Kentucky State Flags

History of the Kentucky State Flag

The Kentucky state flag features the state seal and a field of blue. The seal depicts a pioneer and a statesman embracing, with the words "United we stand, divided we fall" surrounding them. The flag was adopted in 1918. Prior to this, Kentucky did not have an official state flag.

The design of the current flag was based on the flag of the Kentucky Military Institute, which was founded in 1845. The design was chosen by the Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs, and the flag was officially adopted by the state legislature in 1918.

In 1928, the flag was modified slightly to include the word "Kentucky" above the seal, and in 1962 the flag was modified again to include the word "Commonwealth" below the seal. The current design of the Kentucky state flag has remained unchanged since 1962.