The flag of Oregon is a navy blue field with lettering and symbols in gold, representing the state colors of Oregon. On the obverse, the legend STATE OF OREGON is written above the escutcheon from the Oregon state seal. The shield is surrounded by 33 stars, representing Oregon's admission to the Union as the 33rd state. Below the shield is written 1859, the year in which Oregon became a state.
On the reverse of the flag is a depiction, also in gold, of a beaver, the state animal of Oregon. Oregon has the only U.S. state flag with differing symbolism on two sides.
For dress or parade usage, the flag may feature a gold fringe. For standard usage, no fringe is required. The ratio of the flag's width to length is 3:5.
The current flag design became official on February 26, 1925. Oregon's flag is the last remaining state flag in the U.S. in which the obverse and reverse sides have different designs. Paraguay is the only country that still has a two-sided flag. Two-sided flags were previously more common, but have fallen out of favor due to inherently higher manufacturing costs relative to single-design flags.
Proposals for a New Flag of Oregon
Shown below are various designs that have been proposed for a new flag of Oregon.
Proposals considered in The Oregonian poll, 2009
In December 2008–January 2009, Oregon newspaper The Oregonian held a contest to collect proposed new Oregon state flags. The ten finalists are shown below.
Oregon State Flag Proposal Designed By AlternatUniverseDesigns Edited By: Stephen Richard Barlow 18 AuG 2014
OR Flag Proposal "lunarmotion 1"
OR Flag Proposal "lunarmotion 2"
OR Flag Proposal "lunarmotion 3"
OR Flag Proposal "BigRed618"
Oregon State Flag Proposal No. 5 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 24 OCT 2014 at 1136hrs cst
Oregon State Flag Proposal No. 6 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 24 OCT 2014 at 1142hrs cst
Oregon State Flag Proposal No. 7 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 24 OCT 2014 at 1149hrs cst
Oregon State Flag Proposal No. 3 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 23 OCT 2014 at 1713hrs cst
Oregon State Flag Proposal No. 4 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 23 OCT 2014 at 1738hrs cst
Oregon State Flag Proposal No. 4a Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 23 OCT 2014 at 1743hrs cst
Oregon State Flag Simplistic Proposal. The red triangle on the left represents the hills of Oregon. The state animal is a beaver. By Ed Mitchell. 2013.