Tennessee State Flag
Fact-checked • Updated January 15, 2025
Tennessee State Flag
In 1905, Tennessee adopted a state flag designed by Colonel Le Roy Reeves. The flag displays three white stars on a blue circle against a crimson field. A blue bar runs along the fly end. The design replaced an earlier tricolor flag used from 1897 to 1905.
What Is the Tennessee State Flag?
The Tennessee state flag is the official banner representing the state of Tennessee. A crimson field covers most of the flag. Three white stars sit inside a blue circle with a white border at the center.
A blue bar runs vertically along the fly end. A thin white stripe separates the blue bar from the crimson field. The flag measures one and two-thirds times as long as it is wide.
Colonel Le Roy Reeves of Johnson City designed the flag in 1905. He served in the Tennessee National Guard and practiced law. The Tennessee General Assembly officially adopted the flag on April 17, 1905.
Meaning of the Tennessee State Flag
The Tennessee state flag meaning reflects the state's geography and unity. The three stars represent the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee. These divisions are East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee.
The blue circle around the stars symbolizes the unity of these three regions. Reeves bound them together in one indissoluble trinity. The circle connects the divisions despite their geographic and cultural differences.
The crimson field serves as the main background. The blue bar at the end prevents too much crimson when the flag hangs limp. Reeves added the white stripe to create stronger contrast between the crimson and blue.
History of the Tennessee State Flag
Tennessee became a state in 1796 but had no official flag for over a century. During the Civil War in 1861, some Tennesseans proposed a flag design. The proposed design featured the state seal replacing stars on the Confederate national flag. The design was never adopted.
In 1897, Tennessee recognized its first official state flag. The design featured three diagonal sections in red, white, and blue. The words The Volunteer State appeared in gold letters. The number 16 appeared in blue to mark Tennessee as the sixteenth state. This tricolor flag served from 1897 to 1905.
Colonel Le Roy Reeves created a new design while serving in the Third Regiment, Tennessee Infantry. He submitted his design to the state legislature. The Tennessee General Assembly passed and approved the flag on April 17, 1905. Chapter 498 of the Public Acts of 1905 described the exact specifications.
The law specified the crimson field and blue bar dimensions. The blue circle diameter equals half the width of the flag. The blue bar width equals one-eighth of the flag width. The white stripe measures one-fifth the width of the blue bar.
State law dictates the precise arrangement of the three stars. The centers of no two stars can be in a line parallel to either the side or end. The highest star must be the one nearest the upper confined corner. One point of each star approaches the other two around the center without touching.
Previous Versions of the Tennessee State Flag
Tricolor State Flag
Three diagonal sections in red, white, and blue. The words The Volunteer State appeared in gold and the number 16 in blue marking Tennessee as the sixteenth state.
Modern State Flag
Three white stars on a blue circle with a crimson field and blue bar designed by Colonel Le Roy Reeves.
Symbols of the Tennessee State Flag
Tennessee State Flag Stars
Three white five-pointed stars form the central emblem of the Tennessee flag. The stars are distributed at equal intervals around a center point inside the blue circle. Each star is positioned so one point approaches the other two stars without touching.
The three stars represent the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee. East Tennessee covers the mountainous Appalachian region. Middle Tennessee includes the central basin. West Tennessee stretches to the Mississippi River. These divisions reflect distinct geographic and cultural regions that developed separately before statehood.
Tennessee State Flag Circle
A blue circle with a white border surrounds the three stars. The circle diameter equals half the width of the flag. The white border separates the blue from the crimson field.
The blue circle symbolizes the unity of Tennessee's three divisions. The endless circle binds the three regions together as one. Reeves called it an indissoluble trinity. The circle emphasizes that the three divisions form a single unified state.
Tennessee State Flag Blue Bar
A vertical blue bar runs along the fly end of the flag. The bar width equals one-eighth of the total flag width. A white stripe separates the blue bar from the crimson field. The stripe width is one-fifth that of the blue bar.
Reeves explained the bar serves a practical purpose. It relieves the sameness of the crimson field. The bar prevents the flag from showing too much crimson when hanging limp. The white stripe creates stronger contrast between the colors.
Tennessee State Flag Colors
The Tennessee state flag uses crimson, blue, and white. Crimson forms the main field covering most of the flag. Blue appears on the circle and the vertical bar. White outlines the circle and separates the bar from the field.
The three white stars complete the color scheme. State law describes the main field as crimson rather than red. The exact shades are not specified in the original 1905 law.
Tennessee State Flag Facts
- Colonel Le Roy Reeves designed the Tennessee state flag in 1905
- The three stars represent East, Middle, and West Tennessee
- The blue circle symbolizes unity of the three grand divisions
- Tennessee's first flag from 1897 was a red, white, and blue tricolor
- The flag ranked 14th out of 72 in a 2001 NAVA survey
- A 1976 US postage stamp illustrated Tennessee's flag upside down
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Sources & References
This article has been researched using authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and reliability. All information has been fact-checked and verified against official government records and historical databases.
Official state source for Tennessee flag specifications and symbolism • Accessed: January 15, 2026
Comprehensive history and details about Tennessee's state flag • Accessed: January 15, 2026
Historical background on Tennessee's flag development and adoption • Accessed: January 15, 2026
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