Which US State Flags Have Bears on Them?
Exactly two US state flags have bears: California and Missouri. Both are grizzlies — one dominates the entire flag, the other is buried in a state seal from 1822. Here's the full history of both.
Which US State Flags Have Bears on Them?
Collection - Flags
The California state flag is the most recognizable bear flag in the United States — but it is not the only one. Missouri's flag also features grizzly bears, hidden within its state seal.
Quick Answer
What matters most
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Exactly two US state flags feature bears: California and Missouri.
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California's flag shows a single California grizzly bear (Ursus arctos californicus) — now extinct — as its dominant central symbol.
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Missouri's flag shows two grizzly bears flanking the state seal, symbolizing the strength and bravery of its citizens. They date from the 1822 state seal — one year after statehood.
Which US State Flags Have Bears on Them?
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Flag
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Bear
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State
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What the Bear Symbolizes
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Placement
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Flag Adopted
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California
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Strength and independence — from the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846 | Central and dominant — the bear is the entire flag | 1911 |
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Missouri
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Strength and bravery of Missouri's citizens | Shield-holders on the state seal, center of the flag | 1913 |
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California State Flag: The Iconic Grizzly Bear
California's state flag is so synonymous with its bear that it is simply called the 'Bear Flag.' The grizzly stands at the center of a white field, walking left across a strip of green grass. Below the bear, in bold black capital letters: CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC. In the upper left, a red five-pointed star echoes the Lone Star of Texas — a nod to the revolutionary spirit that both flags share. A red horizontal stripe runs along the bottom.
The bear on today's standardized flag is based on a real animal: Monarch, a California grizzly captured in 1889 and brought to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Monarch became a local celebrity and lived in captivity until 1911. Artist Charles Christian Nahl had painted Monarch in 1855 — it is that painting, filtered through Donald Graeme Kelley's 1953 standardized illustration, that walks across the California flag today.
The California grizzly (Ursus arctos californicus) is now extinct. The last confirmed wild California grizzly was shot in Tulare County in August 1922. The subspecies was officially declared extinct in 1924, and the full story is told on the California's extinct grizzly bear symbol page. California thus carries a memorial on its flag — a portrait of a lost animal that represents what the state once was.
The Bear Flag Revolt of 1846
On June 14, 1846, a group of American settlers in Sonoma, California, seized the Mexican garrison and raised a handmade flag bearing a grizzly bear and a lone star. They declared the independent 'California Republic.' The republic lasted 25 days. On July 9, 1846, the U.S. Navy arrived and replaced the Bear Flag with the Stars and Stripes. The original flag was lost in the fires following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. California officially readopted the Bear Flag design as its state flag in 1911, and the design was standardized in 1953.
The 65-Year Gap: Why Did California Wait Until 1911?
California entered the Union in September 1850, but the Bear Flag was not officially adopted as the state flag until February 3, 1911 — 61 years later. During that gap, the Bear Flag existed as a widely recognized symbol of California without legal standing. Multiple legislative attempts to formalize it failed or stalled. The original 1846 flag was destroyed in the fires following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which may have prompted renewed interest in preserving the design officially. The California state flag page covers the full legislative record.
"The grizzly bear was the emblem of strength and resistance — a creature every Californian of 1846 feared and respected in equal measure, chosen to declare that this republic would not yield."
Missouri State Flag: The Hidden Grizzlies
Missouri's flag is a tricolor of red, white, and blue horizontal stripes — honoring Missouri's French colonial heritage. At the center sits a blue ring and, inside it, the Missouri state seal. That seal is where the bears live.
Two grizzly bears stand upright on either side of the central shield, acting as heraldic shield-holders. They face outward, each resting a forepaw on the shield. They are easy to miss at a distance. Up close, they are unmistakable. The shield itself depicts a crescent moon and a grizzly bear (a third bear, in the inner seal design). A bald eagle perches above. The 24 stars on the blue ring mark Missouri as the 24th state admitted to the Union.
Why Does the Missouri Flag Have Bears on It?
Missouri's legislature placed grizzly bears on the state seal in 1822, one year after statehood. The choice was deliberate: bears symbolized strength (fortitudo) and bravery — virtues the legislature wanted to associate with the citizens of the new state. Missouri was frontier territory in 1822. The grizzly represented the raw power of the American wilderness that Missourians were pushing into and taming. The motto on the seal — Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto ('The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law') — pairs with the bears to project a government built on strength in service of its citizens.
History of the Missouri State Flag
The history of the Missouri state flag spans nearly a century. The state seal — including the two grizzly bears — was designed in 1822, one year after Missouri entered the Union as the 24th state. The seal was the work of the state legislature, which chose heraldic bears to project strength on the frontier. The flag itself was not adopted until March 22, 1913, when Representative Ida Stratton introduced the design featuring Missouri's French-heritage tricolor. The full Missouri state flag history and meaning explains how the tricolor and seal came together 91 years apart. Missouri's flag faces periodic criticism for being overly complex — the detailed seal is difficult to read at distance, and redesign proposals have circulated, though none have advanced to the legislature as of 2026.
