Hawaii State Flag

What Is the Hawaii State Flag?

The Hawaii state flag is the official banner representing Hawaii. Eight horizontal stripes cover the field. The stripes alternate in the sequence white, red, blue, white, red, blue, white, red from top to bottom.

The Union Jack of the United Kingdom appears as a canton in the upper left corner. The canton measures half the hoist in width and 7/16 the fly in length. The Union Jack shows a blue field with a compound saltire alternating white and red, with a red cross over all.

Hawaii is the only U.S. state flag to feature a foreign national flag. Government buildings, schools, and public locations across Hawaii fly this flag.

Meaning of the Hawaii State Flag

The Hawaii state flag represents the islands' unique political history. The design blends British and American elements. It reflects King Kamehameha I's diplomatic relationships with both nations in the early 19th century.

The eight stripes represent the eight major Hawaiian islands: Hawaiʻi, Maui, Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, and Niʻihau. The stripes symbolize unity among the islands under one sovereign.

The Union Jack acknowledges the historical relationship between the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and Great Britain. King Kamehameha I maintained pro-British sentiment. The canton does not indicate colonial status. Hawaii was never a British colony.

History of the Hawaii State Flag

Captain George Vancouver of the British Royal Navy visited the Hawaiian Islands three times during his 1791 to 1795 expedition. In February 1794, Vancouver reached a diplomatic agreement with King Kamehameha I at Kealakekua Bay. A British flag was presented and raised. The flag was either a Union Jack or a Red Ensign used by the Royal Navy.

The Red Ensign served as an unofficial flag of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi until 1816. When Ireland joined Great Britain in 1801, the Union Jack added a Saint Patrick's Cross. Both pre-1801 and post-1801 versions of the Red Ensign flew over Hawaii during this period.

An unverified story claims that during the War of 1812, Kamehameha became aware of the nationalist meaning of flags. To avoid offending Britain or the United States, he designed a flag combining elements of both nations. In April 1816, Kamehameha purchased a brig from Scottish Captain Alexander Adams and renamed it Kaʻahumanu. Adams wrote he was honored to take command under the Flag of His Majesty, though he did not describe the flag.

In March 1817, the Kaʻahumanu became the first Hawaiian vessel to sail to Canton, China, under a distinct Hawaiian flag. One source describes it as a St. George and St. Andrews Cross in the corner with a field of red and white stripes, matching the ensign of the East India Company. Another source mentions red, white, and blue stripes added to a Union Jack.

Russian navigator Vasily Golovnin visited Oʻahu in 1818. He described seeing a national flag consisting of seven stripes: red, white, blue, red, white, blue, red, with the English Union Jack in the corner. Until 1845, visitors reported various versions with different numbers of stripes and colors.

In February 1843, British Captain Lord George Paulet seized control of Hawaii. He ordered the Hawaiian flag lowered and the British Union Flag raised. This occupation lasted five months. On July 31, 1843, Rear Admiral Richard Thomas restored Hawaiian sovereignty. The event became known as the Paulet Affair.

The incident prompted King Kamehameha III to standardize the flag design. On May 25, 1845, at the opening of the Legislative Council, the new flag was officially unfurled. The design specified eight stripes in the sequence white, red, blue, white, red, blue, white, red. This arrangement remains unchanged today.

The flag continued through the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, U.S. annexation in 1898, and statehood in 1959. Governor John Waiheʻe proclaimed July 31 as Lā Hae Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Flag Day, in 1990. The date commemorates the restoration of sovereignty after the Paulet Affair.

Previous Versions of the Hawaii State Flag

Symbols of the Hawaii State Flag

Hawaii State Flag Colors

The Hawaii state flag uses red, white, and blue. The colors come from both the Union Jack and the United States flag. Hawaii statute does not provide exact Cable or Pantone values.

Hawaii State Flag Facts

• Hawaii officially adopted its flag on May 25, 1845
• The flag is the only U.S. state flag featuring a foreign national flag
• The design has remained unchanged since 1845
• King Kamehameha I commissioned the original flag design in 1816
• The flag ranked 11th in a 2001 North American vexillological survey
• Hawaiian Flag Day is celebrated on July 31 each year