How widely are state flags used?

49 comments

1. Nowhere where I live except at the state government administration buildings. Maybe there is one somewhere at sports arenas, but I’ve never noticed.

   In the one-star state of Texas and maybe else where it seems to be a thing

2. A few states like Texas and Maryland are known for putting their flags/flag motifs on everything. Otherwise you usually don’t see them all that much outside of government buildings.

   Edit: California, Arizona, and Colorado are a few others like this

3. I only see the Illinois flag on gov’t buildings (and Navy Pier), but the Chicago flag is everywhere, including tattoos.

4. Depends on the flag. Some are well known and well loved, so they’ll be used a lot. Most are just basic and ugly, so they don’t get used much.

   Here in PA, for example, I rarely see our flag outside of some official setting. In Colorado, where I grew up, I saw it all the time. Hell, I see the Colorado flag all the time in Pittsburgh.

5. Some people fly them outside homes and businesses, but far more rarely than the American flag.

   I think they’re fairly common at sports and cultural events.

   Rarely used on products to indicate origin.

   It varies a lot between states, some states LOVE their flag and some love themselves so they are always looking for a branding opportunity.

   We even have flags for some cities

   Generally though it’s not really a big deal or remarked upon, so it’s a lot less prominent than foreigners imagine it to be.

6. The Texas flag is everywhere in Texas lol

7. Depends on the state. New York? You’ll rarely see it outside of government buildings. Maryland? You’re gonna see it everywhere.

8. When we first adopted our new flag, I saw them everywhere. Still do, to some extent. I also see it on tshirts and stuff, some brands us them as like a state pride kind of thing. They’re also seen on bumper stickers or car decals. I see the Maryland flag overlayed on a crab on a car at-least once every few months or so.

9. You’ll see the Alabama state flag on hats/shirts now that the Confederate battle flag isn’t acceptable.

   Something like this.

   https://civilstandard.com/products/alabama-flag-hat?variant=29852190596&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAjw7vuUBhBUEiwAEdu2pP1BoNt1M5UxyN6sYsONLeHfPZupz3DA60KMOAB83tMGqImsGeUtvhoCQOgQAvD_BwE

10. For the most part, they’re only put out for occasional, official use. Like you’ll see one in a courthouse or at the press conference of a state official.

    There is some variation. I suspect states with simple flags may put them up more often. I know that living in Nevada, I saw Arizona’s flag used fairly often as a state logo thing, and that was without even living in Arizona.

    But most state flags are too intricate and complex to be easily recognizable. They weren’t designed for practical usage, like showing a military unit or ship’s affiliation from a distance. They were just designed to represent the state without any thought to being practical. And so they aren’t much used.

11. I think it varies exactly by how cool/ unique/ recognizable the state flag is. In California I often see it at parks and on government buildings. It is definitely on a lot of merchandise. I rarely see it flown at houses though. That’s really only when someone has a full flag pole and flies an American flag with a California flag below it.

12. You see ours from time to time. Usually it’s flown underneath or next to and bellow the National flag as opposed to on its own though. You’ll see it outside government buildings and some businesses, very rarely a person’s home.

    The Alabama flag is fuckin lame though, it’s just the English flag rotated 45° lol. At least Mississipi’s new flag has a flower on it.

13. There are a lot of cookie cutter state flags that’s just a painting of some sort of landscape with ladies draped in regal looking togas on a blue backdrop. Most of those flags are boring and don’t really invoke a strong sense of individualism, so you don’t see them as often. There are other states that live and die by their badass flags like Maryland, New Mexico, Sotuh Carolina and Ohio. Those flags are friggen sick so you see them a lot more often in those states.

14. I’ve rarely seen one anywhere but a government building in Virginia. Although my rifles lower has an etched Virginia flag with “sic semper tyrannis” on the safe, fire, and burst (non functional) switches.

    California flags are pretty popular in and out of the state, mostly on cars or clothing.

15. Pretty common in my state. So is steamboat on a flag.

16. It can range from not used for much of anything (see the complicated seals on boring blue background) to local tattoo staple

17. It varies by state. Some states have flags that aren’t much to look at so they’ll be flown in just a few places for official functions and not much else. Other states have really cool-looking flags and you will see the flag plastered in all sorts of random places.

    I grew up in Virginia which has a state flag that is jus the state seal on a blue background. Many states are like this and while the VA state seal is pretty cool looking (it has a half-dressed woman stabbing a due while threatening him and his kind in Latin), it just doesn’t work well for a flag. So, I grew up with the VA flag flying at some government buildings and not much else.

    I now live in Maryland which has a really cool-looking state flag so you see people randomly flying it at their houses, putting it on their cars, putting it on clothing, and all sorts of other stuff. It’s all over the place. I basically moved from one extreme to the other.

18. It depends on if the flag looks cool. Texas and California get used a ton. All the SOBs (seals on a bedsheet) are basically never used.

19. I’ve only seen them on government buildings, and even than, I don’t notice them.

20. California, Tennessee, Texas, Maryland all are pretty common in those states and nationally. I see Florida and Hawaii fairly often too.

