Flag size calculator for Canadian flagpoles
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
The calculator below shows two sizes for a flagpole of a given length. The first comes from the table of flag and pole sizes in Canadian Heritage’s rules for flying the National Flag of Canada, the second from the Gouvernement du Québec’s guidance for the flag of Québec. Both are guidance for exterior flagpoles, not requirements, and the flagpole’s manufacturer states the largest flag each pole is designed for.
How the calculator works
- Nearest row in the federal table: Canadian Heritage lists four flag sizes for exterior permanent flagpoles, each for a range of pole lengths: 0.90 × 1.80 m for 5.10 to 6 m, 1.40 × 2.80 m for 9 to 10.50 m, 1.80 × 3.60 m for 12 to 13.50 m and 2.30 × 4.60 m for 15 m. The calculator shows the row whose range contains the pole or lies nearest to it, with the size in feet as the table gives it. The sizes follow the 2:1 proportions of the National Flag.
- Flag of Québec by the 1:7 guideline: the Gouvernement du Québec describes a flag-to-pole ratio of about 1 to 7, where 1 is the flag’s height and 7 the pole’s. The calculator divides the pole’s length by seven, rounds to five centimetres and applies the flag’s 2:3 proportions. It also shows the nearest of the common sizes of the flag of Québec: 60 × 90, 90 × 135, 120 × 180 and 180 × 270 cm.
Examples
| Pole | Federal table (National Flag) | Québec 1:7 guideline (flag of Québec) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 m (20 ft) | 0.90 × 1.80 m (3 × 6 ft) | about 85 × 128 cm; nearest common size 90 × 135 cm |
| 7.5 m (25 ft) | nearest row 0.90 × 1.80 m (3 × 6 ft) | about 105 × 158 cm; nearest common size 90 × 135 cm |
| 9 m (30 ft) | 1.40 × 2.80 m (4½ × 9 ft) | about 130 × 195 cm; nearest common size 120 × 180 cm |
| 12 m (40 ft) | 1.80 × 3.60 m (6 × 12 ft) | about 170 × 255 cm; nearest common size 180 × 270 cm |
| 15 m (50 ft) | 2.30 × 4.60 m (7½ × 15 ft) | about 215 × 323 cm; nearest common size 180 × 270 cm |
The Gouvernement du Québec’s own examples fit the pattern: a 120 × 180 cm flag on a pole of about 9 metres, and 180 × 270 cm on a 15-metre pole.
Why the two differ
The federal table gives a flag height of roughly one sixth to one seventh of the pole, for a flag twice as long as it is high. The Québec guideline gives a flag height of about one seventh, for a flag one and a half times as long as it is high. A Canadian flag and a flag of Québec of the same height flown side by side therefore differ in length, and Canadian Heritage describes flags in a display as about the same size without changing their proportions.
Other things that affect the size
The site, the wind and the pole’s construction matter as much as its length. A pole on a roof, near the coast or on an open field meets stronger winds, and a smaller flag puts less load on it. For half-masting, a very large flag on a short pole comes close to the ground. The sizes in the table are explained in the guide to flag sizes, and typical pole lengths in the guide to flagpole heights.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the calculator’s sizes come from?
The first result is the row of Canadian Heritage’s table for exterior permanent flagpoles whose pole range is nearest the length entered. The second applies the Gouvernement du Québec’s guideline for the flag of Québec: a flag height of about one seventh of the pole, in the flag’s 2:3 proportions.
What if my pole is between two rows of the table?
Canadian Heritage’s table covers poles of 5.10 to 6, 9 to 10.50, 12 to 13.50 and 15 metres. For a length between two rows, or outside the table, the calculator shows the row nearest to it and says so. Flag makers and the manufacturer of the pole can say which size a particular pole is designed for.
Does the calculator work in feet?
The pole length is entered in metres, and the calculator shows the length in feet beside it. The federal table’s flag sizes are shown in both metres and feet, as Canadian Heritage lists them, for example 4½ × 9 feet for a 30 to 35-foot pole.
Does the size depend on the pole’s location?
It can. The Gouvernement du Québec’s guidance distinguishes flags on a roof, in front of a building and on an angled staff over an entrance, with different sizes for each. A flag on a roof or on an exposed site also meets more wind than one in a sheltered yard.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources:
- Rules for flying the National Flag of Canada – On a flagpole – Canadian Heritage
- Description of the National Flag of Canada – Canadian Heritage
- Déploiement du drapeau à l’extérieur d’un édifice – Gouvernement du Québec
- Format légal et dimensions courantes – Gouvernement du Québec
Related guides
- Flag sizesWhich flag suits which flagpole in Canada: the federal table of flag and pole sizes, the 2:1 Canadian flag, Québec’s 1:7 rule and sizes in feet.
- Flagpole heightsCommon flagpole heights in Canada in metres and feet, the federal table of pole lengths and flag sizes, and examples of municipal height limits.
- Half-mastHow the Canadian flag flies at half-mast: the position on the pole, raising and lowering, flags in the same group, and when flags are half-masted.
- Flag typesThe flags of Canada: the maple leaf flag, the ten provincial and three territorial flags with years and proportions, royal and historical flags.