Alaska State Flag

What Is the Alaska State Flag?

The Alaska state flag is the official banner representing Alaska. Eight gold stars appear on a dark blue background.

Seven smaller stars form the Big Dipper constellation. One larger star represents Polaris in the upper right corner. The flag was designed for the Territory of Alaska and kept when statehood came in 1959.

Government buildings, schools, and public locations across Alaska fly this flag.

Meaning of the Alaska State Flag

The Alaska state flag represents the state's northern location and natural beauty. Designer Benny Benson chose symbols he saw in the night sky above Alaska.

The Big Dipper symbolizes strength. It connects to Ursa Major, the Great Bear constellation. Bears are native to Alaska and hold cultural significance across indigenous communities.

The North Star represents Alaska as the northernmost state. The blue field stands for the Alaskan sky and the forget-me-not, which became the state flower.

History of the Alaska State Flag

The Alaska Department of the American Legion sponsored a flag contest in 1927. Students in grades seven through twelve could enter. Roughly 700 submissions came in from across the territory.

Benny Benson was thirteen when he submitted his design. He lived at the Jesse Lee Home for Children in Seward. Contest organizers chose his entry over hundreds of others. Most submissions featured the territorial seal, midnight sun, northern lights, or polar bears. Benson looked to the stars instead.

He won a $1,000 scholarship and an engraved watch. The Alaska Legislature made his design official on May 2, 1927. The first flag used blue silk with appliquéd gold stars. When Alaska became a state in 1959, lawmakers kept the territorial flag without changes.

Previous Versions of the Alaska State Flag

1806–1867

Russian-American Company Flag

Featured the Imperial Russian eagle in the upper left corner on a modified commercial flag, flown over Alaska during Russian control.

1867–1927

U.S. Flag Only Period

After the Alaska Purchase, only the United States flag flew over the territory until 1927.

1927–present

Territorial and State Flag

Benny Benson's design, adopted as the territorial flag in 1927 and retained at statehood in 1959.

Symbols of the Alaska State Flag

Alaska State Flag Big Dipper

Seven gold stars form the Big Dipper on the Alaska flag. This asterism is part of Ursa Major, the Great Bear constellation.

Benson saw this constellation every night before going to sleep at the Jesse Lee Home. He chose it to symbolize strength through the Great Bear, an animal native to Alaska and central to indigenous cultures.

Alaska State Flag North Star

Polaris appears as a larger gold star in the upper right corner. The Big Dipper's pointer stars guide viewers to find Polaris in the actual night sky.

Benson described the North Star as representing the future state of Alaska. He saw Alaska as the northernmost place in the Union, and Polaris marks true north for navigators.

Alaska State Flag Blue Field

Dark blue covers the entire flag background. Benson selected this color to represent two Alaska elements.

The blue stands for the Alaskan sky and the forget-me-not flower. The color creates strong contrast with the gold stars, making them visible from a distance.

Alaska State Flag Colors

The Alaska state flag uses navy blue and gold. Benson described these colors in his original design submission.

Navy blue forms the background field. It represents the Alaskan sky and forget-me-not flowers. Gold colors all eight stars. Alaska statute does not give exact Pantone or Cable values, so manufactured flags show some color variation.

Alaska State Flag Facts

• Alaska adopted its flag on May 2, 1927, while still a territory
• Benny Benson was 13 years old when he designed the flag
• The contest drew approximately 700 entries from Alaskan schoolchildren
• Benson received a $1,000 scholarship and gold watch as prize
• The flag ranked fifth in a 2001 North American vexillological survey
• Alaska kept its territorial flag when it became a state in 1959