District of Columbia

3×5' nylon flag of the District of Columbia.

The flag of the nation's capital comes from the coat of arms of the man it is named for. George Washington's family arms showed three red stars above two red bars on white.

Design

A white field with two horizontal red bars and, above them, three red five-pointed stars.

History & Symbolism

The Washington arms can be traced to medieval England and appear at Sulgrave Manor, the family's ancestral home. Washington used them on his bookplates and seals. A commission chose the design for the District in 1938, based on a proposal by Charles A. R. Dunn, and it was adopted on 15 October of that year. The design has become a popular emblem of the city, seen on everything from street banners to tattoos.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 15 October 1938
• Colors: red, white
• Emblem: three stars and two bars from the Washington arms

Vexillographer's Note

It is often said that the Washington arms inspired the Stars and Stripes. It is an appealing story, but historians have found no evidence for it.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864