Idaho State Flag

The Idaho state flag is the official civic flag of Idaho. A field of blue covers the entire flag. The state seal appears in full color at the center, and the design is indexed with other official banners on the list of U.S. state flags.

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.

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, which also align with themes behind Idaho's nickname, the Gem State.

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.

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, a statehood period also covered in states and capital cities reference data.

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.

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.