Missouri State Flag

The Missouri state flag is the official flag of Missouri. Three horizontal stripes cover the background. Red on top, white in the middle, blue on the bottom. The state coat of arms appears in the center with two bears supporting a shield.

Twenty-four stars form a circle around the coat of arms. A ribbon with the state motto wraps below. State buildings, schools, and public venues across Missouri display this flag, with wording tied to the Missouri state motto.

The flag represents Missouri through the coat of arms. The shield shows a grizzly bear and a crescent moon. The bear symbolizes strength. The crescent marks Missouri as frontier territory before statehood in a region visible in states neighboring states.

Two bears support the shield. They represent courage and bravery. Twenty-four stars circle the design. Missouri entered as the twenty-fourth state in 1821.

Red, white, and blue honor the United States flag. Red represents valor. White symbolizes purity. Blue stands for vigilance and justice, matching the palette on the Missouri state colors page.

Missouri established its flag in 1913. Marie Elizabeth Oliver designed it. She lived in Cape Girardeau. Her husband R.B. Oliver had served as state senator. The state held a design competition. Lawmakers picked her submission from nearly one hundred entries, during the same era that shaped The Show-Me State nickname.

The coat of arms predated the flag. Missouri adopted it in 1822. That was one year after statehood. The 1913 flag incorporated this existing symbolism.

The design has remained unchanged since adoption. Missouri standardized specifications for proportions and colors. The flag still uses the coat of arms created in the early nineteenth century.

The flag uses red, white, and blue. Red represents valor and courage. White symbolizes purity and innocence. Blue stands for vigilance and justice. These meanings match the United States flag and align with the official Missouri state tree as a companion natural symbol in civic materials.