Cleveland, Ohio

The flag of Cleveland, Ohio, consists of three vertical stripes, of equal width, in red, white and blue respectively. The center white stripe bears the American shield with the word "Cleveland" across its center, and the year 1796 in red, at its base, surrounded by a laurel wreath. The outline of the lower half of the shield is in red and of the upper in blue. In the upper left-hand corner of the shield are an anvil, hammer and wheel, and in the upper right-hand corner an anchor, windlass and oars. Under the shield is the city's motto, "Progress and Prosperity." The flag was designed by local art school graduate Susan Hepburn, and was officially adopted as the municipal banner by the Cleveland City Council on October 21, 1895, with the ordinance on the flag adopted on February 24, 1896.
== Symbolism ==
The blue, white, red and the use of the American shield represent patriotism, something that many felt would unite the city. 1796 is the year in which Cleveland was founded by Gen. Moses Cleaveland, whom the city is named after. The anvil, hammer and wheel represent the city's heavy industry. The anchor, windlass and oars represent maritime interests (Cleveland is a major port on the Great Lakes). The city's motto, "Progress and Prosperity" refers to the substantial boom period Cleveland experienced through the first half of the 20th century.
== 2004 NAVA survey ==
The flag scored 4.45 / 59th out of 150 on the 2004 NAVA City Flag Survey, behind Arlington, and ahead of Casper.
== Flag redesign ==
In April 2024, a "volunteer group of Northeast Ohioans" launched a contest to redesign the flag. However, many Clevelanders oppose changing the design and view the flag as the "city's symbol for over a century". The group, named the CLE Flag Project, received over 570 submissions before selecting their top three candidates and putting them to an online public vote alongside the current flag on August 12, 2024. Voting ended on November 5, 2024. A "People's Flag" for Cleveland will be unveiled in early 2025.
Below are the three finalist designs and their symbolisms.
===Flag #1===
Option #1 is rich in symbolism that reflects Cleveland's history and spirit. The six-pointed star honors Cleveland's historical nickname, "The Sixth City", and nods to the current city flag's six symbols representative of Cleveland's industrial and nautical history. The prominent "C" stands for Cleveland, while the swallowtail-shaped red section honors Ohio's state flag shape and opens up to the right, signaling the forward progress of the city. The blue field to the right symbolizes Lake Erie, while the blue within the "C" represents the Cuyahoga River, named "Crooked River" by the Native American tribes of the region. The red stripe between the "C" and the blue field signifies Cleveland's Rust Belt heritage. The overall red, white, and blue color scheme pays homage to the original Cleveland flag, as well as the Ohio and U.S. flags. It was designed by Shan Rodich.
===Flag #2===
Option #2 weaves together elements of Cleveland's identity and history. The six-pointed star represents Cleveland's historical nickname, "The Sixth City", and echoes the six symbols on the original flag, while also organized in such a way to symbolize the six tuning pegs on a guitar, a nod to Cleveland's rich rock and roll heritage. The blue wavy line represents the Cuyahoga River, named by Native American tribes in our region to mean "Crooked River". The green flanking the sides of the blue wavy line pays homage to Cleveland's nickname, "The Forest City". The white lines in the center stand for civic virtue, tying together the city's past, present, and enduring spirit. It is based off Cleveland Flag design 27 by a flag design gallery called Cleveland Flag.
===Flag #3===
Option #3 captures the essence of Cleveland through thoughtful symbolism. The six-pointed star signifies Cleveland's historical nickname, "The Sixth City", and honors the original flag's six symbols of industrial and nautical themes. The blue section at the top represents Lake Erie to the north of the city, while the green portion at the bottom symbolizes Cleveland's nickname, "The Forest City", and celebrates Cleveland's metroparks system. The white line represents the city's shoreline and includes a wave crest pointed to the right, representing the city’s forward progress. The circle encircling the star pays tribute to the Ohio flag, connecting Cleveland to its state heritage. It is based off Cleveland Flag design 4 (The Best Location In The Nation flag) by a flag design gallery called Cleveland Flag.
Category:Ohio
Category:United States Cities
Category:East North Central States and Cities
Category:Proportions 2-3
Category:Eastern USA
Category:2004 NAVA City Flag Survey