    I’m from Indiana, our flag wasn’t too common which is too bad because it’s a really nice looking flag.

21. South Carolinians will put the palmetto and crescent on everything from flip flops and bumper stickers to throw pillows to tattoos to boogie boards. It flies over schools, churches, government buildings, businesses and people’s front porches. You can even change the colors to signal your support for either Clemson or South Carolina— hell, I’ve seen it replace the “I” in “Ohio.”

22. I don’t see the actual Maine flag very often, occasionally but not regularly. The old Maine flag though has been everywhere the past few years though.

23. Pretty rare except in cases where the flag is itself a political statement like when it has the confederate flag as part of the motif. State flags are on govt buildings and that’s it, in my experience.

24. Floridian here.

    Aside from government/municipal buildings (e.g. courthouses, libraries, DMV, etc.) I really don’t see the state flag flown elsewhere. Some office buildings and stores fly the state flag, but that’s less common.

25. in NC, you’ll see it mostly in front of government buildings, but occasionally often at sporting events and in front of homes.

    interesting tidbit: the Carolina hurricanes have an NC flag on their alternate jerseys: https://i.imgur.com/V3Go2LL.jpg (you can see half of it on the left shoulder)

26. Depends on the quality of the flag. Virginia has a shit flag, so you’ll rarely see them (even though we Virginians love our State). Maryland has a great flag, so they shove it down your throat.

27. You might see them in states with “interesting’ flags.
    Most are a bedsheet with the state seal, and those you really don’t see anywhere except at government buildings.

28. Very common, in some places as much as the national flag.

29. How commonly they’re used by people other than the state government varies a lot depending on the flag.

    You don’t see a lot of blue bed sheet pride. You do see ***a lot*** of Texas, Maryland, and California flags.

    Florida’s somewhere in the middle. Our flag isn’t *everywhere* but it’s common enough to see on houses, clothing, or vehicles. I fly it on 2 of the 3.

30. I live in Texas and are the Texas flag everywhere

31. In the cult of Maryland we put that shit on EVERYTHING.

32. I see a lot of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico flags on everything (license plates, bumper stickers, t-shirts, tattoos, etc.). With NM, it’s more using the Zia symbol than the actual flag. But the Zia symbol is mostly viewed as representative of New Mexico as a state, though it originated from the Zia Pueblo so there’s a bit of controversy regarding its use on merchandise and such.

33. The Texas flag is everywhere. I don’t even think of myself as “super Texan” but right now I have a rainbow Texas flag pride pin on my jacket, there’s a business card with a Texas flag on my desk, and an antique Texas flag on the wall in my office. Also my husband has a t shirt from the Alamo with the Gonzales “Come and Take It” flag if that counts.

34. Flag of The Palmetto Republic proudly displayed wherever possible.

    [South Carolina state flag](https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-South-Carolina)

35. Depends on the state, some states advertise their flag everywhere others you never see it. just about everyone can recognize their state flag tho

36. I see the Florida flag flying around my neighborhood. I know at least 6 in my neighborhood alone. Usually flying with the American flag, or solo with some other flag. It’s not that uncommon to find it on clothing and vehicles. I wouldn’t say we’re quite at the California or Texas level of flags flying, but it’s not that far off.

37. Like green chile, we put it on everything.

38. In a handful of states, where people are known for having a lot of pride in their state (Texas comes to mind), people might personally fly those as well.

    In most places however, state flags are simply flown alongside or beneath the United States flag.

    It would be unusual to fly JUST the state flag though, especially at any organized function, even if it was a state-level function.

39. In CO its all over the place and integrated into company logos and such. So you’ll see it on stickers on cars, ski equipment, hoodies, hats, everything.

40. Our flag, washington state, is literally a dollar bill. It is tacky af. If I had a cool flag like Texas or Maryland, I would wave it too.

    The only places we will see the state flag is on government buildings. Also my city’s flag, Seattle, looks like it was found at a goodwill store. My local government has been run by idiots for a very long time.

41. Not often. At least in NY. I’ve only ever seen a few aside from state buildings.

42. They’re mostly used as bumper sticker designs.

43. Whenever there is a presentation of colors at a football game, a state flag and U.S. flag are carried and raised. Outside of larger government buildings, like a well funded court, the state flag is (in my experience) flown at the same height or less as the us flag but no taller. At our McDonald’s we used to have a U.S. flag, an Arkansas flag, and a McDonald’s flag all flown outside the building, but that is now removed.

44. Arizona has the “best” flag of them all. I fly mine right along with Old Glory (well, below it actually.) You see them all over Arizona.

45. Depends on the state.

    I am from Texas and I truly see it there more than I see the American flag.

46. NC flag is all over the place here. Homes, clothing, stickers, front license plates. We like the flag

47. There’s Arkansas flags on a lot of stuff. There a sport complex in the town I live in and it has a big Arkansas flag. I think it’s on alot of government buildings. You can for sure find some in Wal-Mart (well, as long as you’re actually in Arkansas).

48. Californias flag is like Franks Red Hot.

    They put that s*%@ on everything!

49. Everywhere in Texas… and it’s the only state flag that is allowed to fly at the same height as the American flag