Timeline
Missouri adopts its state seal featuring two grizzly bears as shield-holders — one year after statehood. The bears represent the strength and courage of Missouri's citizens.
Missouri adopts its state seal featuring two grizzly bears as shield-holders — one year after statehood. The bears represent the strength and courage of Missouri's citizens.
Bear Flag Revolt (June 14): American settlers raise a handmade grizzly bear flag in Sonoma and briefly declare California an independent republic. The republic lasts 25 days.
Monarch, a California grizzly captured for William Randolph Hearst, arrives at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. He becomes the model for the official flag bear.
Monarch, a California grizzly captured for William Randolph Hearst, arrives at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. He becomes the model for the official flag bear.
The original 1846 Bear Flag is destroyed in the fires following the San Francisco earthquake. The design survives only in descriptions and later illustrations.
California officially adopts the Bear Flag as its state flag (February 3). Monarch, the last captive California grizzly, dies the same year.
California officially adopts the Bear Flag as its state flag (February 3). Monarch, the last captive California grizzly, dies the same year.
Missouri officially adopts its state flag, incorporating the 1822 state seal — and its two grizzly bears — into the tricolor flag design.
The last wild California grizzly bear is shot in Tulare County. The subspecies is declared extinct two years later — leaving only a ghost on the state flag.
The last wild California grizzly bear is shot in Tulare County. The subspecies is declared extinct two years later — leaving only a ghost on the state flag.
California standardizes the Bear Flag with exact color and proportion specifications, based on Charles Christian Nahl's 1855 painting of Monarch.
California vs. Missouri: The Two Bear Flags Compared
Both flags carry grizzly bears, but the similarity ends there. Here is how they compare across four dimensions that define each flag's identity.
Visibility: Dominant vs. Hidden
California's bear is the entire point of the California state flag — impossible to miss from 50 feet. Missouri's bears are embedded in a state seal inside a blue ring on a tricolor. California's flag was designed around the bear; Missouri's flag inherited the bears from a seal designed 91 years before the flag was adopted.
Symbolism: Revolution vs. Governance
California's bear carries the emotional weight of a revolutionary moment — the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt. It is a symbol of independence and defiance. On the Missouri state flag, the bears are heraldic shield-holders chosen by a legislature to project governmental strength. One bear is a rebel; the other two are guardians of the state.
Species: Extinct vs. Still Symbolic
Both flags show grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), but California's specific subspecies — the California grizzly (Ursus arctos californicus) — has been extinct since 1922. The California flag is in part a memorial to a lost animal. Missouri's grizzlies represent the frontier archetype of power and strength without being tied to a specific subspecies.
Design Philosophy: Clean Simplicity vs. Heraldic Complexity
California's flag is considered a strong design by vexillological standards: a simple, distinctive image on a plain field, readable at any distance. Missouri's flag frequently appears in state flag redesign discussions — the bears are invisible at a distance because the seal is too dense to read. States that border Missouri all have simpler, more legible flag designs by comparison.
of 50 US state flags feature bears — California and Missouri. Both are grizzlies.
Which Other State Flags Have Animals on Them?
Bears are rare on state flags, but animals in general are common — especially on state seals incorporated into flag designs. Here is a quick overview of notable animal flags across the US.
Wyoming — American Bison
Wyoming's flag features a silhouette of an American bison (buffalo) at its center — the only US state flag to prominently feature a bison. The bison carries the Wyoming state seal on its side.
Louisiana — Brown Pelican
Louisiana's flag features a brown pelican feeding three chicks in a nest — the medieval heraldic image of 'pelican in her piety,' symbolizing self-sacrifice. The pelican has been on Louisiana's seal since 1804, eight years before statehood.
Michigan — Elk and Moose
Michigan's state seal — and thus its flag — features both an elk and a moose as shield-holders. Like Missouri's bears, Michigan's large animals are heraldic supporters that anchor the coat of arms in the Great Lakes' wilderness identity.
New York — Eagle
New York's flag seal features a bald eagle perched atop a globe. Eagles are the most common animal on US state flags and seals, appearing in one form or another on a dozen state designs. For a full comparison of all designs, see the complete list of US state flags.
Key Facts About Bear Flags
Quick Answers
Which US state flags have a bear on them?
Are the bears on state flags a specific species?
Why are there bears on the Missouri flag?
What is the meaning of the bear on the California flag?
How many US state flags feature animals?
What bear is on the California flag?
When was the California Bear Flag adopted?
What is the history of the Missouri state flag?
What is the history of the California state flag?
What does the Missouri state seal mean and why is it on the flag?
Is the Missouri flag a tricolor?
Methodology
How we researched this list
Data compiled from official state flag statutes, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), each state's Secretary of State office, and vexillological archives. All 50 state flags were reviewed for bear imagery, including seals incorporated into flag designs.
Sources
Sources & references
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California State Library — State Symbolshttps://www.library.ca.gov/california-history/state-symbols/
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NCSL — State Flag Factshttps://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/state-flags.aspx
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Missouri State Archives — State Flag Historyhttps://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/history/symbols/flag
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California Department of Fish and Wildlife — Grizzly Bearhttps://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Grizzly-Bear
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