Oregon State Flag

The Oregon state flag is the official flag of the state of Oregon. A navy blue field holds the state coat of arms in gold on the front. The words State of Oregon appear above the emblem. The year 1859 sits below.

The flag's reverse side shows a gold beaver standing on a log. Oregon is the only U.S. state flag with different images on each side. This design requires more expensive manufacturing than single-sided flags.

The Oregon legislature adopted the flag on February 26, 1925. Meier & Frank department store produced the first official flag that year. Employees Marjorie Kennedy and Blanche Cox sewed it by hand.

The Oregon state flag meaning connects to the state's settlement history and natural resources. The coat of arms represents Oregon's journey from frontier territory to statehood.

The beaver on the reverse symbolizes Oregon's fur trade heritage. Beaver pelts drove early European settlement in the region. The animal became Oregon's official state mammal and inspired the nickname The Beaver State; see the Oregon beaver page.

Oregon used unofficial regimental flags before adopting an official state banner. In 1888, the Oregon State Guard ordered three blue silk flags bearing the state seal. Each flag cost two hundred fifty dollars. Similar flags appeared at various events through the early 1900s.

A banner represented Oregon at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. The front showed a white field with the state seal and the words Exposition 1915. The American flag appeared on the back.

The legislature authorized an official state flag on February 26, 1925. The design featured navy blue and gold, Oregon's state colors. Meier & Frank made the first flag in Portland. The flag showed the state coat of arms on one side and a beaver on the other, reinforcing the Beaver State identity.

Early versions sometimes used a multicolored state seal instead of all gold. The design has remained essentially unchanged since 1925. Two-sided flags cost more to manufacture than standard flags. Paraguay is the only country with a similar two-sided national flag.

The Oregon state flag uses navy blue and gold. These are Oregon's official state colors. Oregon statute describes the colors but does not provide Cable or Pantone values, and broader comparisons appear in the U.S. state colors guide.

Navy blue forms the background field on both sides. Gold appears in all lettering and symbols including the coat of arms and the beaver, with details matched on Oregon's official colors page.

For demographic context, review U.S. states by population.