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Frankfort, Kentucky (U.S.)

Franklin County

image located by Masao Okazaki, 10 December 2024

Current Flag
- Frankfort Flag Initiative
Seal
Seal on flag
Previous flag

See also:

Current flag

From: https://frankfortflag.org/

Stars are a common symbol of capital cities. Some flags feature 2 stars (either separate or one atop the other) representing historic Frankfort and modern Frankfort. Others contain one star to show a unified Frankfort, bridging the divide of the river.
The iconic S-bend river that cuts through downtown is shown a few different ways in the flags above, stretching from corner to corner or from side to side.
The colors come from the current Frankfort flag (white, yellow, and blue) which themselves come the Kentucky state flag.

Message from Ted Farmer

Ted & NAVA Team,

Thanks to your help the Frankfort Kentucky Flag Initiative was a success. The Frankfort city commission adopted the revised design at today's (Dec 9th) meeting.

As you rightly say, now comes the hard work of ensuring community adoption. Our sponsors at the city museum (a branch of the city parks department) already have plans to market the new flag design. We will work with other community leaders and businesses to spread adoption. And we still hope to find a way to guarantee flags for municipal and public buildings, so as to offset or eliminate the cost to the taxpayer.

My sincere thanks to Ira Langdon, with whom you are familiar. This is the second flag initiative that Ira has successfully been a part of, so who knows what the future holds! Ira's logistical support was invaluable, and a key to success.

Many thanks also to Jim Seaver, of the Kentucky Historical Society, for stepping in as chairperson after I had to move away. Jim carried forward the political effort that I had started and saw it across the finish line.

Thanks again for all your help. Once we have official links to news articles/city updates we will share.
Masao Okazaki, 10 December 2024

https://frankfort.ky.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4591/Ordinance-No-23-2024-Series---City-Flag is their specification sheet for colors and also ratios. It is of note that the image in the PDF file is rotated 180 degrees. The ordinance and specifications is as follows:

"ORDINANCE NO. 23, 2024 SERIES
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY OF FRANKFORT CODE OF ORDINANCES SECTION 11.03 RELATED TO THE OFFICIAL CITY FLAG

WHEREAS, the Frankfort Flag Initiative has concluded its work to secure an updated design for Frankfort’s city flag that has been created and chosen by the citizens of Frankfort and Franklin County; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners has reviewed and approved the updated design by Frankfort resident Amanda Cross;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of Commissioners of the City of Frankfort that City of Frankfort Code of Ordinances Section 11.03 is hereby amended as follows:

§ 11.03 OFFICIAL FLAG.
(A) The Official Flag of the City of Frankfort shall be as described herein:
(1) A 10:19 ratio, navy blue (pantone 2756c) field containing the S-curve of the Kentucky River in light blue (pantone 279c) and two concentric, five-point stars. The river band runs the length of the flag, starting at the middle of the fly and growing in width as it moves towards the hoist. The top and bottom edges of the river band are colored white. The two stars are centered vertically and placed atop the river band toward the fly. On a 3 ft by 5 ft flag, the larger gold (pantone 130c) star is 2 ft in width while the small navy star is 1 ft in width.
(2) The colors of the flag and their significance are taken from the former city flag that was adopted in 1959. Blue, yellow, and white mirror the colors of the Kentucky state flag. This is to ensure the capital city flag always looks at home flying alongside the state flag. The distinctive S-curve in the Kentucky River that bisects downtown is represented as growing larger into the wind. This is to symbolize that no headwind can slow Frankfort's growth. The two stars, one navy atop one gold, represent the unity of both North and South Frankfort as well as the history and future of Frankfort. They bridge the gap of the river to unite both shores and to represent Frank’s Ford, from which the city gets its name.
(B) The Official Flag of the City of Frankfort’s design shall reside in the public domain.
(C) The City Manager is hereby authorized and directed to have flags made conforming to the above description, and to cause said flags to be flown where possible on city property.

