Unique in form, the only U.S. state flag that is not a rectangle. A swallowtail burgee of red, white, and blue, with stars and a red disc at centre, an “O” for Ohio that doubles as a buckeye. Nautical, distinctive, and proudly singular.
Burgee design with 17 stars, circle, and stripes.
Ratio: 8:13 (swallowtail)
Flag at a Glance
- Designer
- John Eisenmann
- Ratio
- 8:13 (swallowtail)
- Text on flag
- No
- Animals
- None listed
- Design type
- Swallowtail burgee
- Complexity
- 4/10
- Readability
- 9/10
- Seal-based design
- No
Colors used
Flag Symbolism
Red And White Stripes
Represent the roads and waterways.
Blue Triangle
Symbolizes Ohio’s hills and valleys.
White Circle With Red Center
Represents the ‘O’ of Ohio and a buckeye.
What Makes This Flag Unique
A lot of state flags share common themes. This one stands out for a few reasons:
- Only U.S. state flag that is not rectangular
- Uses stars to encode exact order of statehood
- One of the most distinctive state flags by shape alone
Praised and Criticised
Common praise
- Only non-rectangular U.S. state flag
- Highly distinctive shape
- Clear symbolism without text
- Excellent visibility in motion
Common criticism
- More complex to manufacture
- Often mistaken for a maritime or military flag
Modern Discussion
Redesign debate: No
For Teachers & Students
Classroom-ready prompts, printables, and citation info for studying the Ohio state flag.
Subjects
Learning objectives
- Explain uniqueness of the burgee shape.
- Identify the symbolism of stars and circle.
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Printable classroom handouts for this flag page.
Cite this page
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Seal Deep Dive
Swallowtail
A distinctive swallowtail (burgee-style) flag shape.
Attributes: Swallowtail with a triangular notch at the fly
Meaning: Uniqueness, movement, and Ohio’s break from standard state flag conventions
Circle And C
A white ring with a red disc at its center, set on the blue triangle.
Attributes: Red center disc, White ring, Blue triangle behind
Meaning: The letter 'O' for Ohio and the buckeye behind the state’s nickname
Stars
Seventeen white stars arranged around the central emblem.
Attributes: Thirteen stars in a cluster, Four additional stars
Meaning: The original thirteen states and Ohio as the 17th state
Stripes
Red and white horizontal stripes extending to the fly.
Attributes: Red and white stripes
Meaning: Patriotism and unity with the United States
Historical Timeline
Ohio admitted as the 17th state.
Burgee design flag officially adopted.
Fascinating Facts
Only U.S. state flag that is not rectangular.
Stars represent Ohio’s order as the 17th state.
The flag is a swallowtail design called a burgee.
Four stars at the point of the triangle bring the total to seventeen, for Ohio as the 17th state.
The white ring with a red center forms an ‘O’ and suggests a buckeye.
Red, white, and blue reflect national colors.
Thirteen stars represent the original colonies.
The flag was officially adopted in 1902.
State Information
- Population
- 11,799,448
- Area
- 44,826
- Founded
- Mar 1, 1803
