Idaho State Flag

What Is the Idaho State Flag?

The Idaho state flag is the official banner representing Idaho. A field of blue covers the entire flag. The state seal appears in full color at the center.

Below the seal sits a red banner with gold borders. The words State of Idaho appear in gold letters. A gold fringe borders the flag edges.

Meaning of the Idaho State Flag

The Idaho state flag represents the state's natural resources and industries. The seal depicts mining, agriculture, and forestry as the chief economic activities at statehood.

A woman and a miner support the shield. The woman represents liberty, justice, and equality. The miner represents Idaho's mining industry. The two figures stand at equal height, reflecting women's suffrage discussions in the 1890s.

History of the Idaho State Flag

Idaho became the 43rd state on July 3, 1890. The First Legislature sponsored a design competition for the state seal in 1891. Emma Edwards Green won unanimously. She became the first and only woman to design a U.S. state seal.

During the Spanish-American War, the First Idaho Infantry received a regimental flag with the state seal centered on a blue field. The regiment carried this flag to the Philippines in 1899.

The legislature passed an act on March 12, 1907, creating a state flag. The design honored the First Idaho Infantry by using their battle flag, replacing the regiment's name with State of Idaho. In 1957, Paul B. Evans revised the seal to add more detail. This version was approved on March 1, 1957.

Symbols of the Idaho State Flag

Idaho State Flag Seal

The Idaho state flag features the Great Seal of the State of Idaho at its center. The seal combines symbolic figures, text, and imagery representing the state's values and industries.

A woman and a miner support the shield. The woman represents justice and equality, while the miner holds a pick and shovel, symbolizing Idaho's mining industry.

The shield displays natural and economic resources. A pine tree represents timber, a farmer plowing represents agriculture, and a sheaf of grain sits beneath the shield.

Two cornucopias symbolize horticulture, while an elk's head above the shield represents wildlife protection. The river depicted is commonly identified as the Snake River.

The outer ring bears the text Great Seal of the State of Idaho and a star representing a new light in the galaxy of states. The Latin motto Esto perpetua appears within the design, meaning Let it be perpetual.

Idaho State Flag Banner

A red banner with gold borders sits below the seal. The words State of Idaho appear in gold letters.

This banner replaced the regiment's name from the original battle flag. It distinguishes the state flag from the military banner.

Idaho State Flag Colors

The Idaho state flag uses blue as the primary field color. The state seal adds multiple supporting colors. Idaho statute does not provide exact Cable or Pantone values.

Idaho State Flag Facts

• Idaho officially adopted its flag on March 12, 1907
• Emma Edwards Green designed the seal in 1891, the only woman to design a U.S. state seal
• The First Idaho Infantry carried a battle flag version in 1899
• Paul B. Evans revised the seal in 1957
• The flag has unique proportions of 26:33
• The flag ranked 64th out of 72 in a 2001 NAVA survey