West Virginia State Flag

Date adopted: Mar 7, 1929

The flag of West Virginia, officially adopted in 1929, consists of a pure white field bordered by a blue stripe, bearing the state's coat of arms in the center. The coat of arms depicts a boulder inscribed with "June 20, 1863," the date of West Virginia's statehood, flanked by crossed hunting rifles and a Phrygian cap symbolizing the state's fight for liberty. Two figures representing agriculture and industry, a farmer and a miner, stand beside the boulder. Below the arms are two swags of the state flower, Rhododendron maximum. The top of the flag features an unfurled red ribbon with the state's name, while the bottom bears the Latin motto "Montani Semper Liberi," meaning "Mountaineers are always free." The flag's white field symbolizes purity, and the blue border represents the Union. It replaced several earlier flag designs, with the current version emphasizing West Virginia's history and resources.