All US State Flags with Exactly One Star: The Complete List

The Texas state flag is the most recognized single-star flag in the world. A single large white five-pointed star stands centered on a blue vertical stripe — flanked by a white horizontal stripe above and a red one below. The flag was adopted in 1839, when Texas was still an independent republic, and became the state flag upon annexation in 1845. The Lone Star is not a decoration — it IS the flag's entire statement. It declares that Texas was once a sovereign nation and has never forgotten it. Standardized in 2001, the Texas Lone Star flag history and meaning remains the oldest current single-star state flag and consistently ranks among the best-designed in America by vexillologists.

California's single red five-pointed star sits in the upper-left canton of the Bear Flag — above the grizzly bear and to the left of the 'CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC' text. The red star traces directly to the Bear Flag Revolt of June 14, 1846, when American settlers in Sonoma raised a handmade flag with a star and a grizzly bear to declare the short-lived California Republic. That revolt lasted 25 days. The star remained. When California officially adopted the Bear Flag in 1911 and standardized it in 1953, the red star came with it — a permanent memorial to the revolutionary moment that launched California's American identity. Full history on the California Bear Flag red star and revolt history.

North Carolina's flag features a single white five-pointed star centered on the blue vertical stripe, flanked by the gold letters 'N' and 'C'. The date 'May 20, 1775' — the disputed date of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence — arcs above, and 'April 12, 1776' — the Halifax Resolves date — arcs below. The star-between-initials design was finalized in 1885 and gives the flag a clean, legible identity among the many busier seal-on-blue designs of the era. The North Carolina star flag design and history is one of the few state flags where a star anchors a typographic composition.

Arizona's flag is a masterclass in design economy. The upper half shows thirteen rays of alternating red and gold radiating outward — representing the original thirteen colonies and the colors of the setting sun over Arizona's desert. At the center of the flag, where the rays converge and the lower blue half begins, sits a single copper-colored five-pointed star. Copper is not a stylistic choice — Arizona is the largest copper-producing state in the United States, responsible for more than 70% of US copper output. The copper star was designed by Colonel Charles W. Harris in 1910 for the Arizona Rifle Team at a national shooting competition. The legislature officially adopted the flag in 1917. Full history on the Arizona copper star flag design and meaning.

Nevada's flag features a silver five-pointed star in the upper-left corner, nested between two sprays of sagebrush — Nevada's state flower — with the words 'Battle Born' on a scroll above. 'Battle Born' refers to Nevada's admission to the Union in 1864, during the Civil War, when Congress accelerated Nevada's statehood to secure additional electoral votes for President Lincoln. The silver star represents Nevada's 'Silver State' nickname, earned from the massive silver ore deposits of the Comstock Lode discovered in 1859, which transformed Nevada from empty desert territory to a state almost overnight. Adopted in 1929 and standardized in 1991, the Nevada silver star and Battle Born flag history places the star in the canton — the upper-left position traditionally reserved for the most important element of a flag composition.

Minnesota adopted its redesigned state flag in May 2024, replacing a seal-on-blue design that had been widely criticized as one of the least distinctive state flags in the country. The new flag features a single eight-pointed white star — the North Star — on a divided field of dark navy blue and lighter sky blue, with a stylized white shape representing Minnesota's waters and the state's geographic outline. The eight-pointed star design was deliberately chosen to echo the Ojibwe star quilt pattern, honoring Minnesota's Indigenous heritage. It represents Minnesota's state motto 'L'Étoile du Nord' ('The North Star') — a motto adopted in 1861 that had never been visualized on the old flag. The Minnesota 2024 North Star flag redesign history is the only current US state flag featuring an eight-pointed star — every other star on a state flag has five points.

Utah adopted its redesigned state flag in March 2024, replacing the seal-on-blue design in use since 1913. The new flag centers the beehive — Utah's most enduring symbol — on a blue field, with a white five-pointed star positioned directly beneath the beehive. The star represents Utah's status as the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. A sego lily (Utah's state flower) and a stylized mountain range complete the design. The Utah 2024 flag redesign beehive and star meaning became the cleaner, more legible alternative that vexillologists had long advocated — and the star gives the new design a numerically specific historical anchor that the old seal-on-blue never achieved.

Puerto Rico's flag places a white five-pointed star at the center of a blue equilateral triangle on the hoist side, against five alternating red and white horizontal stripes. The stripes echo the US flag; the triangle and star were designed in 1895 by the Puerto Rican independence movement. The star represents the island of Puerto Rico — one island, one star. NAVA's state and territory flag surveys consistently rank Puerto Rico's design among the top-scoring in the US system, citing its bold geometry and immediate legibility at any distance.