Vancouver’s Flag
New flag celebrates Vancouver’s identity, location, and community
The flag of Vancouver was created by our community, for the community. The flag is a symbol of the community that we hope people recognize, use, and take pride in. Whether it’s on a City building, hanging at a local business, a sticker slapped on a laptop, or flying at your home, we want it to show up in everyday places as a simple and strong symbol of who we are and where we live.
About the flag: official description
The Vancouver city flag tells the story of a community shaped by the Columbia River, a deep sense of place, and the generations of people who have called this land home.
The city flag consists of three fields: a green upper field, a blue lower field, and a white chevron that links land and water.
The green field symbolizes Vancouver’s rich natural environment, its natural spaces, parks, and ongoing commitment to sustainability.
The blue field represents the Columbia River and the community’s deep connection to the waterway that has shaped its culture, economy, and sense of place.
The white chevron signifies the meeting of land and water, the unity of the community, and the forward path of progress.
The central white emblem draws inspiration from iconic Vancouver landmarks: the historic fort that gave rise to the city, the Salmon Run Clock Tower, and the Grant Street Pier. It is both a nod to our origins and a symbol of a city continually moving forward.
Fly the flag; everyone can use and display it
Vancouver’s flag is free of copyright and trademark restrictions, which means anyone is welcome to use it. Whether you want to print it on a T-shirt, make stickers, or design other merchandise, the flag is available for public download and creative use. It’s a symbol meant to be shared, celebrated, and seen throughout our community and beyond. All we require is that you don’t change the colors or alter the design.
Color usage
When reproducing the flag, the colors must match the following colors of the Pantone Matching System.
Peacock
PMS 2945
HEX: 004C97
RGB: 0, 76, 151
CMYK: 100, 50, 0, 41
White
PMS White
HEX: FFFFFF
RGB: 255, 255, 255
CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 0
Bright Green
PMS 356
HEX: 007A33
RGB: 0, 122, 51
CMYK: 100, 0, 58, 52
Incorrect uses
Print and digital files
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy a flag?
We’re working to make the new flag available for purchase at a local vendor. We’ll post it on this page when the details are finalized.
Wasn’t there already a flag?
Yes, the City’s previous flag was created in 1993. It was designed internally with limited public engagement and has remained the City flag for 30+ years. As described in the 1993 Staff Report, the current flag design represents Vancouver’s “emergence as a “world-class city and its strength and natural beauty.” In 2025, the City sought to create a new flag that adhered to design best practices, was a recognizable symbol of Vancouver, and incorporated the community in its development.
Why did the city want a new flag?
Vancouver has grown and changed since its flag was created in 1993. The current flag is dated, not easily recognizable, and doesn’t follow basic flag design principles. In early 2025, the City announced a design competition to create a new City flag that would represent the community’s shared values and better represent Vancouver.
How were residents involved in the design of the flag?
Residents were involved throughout the process. The City Council appointed a volunteer committee to select the flag from the 138 entries submitted. Once the committee selected the finalists, the City invited the public to provide feedback on them, and 1,438 responses were received. The committee used this feedback to help them make their decision regarding which flag to recommend to City Council.
What did the flag design committee do?
The City Council appointed committee evaluated each of the 138 submissions based on the design brief and the principles of flag design outlined in Good Flag, Bad Flag.
To ensure a fair and impartial selection process, all entries were reviewed anonymously, without identifying information. As part of the evaluation, the committee consulted with members of the North American Vexillological Society to refine designs in alignment with established flag standards, including adjustments to color for visibility on a flagpole and considerations for accessibility. During the review, judges independently created two composite flags by combining elements from multiple submissions they felt worked well together. The original creators whose designs inspired these composites were credited for their contributions. Review the minutes, agendas, and other work of the committee.
The committee met five times over the span of the project to deliberate and select a flag to recommend to the City Council for adoption on Nov. 11, 2025. The committee members were:
- Rose Mendoza, Chair
- Hèctor Alejandro Varela-Betancourt, Vice Chair
- Naomi Axelrod
- Russell Ford
- Lee Rafferty
- Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle
- Councilor Ty Stober
How much did the project cost?
The total cost of this project was $1,500. The City used $1,000 for the prizes for the selected flag finalists and the cost of creating the finalists’ flags to assist the committee in judging the flags.
Why doesn’t the flag include the city’s logo?
The City’s logo is used to represent the government agency. The City created this process to design a flag that represents the community and is used by the community.