State Flag Star
A white five-pointed star sits below the beehive. The star honors Utah's five original tribal nations. These include the Navajo, Shoshone, Goshute, Paiute, and Ute peoples.
The star also represents 1896, the year Utah achieved statehood. Utah became the 45th star on the American flag. The star symbolizes hope and loyalty to the nation.
Utah State Flag Mountains
The white middle stripe forms five irregular peaks. These represent Utah's snowy mountain ranges. Mountains have sheltered residents from time immemorial.
The white color evokes peace and Utah's world-famous snow. The five peaks also connect to the five original tribal nations.
Utah State Flag Blue Stripe
A blue stripe runs across the top of the flag. Blue represents Utah's wide-open skies and lakes. It links to the background of the historic flag.
The color symbolizes core principles including faith, knowledge, freedom, optimism, and tradition.
Utah State Flag Red Stripe
A red stripe fills the bottom section of the flag. This represents Southern Utah's red-rock canyon landscape. Millions of people travel to see these formations each year.
Red symbolizes perseverance. The shade is slightly warmer than the red used in the United States flag.
Utah State Flag Colors
The Utah state flag uses four colors. Blue, white, and red reference the colors of the United States flag. Gold appears in the hexagon and beehive, aligning with Utah's long black-and-gold visual tradition.
Utah State Flag Facts
Test your knowledge
Quick Answers
Which flag serves as Utah's official banner?
What are the main visual elements on Utah's flag?
In what year did Utah's current flag become official?
What does the Utah state flag represent?
How do historians explain the symbolism of Utah's flag?
Sources
Related Symbols
Show more (2)
Related States
Compare all 50 states by population, land area, statehood date, and more.
Themed lists - states sharing the same bird, oldest symbols, flags with bears, and more.
Side-by-side comparison of population, area, income, taxes, climate, and more.
Top 20 most common surnames per state - with origins, meanings, and heritage context. Is yours on the list?
You Might Also Like
Southern Longleaf Pine
Alabama's Southern longleaf pine became the state tree in 1949 and was clarified by law in 1997 after decades of forestry change.
Sitka Spruce
Alaska chose Sitka spruce in 1962, a coastal rainforest tree tied to Native carving traditions, timber, and wartime aircraft wood.
Palo Verde
Arizona's state tree is the blue palo verde, a green-barked Sonoran Desert tree adopted in 1954 and common around washes and desert cities.
Loblolly Pine
Arkansas made pine its state tree in 1939, honoring the native shortleaf, loblolly, longleaf, and slash pines central to its timber region.
California Redwood
California named the redwood its state tree in 1937, honoring the coast redwood and giant sequoia forests that made the state famous.
Population Density by State, Ranked by People per Square Mile
New Jersey has 1,304 people per sq mi; Alaska has 1.3. Compare every state by density, population, and land area.
U.S. States by Population, Largest to Smallest
California has 39.3M residents, while Wyoming has 590,784. Compare all 50 states by population, U.S. share, and change since 2020.
U.S. State Flags with Animals: Bears, Birds, Bison, and More
California's extinct grizzly, Wyoming's bison, Louisiana's pelican, and Oregon's reverse-side beaver show how animals appear on flags.