US flag sizes: what size flag for a flagpole?
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
US flags are sold in feet, written as hoist × fly: the hoist is the short side along the pole, the fly the long side that flies out in the wind. A 3 × 5 ft flag is 3 feet high and 5 feet long. The Flag Code does not set the size of a flag for civilians; the official sizes apply to federal agencies, and the common sizes come from flag makers.
Common flag sizes by flagpole height
Annin Flagmakers, a flag maker founded in 1847, gives a guide for in-ground flagpoles: a flag length between one quarter and one third of the height of the pole. Its table for residential and small commercial poles:
| Flagpole height | Flag size (hoist × fly) |
|---|---|
| 5–6 ft, house-mounted | 2 ½ × 4 ft banner or 3 × 5 ft flag |
| 18 ft (5.5 m) | 3 × 5 ft to 4 × 6 ft |
| 20 ft (6.1 m) | 3 × 5 ft to 5 × 8 ft |
| 25 ft (7.6 m) | 3 × 5 ft to 5 × 8 ft |
| 30 ft (9.1 m) | 4 × 6 ft to 6 × 10 ft |
| 35 ft (10.7 m) | 4 × 6 ft to 6 × 10 ft |
| 40 ft (12.2 m) | 5 × 8 ft to 8 × 12 ft |
The Senate document Our Flag gives a similar table and notes that flags on angled poles on homes and on indoor standing poles are usually 3 × 5 ft or 4 × 6 ft:
| Flagpole height | Flag size in Our Flag |
|---|---|
| 20 ft | 4 × 6 ft |
| 25 ft | 5 × 8 ft |
| 40 ft | 6 × 10 ft |
| 50 ft | 8 × 12 ft |
| 60 ft | 10 × 15 ft |
| 70 ft | 12 × 18 ft |
| 90 ft | 15 × 25 ft |
| 125 ft | 20 × 30 ft |
Annin’s printed chart continues with larger poles and the standard sizes 10 × 15, 12 × 18, 15 × 25, 20 × 30, 20 × 38, 30 × 50 and 30 × 60 ft, up to a pole of 200 ft. The flag size calculator applies the one-quarter-to-one-third guide to any height.
The official proportions
Executive Order 10834 of 1959 sets the design of the flag and its proportions: the hoist is 1.0 and the fly 1.9, so the flag is 1.9 times as long as it is high. The union is 7/13 of the hoist, over the top seven stripes, and 0.76 of the hoist in length; each stripe is 1/13 of the hoist. The order lists eleven sizes for federal agencies:
| Size | Hoist × fly | Size | Hoist × fly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 × 38 ft | 7 | 3.5 × 6.65 ft |
| 2 | 10 × 19 ft | 8 | 3 × 4 ft |
| 3 | 8.95 × 17 ft | 9 | 3 × 5.7 ft |
| 4 | 7 × 11 ft | 10 | 2.37 × 4.5 ft |
| 5 | 5 × 9.5 ft | 11 | 1.32 × 2.5 ft |
| 6 | 4.33 × 5.5 ft |
Not all eleven follow 1 : 1.9, and the order allows the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of General Services to authorize other sizes and proportions. According to the Congressional Research Service, the Flag Code itself is silent on size and proportions; the order applies to flags for executive agencies. Commercial flags for homes and businesses are made in rounder proportions such as 3 × 5 ft (1 : 1.67) and 4 × 6 ft (1 : 1.5).
Metric equivalents
| Size in feet | In meters |
|---|---|
| 3 × 5 ft | 0.91 × 1.52 m |
| 4 × 6 ft | 1.22 × 1.83 m |
| 5 × 8 ft | 1.52 × 2.44 m |
| 6 × 10 ft | 1.83 × 3.05 m |
| 8 × 12 ft | 2.44 × 3.66 m |
| 10 × 15 ft | 3.05 × 4.57 m |
Local limits on flag size
Cities and homeowners’ associations can limit flag size. In Durham, North Carolina, the maximum flag size grows with the height of the pole, and on US and North Carolina holidays there is no maximum:
| Pole height | Maximum flag size |
|---|---|
| Up to 25 ft | 24 sq ft |
| 25 to 29 ft | 28 sq ft |
| 30 to 34 ft | 40 sq ft |
| 35 to 39 ft | 60 sq ft |
| 40 to 49 ft | 96 sq ft |
| 50 to 59 ft | 150 sq ft |
| 60 to 70 ft | 216 sq ft |
A 4 × 6 ft flag is 24 square feet. In Florida, the flags protected from HOA rules are not larger than 4 ½ × 6 ft. More in the guide to flags in HOA communities.
Size and half-staff
At half-staff, the flag flies halfway down the pole, so a large flag on a short pole comes close to the ground, which the Flag Code states the flag never touches. More in the guide to half-staff, and typical pole heights in the guide to flagpole heights.
Frequently asked questions
What size flag goes on a 20 ft flagpole?
According to Annin Flagmakers’ chart, a 3 × 5 ft to 5 × 8 ft flag suits a 20 ft flagpole. By the flag makers’ guide of a flag length of one quarter to one third of the pole’s height, a 20 ft pole carries a flag of 5 to about 6 ft 8 in in length, which covers the 3 × 5 ft and 4 × 6 ft sizes.
What is the most common size of American flag?
For homes, the 3 × 5 ft flag. According to Annin Flagmakers, house-mounted flagpoles are typically 5 or 6 ft long and best suited for a 2 ½ × 4 ft banner or a 3 × 5 ft flag, and 3 × 5 ft is also the smallest size in its chart for in-ground poles, from 18 to 25 ft.
Why are official US flags not 3 × 5 ft?
Executive Order 10834 sets the proportions of the flag at 1 : 1.9, hoist to fly, and lists eleven sizes for federal agencies, such as 5 × 9.5 ft and 20 × 38 ft. The Flag Code does not set a size or proportion for civilians, and commercial flags are commonly made in rounder sizes such as 3 × 5 ft and 4 × 6 ft.
Can a city limit the size of a flag?
Some do. In Durham, North Carolina, the maximum flag size depends on the height of the pole, from 24 square feet on a pole up to 25 ft to 216 square feet on a pole of 60 to 70 ft, with no limit on US and North Carolina holidays. HOA rules and state HOA laws can also govern flag size.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources:
- Executive Order 10834 – Proportions and Sizes of Flags and Position of Stars (note under 4 U.S.C. § 1) – U.S. Government Publishing Office
- Flag Materials and Sizes – Annin Flagmakers
- Correct Flag Size – Flag Pole vs Flag Size Chart – Annin Flagmakers
- Our Flag (S. Doc. 109-18) – Sizes of flags – U.S. Senate, Joint Committee on Printing
- The United States Flag: Federal Law Relating to Display and Associated Questions (RL30243) – Congressional Research Service
- Unified Development Ordinance, Sec. 7.7 Flagpoles and Flags – City and County of Durham, North Carolina
- Florida Statutes § 720.304 Display of flags – The Florida Legislature
Related guides
- Flag size calculatorThe flag size calculator shows the flag length for a US flagpole by the ¼ to ⅓ guide, the standard flag sizes in that range and the nearest standard size.
- Flagpole heightsCommon US flagpole heights for homes and businesses, how height is measured, local zoning limits, HOA rules and when the FAA needs notice of a tall pole.
- Flag typesThe flags flown in the United States: the Stars and Stripes, the union jack, state flags, the POW/MIA flag, the Medal of Honor flag and the service flag.
- Half-staffWhy US flags fly at half-staff (half-mast): who orders it, where the orders are published, the periods set by law and the half-staff dates in 2026 and 2027.