How to Draw the United States Flag: 50 Stars, 13 Stripes & Proportions
A practical construction guide based on the federal proportions used for the current 50-star United States flag.
1. Start with the overall proportion
Executive Order 10834 specifies a federal flag proportion of 1 unit high by 1.9 units long. You can scale this relationship to any size.
2. Divide the flag into 13 equal stripes
Create thirteen equal horizontal stripes, alternating red and white. The top and bottom stripes are red. Each stripe is therefore one-thirteenth of the flag’s height.
3. Draw the blue union
The blue canton extends from the top of the flag across the first seven stripes. Under the federal construction specification, its height is 7/13 of the total flag height.
4. Add the 50 stars
The current layout uses nine staggered horizontal rows: five rows of six stars alternating with four rows of five. The stars are white and five-pointed.
5. Check orientation
When the flag is displayed normally, the blue union is in the upper hoist corner. When hung vertically, Flag Code guidance keeps the union uppermost and to the observer’s left.
Useful construction facts
| Overall proportion | 1:1.9 |
|---|---|
| Stripes | 13 equal horizontal stripes |
| Stars | 50 |
| Star rows | 9 staggered rows |
| Union height | 7 stripe-heights |
Do all commercial flags use the federal dimensions?
No. Executive Order 10834 sets specifications for federal procurement, and commercial flags may use standard manufacturing sizes that are close to—but not exactly—the federal ratio. For an educational or technical drawing, the federal proportions are the best reference point.