First Reading on the 18 day of November, 2024.
Final Adoption on the 9 day of December, 2024."
Zachary Harden, 12 August 2025

Frankfort Flag Initiative

The Frankfort Flag Initiative seeks to develop and present for adoption a reimagined design for the flag of the city of Frankfort, Kentucky which is both distinctive and representative of the community while also adhering to flag design guidelines which will allow the broad adoption of this new design.
See https://frankfortflag.org/
We have the necessary approvals and are building our guidance committee. Hope to have a new design no later than August of next year.
Tom Farmer, chairperson, 24 October 2023

The Frankfort Flag Initiative (to change the flag) is getting ready to start narrowing down the design submissions, on track for an August reveal.
Tom Farmer, chairperson, 30 April 2024

Seal

image provided by Tom Farmer 30 April 2024

The city seal is distinct from the seal on the flag.
Source: https://www.frankfort.ky.gov/ImageRepository/Document?documentID=957
Tom Farmer 30 April 2024

Seal on flag

image located by Paul Bassinson, 13 August 2019

Source: https://www.frankfort.ky.gov
Paul Bassinson, 13 August 2019

Former Flag

image by Masao Okazaki, 5 November 2023
based on photo

Text from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright. Image(s) from American City Flags by permission of David B. Martucci.

Design

The field of Frankfort’s flag is white. Centered on the field is a disk with a yellow field, one-fourth the length of the flag in the diameter. Bisecting the disk is an S-shaped blue line, about one-fourteenth the circle’s diameter in width, forming a ‘yin-yang’-type figure. In the top half of the disk is the old state capitol and in the lower half is the new state capitol, both in blue outline. Surrounding the disk is a wreath, in blue, open at the top. The diameter of the wreath is about three-eighths of the field’s length. In the white space between the wreath and the disk appears FRANKFORT, arched clockwise over the top of the circle, and KENTUCKY, counterclockwise below, all in blue block letters. Midway between the two words are five-pointed stars: gray on the hoist side and blue on the fly side. Centered below the wreath, midway between the wreath’s edge and the edge of the field, appears 1786 in large blue numerals.

In the upper hoist corner is a circular figure resembling a medallion, the outer edge of which is a blue line, with a narrow yellow band immediately within. In the center in yellow with blue shading is a profile of Daniel Boone, facing the fly. The field of the medallion is white. In the upper fly corner is a similar medallion with a three-quarter profile of a Boy Scout, in the same colors, facing the hoist.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Symbolism

The flag was designed to be a reverse of the Kentucky state flag, with yellow and white on blue. The horizontal S-figure in the center of the flag represents the S-curve of the Kentucky River that divides the city. The old capitol symbolizes the past; the new capitol, the present. The blue wreath represents the famed bluegrass of Kentucky. The gray and blue stars signify, respectively, Frankfort’s status as a city in both the Confederate States of America (1862-1863) and the United States (from 1792). Frankfort was first settled in 1786.

The hoist medallion with Daniel Boone commemorates him as the discoverer in 1767 of “the fair land of Kentucke”, as he described it. The fly medallion recognizes that the first Boy Scout troop in the United States was formed in Frankfort in 1908.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Selection

A committee of five local prominent citizens, appointed by the mayor and city commissioners. The committee solicited designs from the community.
Flag adopted: 14 September 1959 (official).
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Designer

None of the designs had all the elements that the committee had in mind, so the committee itself undertook to design the flag. Hence the designers are Col. George M. Chinn (USMC, ret.), of the Kentucky Historical Society; Ermina Jett Darnell, an artist; Eudora Lindsay South, a music teacher; Margaret Brown Sullivan, an artist; and Allan M. Trout, a journalist.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

More about the Flag

The decision to adopt a city flag came about in 1959 because the city had erected a new municipal building, and the city manager, Russell Marshall, thought it would be appropriate to fly a civic emblem from the new flagpole in front of the building. The idea for a city flag was something of a novelty at the time, since only three other Kentucky cities—Louisville, Newport, and Prestonsburg—had adopted flags.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Photos of the yellow flag
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php
https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com
https://www.facebook.com/frankfortkysistercitiescommission
Masao Okazaki, 26 October 2023

With the newly announced Frankfort Flag Initiative, a clear printed version of the flag can be seen, which uses a deep yellow (gold).
Article: https://fox56news.com/news/local/frankforts-city-flag-could-get-an-update/
Photo: https://fox56news.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2023/10/MicrosoftTeams-image-30.jpg
Masao Okazaki, 5 November 2023