When you look at Colorado's state flag, do you know what the colors of the flag represent? Each color has a special significance. For that matter, the Colorado state flag also has one special footnote not shared by any other state.

The current Colorado state flag, a design in use since March 31, 1964, consists of four colors: red, white, blue, and gold. What do the colors represent? According to Wikipedia, the colors indicate:

  • Blue = Colorado's gorgeous blue skies.
  • Gold = Sunshine enjoyed by the state of Colorado.
  • White = Colorado's beautiful snow-capped mountains
  • Red = The reddish tone of Colorado's soil.

Previous incarnations of the flag, going back to its adoption on June 5, 1911, utilized the same colors, but with a much smaller "C" in the center stripe. In 1964, the legislature determined the size of the gold circle at the center of the "C" should be the same diameter as the white center stripe. Earlier, in 1929, the General Assembly decided the blue and red featured in the flag should be the same as those found in the flag of the United States.

Colorado's Original State Flag -- 1907 to 1911

Colorado State Flag
Ali Zifan via Wikicommons
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Colorado's State Flag -- 1911 to 1964

Colorado State Flag
Permjak via Wikicommons
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The Colorado state flag has one distinction not shared by any other state in the union. What could that be?

The Colorado state flag uses its entire, unaltered design, in the state's highway markers. Colorado is the only state to use an unaltered representation of its flag in its State Route markers.

What other accolades has Colorado's flag received? As you will no doubt agree, whereas state flags are concerned, Colorado's is by far one of the better looking. A North American Vexillological Association survey of 72 state, territorial, and provincial flags ranked Colorado's state flag as #16.

The next time you look at the Colorado state flag, instead of looking at a big "C" with stripes, take a moment to ponder the blue skies, ruddy earth, snow-capped mountains, and golden sunshine.

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