West Virginia Statehood: June 20, 1863, and Its Flag

West Virginia became the 35th state on June 20, 1863. It emerged from Virginia during the Civil War after a contested statehood process. June 20 is celebrated as West Virginia Day. The state flag's present design dates to 1929, but its central emblem carries the earlier admission date.

West Virginia state flag with its coat of arms, rhododendrons and blue border.
FORTISVEX catalog illustration of the modern West Virginia state flag. The flag design is separate from the statehood date.

When is West Virginia's state birthday?

West Virginia's statehood anniversary is June 20. President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation on April 20, 1863, providing for admission sixty days later. The West Virginia State Museum's account of West Virginia Day distinguishes the proclamation from the effective statehood date.

How did West Virginia separate from Virginia?

After Virginia's secession, Unionist leaders meeting in Wheeling organized a Restored Government of Virginia. That government played a central role in the movement to create a separate state. The process took place amid war and divided loyalties, not a single unanimous decision by everyone in western Virginia.

The National Archives statehood overview traces the conventions and congressional debates. Lincoln approved the conditional statehood act on December 31, 1862. The required constitutional change, known as the Willey Amendment, provided for gradual emancipation rather than immediately freeing every enslaved person.

Voters approved the amendment in March 1863. The state archives' account records Lincoln's April proclamation, which set the final stage for June 20 admission. These are different steps in the same process; neither the December act nor the April proclamation should replace June 20 on a state-birthday calendar.

When was West Virginia's current flag design adopted?

The legislature adopted the present design on March 7, 1929. The 1929 resolution preserved by the state archives explains that the change was intended to make the flag more practical and affordable to manufacture than the earlier design.

It places the state coat of arms on a white field with a blue border. A ribbon above identifies the State of West Virginia, and rhododendron frames the lower part of the emblem. The design should not be described as an unchanged flag from 1863.

What does the date on the flag mean?

The stone at the center of the emblem carries June 20, 1863. The farmer and miner represent agriculture and industry. The motto, Montani Semper Liberi, means “Mountaineers Are Always Free,” as explained by the West Virginia Secretary of State.

For an anniversary display, point out that the flag commemorates statehood through its emblem even though the surrounding flag design is later. This connects the visible symbol to the correct historical date without treating a modern reproduction as a Civil War artifact.

Explore West Virginia flags and other state birthdays

For a statehood display, compare the sizes, materials and mounting options in our West Virginia state flag collection. For more anniversary dates, visit the U.S. state birthday calendar.

Sources and further reading

Oct 24th 2026 Taylor S.

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