Guide Collections Flags Updated May 16, 2026

Which State Flags Have the Most Stars?

Indiana state flag: gold torch surrounded by 19 stars on a navy blue field, adopted in 1917 after a state design competition

Which State Flags Have the Most Stars?

Collection - Flags

Indiana's Torch Flag has 19 stars: 13 outer stars for the original colonies, 5 inner stars for the next five states, and 1 large star above the torch for Indiana itself. It is the most-asked state flag star-count fact.

Quick Answer

Which State Flags Have the Most Stars?

  1. 1

    Missouri's state flag has 24 stars, the highest count on any state flag. The ring marks Missouri's admission as the 24th state in 1821.

  2. 2

    Indiana follows with 19 stars. Ohio has 17, while Rhode Island and Georgia tie at 13.

  3. 3

    Alaska has 8 stars for the Big Dipper and Polaris. Tennessee has 3, while Texas and 6 other states use a single prominent star.

Which State Flags Have the Most Stars?

State Flags With the Most Stars

Missouri state flag with circular coat of arms surrounded by 24 gold stars on horizontal red, white, and blue stripes
Missouri's circular coat of arms is ringed by 24 gold stars, one for each state in the Union when Missouri was admitted on August 10, 1821. No other US state flag has more stars.

Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio are the three highest star-count flags in the table. Missouri marks the 24th state, Indiana marks the 19th state, and Ohio marks the 17th state.

Missouri. 24 Stars

Missouri's flag carries 24 gold stars arranged in a circle around the state coat of arms. Missouri was admitted to the Union as the 24th state on August 10, 1821, and the ring of stars records that position. The flag was adopted in 1913. No other US state flag has a higher star count.

Indiana. 19 Stars

Indiana's Torch Flag arranges 19 gold stars in three groups on a navy blue field. An outer ring of 13 stars represents the original thirteen colonies; an inner ring of 5 stars represents the next five states admitted; and 1 large star above the torch represents Indiana itself, admitted as the 19th state in 1816. Paul Hadley designed the flag in 1916 after winning a state competition. Indiana adopted it officially in 1917.

Ohio. 17 Stars

Ohio's flag is the only US state flag that is not rectangular. It is a swallowtail burgee carrying 17 stars in the blue triangle at the hoist. The 17 stars represent Ohio's position as the 17th state admitted to the Union in 1803: 13 for the original colonies plus 4 additional states before Ohio. The white disc at center represents the letter O and the buckeye. Adopted in 1902.

13-Star State Flags

Rhode Island and Georgia both use 13 stars to honor the original thirteen colonies, though the two flags look nothing alike.

Rhode Island. 13 Stars Around an Anchor

Rhode Island's state flag places a golden anchor at center, representing the state's motto 'Hope', surrounded by a ring of 13 gold five-pointed stars on a white field. The 13 stars represent the original colonies and Rhode Island's place among them. The design dates to 1897. Rhode Island was the last of the 13 original states to ratify the Constitution, doing so in 1790.

Georgia. 13 Stars Around the Seal

Georgia's current flag (adopted 2003) places the state coat of arms on a blue canton, with 13 white stars arranged in an arc around it against the blue field. The 13 stars reference the original thirteen colonies. Georgia was one of the original 13 states, ratifying the Constitution in 1788.

Key Figure
24

Stars on the Missouri state flag. Missouri was the 24th state admitted to the Union, on August 10, 1821.

Alaska Flag Star Count

Alaska state flag showing 8 gold stars on dark blue field: 7 forming the Big Dipper and 1 for Polaris
Alaska's flag maps two real constellations: the 7-star Big Dipper (Ursa Major) and Polaris (the North Star). Benny Benson, age 13, submitted the winning design in the 1927 Alaska territorial flag contest.

Alaska's flag has 8 stars. Seven form the Big Dipper, and one marks Polaris.

The Big Dipper and Polaris

Alaska's flag places 8 gold stars on a dark blue field. Seven form the Big Dipper (Ursa Major constellation) and one represents Polaris, the North Star. Polaris is positioned in the upper right corner, further from the Dipper than scale, for visual clarity. Benny Benson of Seward, age 13, submitted the winning design in the 1927 Alaska Territorial Flag Contest. The flag became the official state flag when Alaska was admitted to the Union in 1959.

Tennessee Flag Star Count

Tennessee state flag with three white stars inside a blue circle on a red field
Tennessee's three white stars sit inside a blue circle to represent East, Middle, and West Tennessee. The 1905 design by Captain LeRoy Reeves also adds a narrow blue bar at the fly edge.

Tennessee's flag uses 3 white stars inside a blue circle on a red field to represent the state's three grand divisions: East Tennessee (mountainous), Middle Tennessee (central plateau), and West Tennessee (lowlands). A vertical blue stripe separates the red field from the fly edge. The design was created by Captain LeRoy Reeves and adopted in 1905.

