Proportion | Unknown |
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Adopted | May 20, 1963 |
Design | A white star within a red circle within a white circle, with four white stripes moving outward perpendicularly, on a field of navy blue. |
The flag of Indianapolis was adopted on May 20, 1963. It was designed by Roger Gohl, at the time a student at the Herron School of Art. The white star represents the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, and its centralization the fact that Indianapolis is the state capital of Indiana. The white circle and the red field within it depict Monument Circle. The color red also signifies "the driving energy and urge for progress that has made the City of Indianapolis race ahead." The four white stripes represent North and South Meridian Streets vertically, and East and West Market Streets horizontally (the main streets of downtown Indianapolis), along with the city's unofficial motto, the Crossroads of America. The four quadrants of dark blue symbolize the residential areas of the city. The colors of the flag are the same as the flag of the United States.
A 2004 survey of flag design quality by the North American Vexillological Association ranked Indianapolis's flag 8th best of 150 American city flags. It earned a score 8.35 out of 10.