Utah's Flag Update Is in the Works

June 19, 2021

The current flag of Utah

Early in 2021, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill that was passed by the legislature aimed at creating a task force to create a new state flag. Sponsors of the bill have an issue with the flag's appearance, and many Utah residents do too. The consensus is there's nothing offensive about the flag's iconography, it's simply out of date.

Gov. Cox said, “Utah’s flag should symbolize our values and our ambitions.” He's hopeful the task force can "design a new state flag that better represents both our past and our future, and that reflects what makes Utah such a special place.”

The current flag features a bald eagle, the sego lily, which is the state flower of Utah, the state motto, ("Industry"), a beehive, and the two US flags. Six arrows represent the six Native American tribes that live in Utah. The state name appears too, plus the date 1896, the year Utah was admitted as the 45th state to the Union, and 1847, which marks the arrival of Mormon pioneers in Salt Lake Valley.

There's an interesting story behind one of those dates. In 1922, a flag maker misplaced the year 1847. Instead of positioning it on the shield, it was stitched just above the year 1896. Every maker after that, for 89 years, made the same mistake! In 2011 the Utah state legislature passed a bill to move 1847 to its correct location.

It's a shame they didn't catch that mistake sooner—it looks like the correction will only be in place for about a decade. The powers that be in Utah want to update their flag, and the change should occur sometime in 2021 or early 2022.

What will the new flag look like? Will the design include any dates, and if so, will they be in the right spot? The task force plans to create a new state flag that better represents Utah’s heritage while representing all its residents and reflecting the state’s aspirations for the future. At Seterra, we'll be ready to update our map and flag quizzes the moment Utah makes its new flag design official.

A sculpture in front of the Salk Lake City Capitol Building, inspired by the current flag design.