State Flags With One Star

Seven US state flags feature exactly one prominent star: Texas (white), California (red), North Carolina (white), Arizona (copper), Nevada (silver), Minnesota (eight-pointed, 2024), and Utah (white, 2024). Texas's Lone Star is the oldest, adopted in 1839 when Texas was still an independent republic. For the full breakdown of each, see US State Flags with One Star.

Flags with No Stars

New Mexico state flag with a red Zia sun symbol centered on a yellow field
New Mexico's flag carries the red Zia sun symbol on a yellow field with no stars at all. The design by Harry Mera became official in 1925 after a statewide contest backed by the New Mexico Daughters of the American Revolution.

Several states use no stars as a primary design element. New Mexico has the Zia sun symbol on a yellow field, with no stars. Hawaii's Union Jack and eight stripes carry no stars. Maryland's flag is a heraldic cross in four quadrants with no stars. South Carolina uses a crescent and palmetto tree. Colorado, New Hampshire, Oregon, and other seal-flag states embed a star inside their coat of arms, but the star is not the dominant visual feature.

State Flag Star Facts

1 Missouri's 24-star flag has the highest star count of any US state flag, representing the 24 states in the Union when Missouri joined on August 10, 1821
2 Indiana's 19 stars is the most commonly asked state flag trivia question, appearing frequently in US history quizzes, pub trivia, and standardized-test prep
3 Alaska's flag was designed by a 13-year-old, Benny Benson, in a 1927 contest. He won a $1,000 scholarship and a watch engraved with his design
4 Ohio is the only US state with a non-rectangular flag. Its swallowtail burgee shape (a pointed fly edge) is unique among all 50 states
5 Rhode Island's 13 stars have appeared on the state flag since 1897, one of the oldest continuously-used star-count designs in the country
6 Tennessee's 3-star design (1905) is the simplest multi-star flag: three symbols, one clear meaning: East, Middle, and West Tennessee
7 Georgia adopted its current 13-star flag in 2003 after retiring a design that included the Confederate battle flag element
8 Indiana's flag was designed in a 1916 competition that drew 200+ entries; Paul Hadley's torch-and-stars design won and was officially adopted in 1917
9 New Mexico's flag has zero stars: the entire design is the Zia sun symbol, a sacred symbol of the Zia Pueblo people, on a gold field
10 Alaska and Indiana both tie their star counts directly to geography or history: Alaska maps real constellations, Indiana counts the states before it

Quick Answers

Which US state flag has the most stars?
Missouri's state flag has the most stars of any US state flag: 24 gold stars arranged in a circle around the state coat of arms. The 24 stars represent the number of states in the Union when Missouri was admitted on August 10, 1821, as the 24th state. The flag was adopted in 1913.
How many stars are on the Indiana flag?
Indiana's flag has 19 stars on a navy blue field. The stars are arranged in three groups around a central gold torch: an outer ring of 13 stars for the original thirteen colonies, an inner ring of 5 stars for the next five states admitted, and 1 large star above the torch representing Indiana itself, which entered the Union as the 19th state in 1816.
How many stars are on the Alaska flag?
Alaska's flag has 8 gold stars on a dark blue field. Seven form the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) constellation and one represents Polaris, the North Star. The design was created by 13-year-old Benny Benson in a 1927 Alaska territorial contest. Alaska became a state in 1959 and the flag carried over from the territorial design.
How many stars are on the Texas flag?
Texas's flag has exactly 1 star: the single white five-pointed star centered on the blue vertical stripe. This is the 'Lone Star' that gives Texas its official nickname, The Lone Star State. The design was adopted in 1839 when Texas was still an independent republic, six years before US statehood.
What do the 19 stars on Indiana's flag mean?
Indiana's 19 stars encode the state's admission order. The outer ring of 13 stars represents the original thirteen colonies. The inner ring of 5 stars represents the next five states admitted after those 13. The single large star directly above the torch stands for Indiana, the 19th state, admitted in 1816. Paul Hadley created the design in 1916.
Which US state flags have no stars?
Several US state flags carry no stars as a primary design element. New Mexico's flag is a Zia sun symbol on yellow, with no stars. Hawaii's flag is the British Union Jack with eight horizontal stripes, with no stars. Maryland's flag is a heraldic cross pattern. South Carolina's flag has a crescent and palmetto tree. Colorado uses a C with a gold circle. Many other states use a seal on blue with stars buried inside the seal artwork.
How many US state flags have stars on them?
Fourteen U.S. state flags are the clearest star-based examples in this guide. Seven have a single prominent star, and seven use multiple stars as major design features.

Methodology

Star counts include only stars that appear as primary design elements on the flag. Stars buried inside coat-of-arms artwork are excluded unless they form the dominant visual feature of the flag.

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