Toledo

The flag of Toledo, Ohio, is a horizontal uneven striped flag of navy blue, light blue, white, light blue, and navy blue. In the center of the flag is a tower design, with a red eight-pointed star located on the upper-left of it.
The flag was officially adopted on January 7, 2025, and was designed by Mark Yappueying, who received $3,000 for creating the winning design.Toledo picks new city flag at toledoblade.com
== Symbolism==
The flag stands as a compelling symbol of unity, heritage, and progress. Central to the design is a modernized blockhouse, representing Toledo's historical roots and industrial strength. Historically a symbol of a fortress, the modernized version embodies the city's trajectory from challenging pasts into a new era. It showcases Fort Industry, a structured "T" for Toledo, a leaf form that nurtures and celebrates the city's natural environment, and the iconic Veteran's Skyway Bridge at the top. Its angled silhouette, inspired by a flint arrowhead, honors the ancestral homelands of Indigenous tribes.
The four elongated points of the sunburst in the top left represent cardinal directions and honor Native American traditions of the medicine wheel, as well as Toledo's geographical position as a vital crossroads in America. Reinterpreted from the city's seal, the sunburst is positioned in the Northwest quadrant of the flag, rising on the horizon and connecting with the Skyway Bridge. Placed above horizontal blue bands symbolizing the Maumee River and the tributaries of the region's watershed, the sunburst also landmarks city center.
The flag's color palette harmonizes and embodies cultural connections for all Toledoans. Dark blue envelopes the flag, inviting openness, ingenuity, and reflecting the city's legacy as a global innovator. It also echoes the colors of the historical University of Toledo, past Toledo flags, and the Ohio state flag. Light blue signifies the city's water resources, vibrant cultural roots, and stability. A prominent white band symbolizes the unification of all Toledoans and embodies perseverance. Rising and glowing, red represents Toledo's indomitable spirit.
The flag is more than a symbol; it is a visual testament to Toledo's rich history, diverse culture, and a beacon for its bright future. By reimagining the blockhouse, it opens the door to a new, prosperous chapter unique to Toledo. The design unites the city's population, honors its heritage, and inspires hope for generations to come. It captures the ethos and vigor that define Toledo, ensuring its story continues to thrive.Flag Description by the City of Toledo
==Flag colors==
Color	Color Name	HEX RGB
 	Cool Black	#002868
 	Iceberg 	#7bafd4
 	White 	#ffffff
 	Red (NCS) 	#bf0a30
== History ==
=== First flag (1909-1994) ===
The first flag of Toledo, Ohio, was adopted by the Toledo City Council on January 11, 1909. The flag features a vertical tricolor of blue and white with a blue circle and a blue circular outline around a red, simplistic illustration representing Fort Industry.
==== Symbolism ====
The mayor at the time, Brand Whitlock, explained the flag's symbolism with the red, white, and blue color scheme as a reference to the colors on the flag of the United States. He also stated that the blue circle outline around Fort Industry represented unity, completeness, eternity, and the state of Ohio.
=== Second flag (1994-2025) ===
The second flag of Toledo, Ohio, was a vertical tricolor of blue and white, with the city's seal in the center. The flag was adopted on January 18, 1994, and was designed by the then mayor Carty Finkbeiner, with the original seal being designed by O. J. Hopkins. 
==== Symbolism ====
The building on the seal is Fort Industry, the first building which would later lead to the creation of Toledo. The rising sun, prominent on the state seal, symbolizes Ohio. The motto "LABORARE EST ORARE" means "WORK IS TO PRAY".
==== 2004 NAVA survey ====
It scored a total of 3.61 / 94th out of 150 on the 2004 NAVA City Flag Survey, tied with Las Vegas, and ahead of Bismarck.
=== 2022 proposed flag ===
On August 9, 2022, a local graphic designer named Jacob Parr presented his redesign for the city flag at a City Council meeting. The flag came up for a vote on August 16, but the council decided to postpone the vote, citing a lack of public comment on the flag. Gretchen DeBacker, a spokesperson for the city stated that the flag would be brought back up again in some form in 2023. While there was hope within the mayor's administration that the flag would be officially launched by April 2023, this did not happen, partly because of questions about whether other designs could be submitted. The Toledo Blade's editorial board came out against changing the flag in an August 10, 2022 editorial, saying that the current flag is a "fine flag" and the city does not need a new one. In September 2024, the flag became one of the ten semifinalists for the City of Toledo Flag Design Competition, however failed to win the flag contest in January 2025, and eventually lost traction.
====Design====
The flag is a diagonal bicolor of white and light blue, with a yellow eight-pointed star in the top half of the flag.
====Symbolism====
The light blue represents the Maumee River, the diagonal shape of the flag is a reference to maritime signal flags, representing Toledo's status as a port city on Lake Erie, and the eight points of the star represents the historic and current industries of Toledo: Agriculture, Automotive, Glass, Transportation, Arts, Education, Energy, and Healthcare.
==Flag redesign ==
On April 19, 2024, the city announced a timeline for a redesign competition. Submissions opened on June 28, 2024, and closed on August 28, 2024. From September 4-19, 2024, the submissions were reviewed. Then, starting on September 20, and ending on September 22, the finalists were put on display at the Momentum Festival. On January 7, 2025, the city revealed the winning flag, designed by Mark Yappueying.
==Construction sheet==
==References==
Category:Ohio
Category:United States Cities
Category:Blue background
Category:Blue
Category:White
Category:Red
Category:Buildings
Category:Eight-pointed stars
Category:Stars
Category:Proportions 3-5
Category:2004 NAVA City Flag Survey
Category:Eastern USA
Category:2025