Flag of Florida
The Florida state flag shows a red diagonal cross on a white field with the state seal in the center. It is Florida’s official flag. The current design was adopted on November 6, 1900, and the seal was standardized on May 21, 1985. The flag also includes the motto “In God We Trust,” making Florida one of three state flags with this motto (the others are Georgia and Mississippi).
Design details: The seal is centered and its diameter is half the flag’s height. The red diagonal bars extend from each corner toward the center and reach the edge of the seal; each bar is one-fifth of the flag’s height.
Seal overhaul: The 1985 revision fixed long-standing errors in the seal, such as the palm tree, the Plains Indian maiden, the mountains, and the steamboat.
History and meaning: Before 1900 Florida used different flags. In 1899–1900, voters approved adding the red bars to the flag. The exact reason isn’t known for sure; theories include avoiding a white surrender-like appearance or links to Confederate or Spanish history. Some historians say there isn’t a clear Confederate connection.
Other notes: A 2001 survey ranked Florida’s flag 34th out of 72 flags.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:00 (CET).