Flag of Kansas
The Kansas flag is a dark blue field with the state seal in the center, topped by a sunflower, with KANSAS in gold letters below. Its 34 stars mark Kansas as the 34th state to join the Union.
What the Kansas state flag looks like
The Kansas state flag has a dark blue field with the full-color state seal in the center. Above the seal is a sunflower resting on a twisted bar of blue and gold, which forms the crest. Below the seal, the name KANSAS is written in large gold block letters.
The seal is a busy picture of frontier life. A farmer plows a field near a log cabin, with a wagon train heading west and a herd of bison being chased by two Native Americans on horseback in the distance. A steamboat moves along a river, the sun rises over mountains, and a cluster of 34 stars appears at the top. A scroll carries the Latin motto Ad astra per aspera, "To the stars through difficulties."
Kansas flag meaning and symbolism
The elements of the seal were chosen to describe how the state sees itself. The plowman and the cabin stand for agriculture and settlement, the steamboat for river trade and commerce, and the wagon train for the pioneers who moved west across the plains. The hunted bison and the mounted figures represent the Native peoples who lived on the plains before settlement. The 34 stars refer to Kansas becoming the 34th state in 1861, and the rising sun in the east shows the state's hopes for the future.
The sunflower is the state flower and was added in 1961. The motto, Ad astra per aspera, reflects the struggles Kansas went through before statehood, especially the violent conflicts over slavery known as Bleeding Kansas.
History of the Kansas flag
Kansas joined the Union on January 29, 1861, and its seal was adopted that same year. The state used the seal on a flag for decades, but an official flag came much later. The legislature adopted the first state flag in 1927, a dark blue banner with the state seal in the center.
In 1961 the state added the sunflower above the seal and the word KANSAS below it. The name was added so the flag could be identified at a distance. The flag has stayed the same since 1961.
To see how Kansas compares with other states, visit our U.S. state flags page, or learn more about the flag of the United States.
Kansas flag colors
#00205BRGB
0, 32, 91CMYK
100, 65, 0, 64#FCD100RGB
252, 209, 0CMYK
0, 17, 100, 1Kansas flag facts
| Adopted | 1961 |
|---|---|
| Proportions | 3:5 |
| Symbols | Seal of Kansas, common sunflower |
| State capital | Topeka |
| State motto | ad astra per aspera |
| Population | 2,937,880 |
Kansas state flag FAQ
What does the Kansas flag symbolize?
The seal shows farming, river trade, westward settlement and the Native peoples of the plains. The sunflower is the state flower, and the 34 stars show Kansas as the 34th state.
Why are there 34 stars on the Kansas flag?
Kansas became the 34th state in January 1861, and the stars on its seal mark that position.
What does it say on the Kansas state flag?
The flag has the word KANSAS in gold letters, and the seal carries the state motto, Ad astra per aspera, which means "To the stars through difficulties."
Did Kansas change its flag?
Kansas adopted its flag in 1927 and added the sunflower and the state name in 1961. The design has not changed since then.
What colors are on the Kansas flag?
The field is dark blue, with gold used for the lettering and the sunflower. The seal itself is in natural colors.
