If you haven't looked up a picture of minnesota state flag lately, you might be in for a bit of a shock. Gone is the cluttered, blue-sheet-with-a-seal look that dominated flagpoles for decades. In its place is something strikingly modern—and, depending on who you ask in a St. Paul coffee shop, either a brilliant piece of branding or a "boring" mistake.
Honestly, the change was a long time coming. For years, Minnesota’s old flag was a running joke among vexillologists (that's the fancy word for people who study flags). The North American Vexillological Association once ranked it as one of the ten worst designs in the U.S. and Canada. Why? Because from 50 feet away, it looked like 20 other state flags. It was basically a "seal on a bedsheet."
But the real push for a new look wasn't just about aesthetics. It was about what was actually happening in that tiny, intricate seal in the middle.
The Problem With the Old Picture
To understand why the new flag exists, you have to look closely at the old one. The centerpiece was the state seal, which featured a white settler plowing a field with a rifle nearby. In the background, a Native American man is shown riding a horse toward the sunset.
For a lot of people, especially within Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized tribal nations, that image wasn't just "historical." It was a depiction of displacement. It looked like the Indigenous person was being chased out to make room for the farmer.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, didn't mince words about it. She basically said that anything not showing a Native person being forced off their land was a massive upgrade. By 2023, the Minnesota Legislature decided it was time to move on. They formed the State Emblems Redesign Commission, and that's when the real fun (and the drama) started.
2,128 Submissions and a Laser Loon
When the commission asked the public for ideas, Minnesotans delivered. They received over 2,000 designs. Some were professional. Some were... well, unique.
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We almost had a flag with a loon shooting lasers out of its eyes. Seriously.
People submitted photos of their dogs, psychedelic monkeys, and even a picture of a wooden floor. It was a chaotic, beautiful display of "Minnesota Nice" creativity. But eventually, the commission had to get serious. They narrowed it down to a design by Andrew Prekker, a 24-year-old from Luverne.
Prekker didn't have a formal design background, but he spent months studying what makes a flag actually work. He wanted something that a child could draw from memory.
Decoding the New Minnesota State Flag
If you’re looking at a picture of minnesota state flag today, you’ll notice it’s been stripped down to the essentials. No dates. No names. No tiny guys on horses.
The Dark Blue Shape
On the left side (the hoist), there’s a dark blue shape. It’s not just a random polygon; it’s a stylized outline of the state of Minnesota. It also represents the night sky, which is a nod to the "North Star State" identity.
The North Star
Right in the center of that dark blue shape is a white, eight-pointed star. This is a direct reference to the state motto, L’Étoile du Nord (Star of the North).
Here is a cool detail: if you look at the star from an angle, it’s meant to look like four letter "M"s joined together. It’s also a mirror of the eight-point star inlaid on the floor of the Rotunda at the State Capitol.
The Light Blue Field
The rest of the flag is a solid, bright, light blue. This is probably the most "Minnesota" part of the whole thing. It represents the water—our 10,000 lakes, the headwaters of the Mississippi, and Lake Superior.
The original name for the area, Mni Sóta Makoce in Dakota, translates roughly to "where the water meets the sky." That light blue field is a visual representation of that history.
Why Some People Are Still Salty
Change is hard. You can't change a 130-year-old symbol without some people getting their feathers ruffled. Some critics think the new design is too corporate or looks like the flag of a software company.
There were also some wild rumors floating around social media. Some people claimed it looked too much like the flag of Somalia or the Puntland region. If you actually look at those flags side-by-side, the resemblance is pretty thin—mostly just because they both use blue and stars. The commission actually simplified Prekker's original design (which had green and white stripes) specifically to make it more distinct and symmetrical.
Republican lawmakers also pushed back, arguing that the public should have had a direct vote on the change. They felt the process was rushed and that $35,000 was a lot to spend on a redesign.
How to Use the New Symbols
If you're a business owner or just a proud Minnesotan, the new flag is actually a lot more "usable" than the old one. Because it's so simple, it looks great on hats, t-shirts, and stickers. You can actually tell what it is from a distance.
Here’s the reality: The old flag was retired at sunrise on May 11, 2024. The new one is now flying over the State Capitol. Whether you love the minimalist vibe or miss the old lady's slippers and dates, this is the face of Minnesota for the foreseeable future.
Practical Steps for Minnesotans:
- Update Your Graphics: If you use the state flag in any official capacity or for branding, ensure you have the high-resolution SVG or PNG files of the 2024 version.
- Check the Seal: Remember that the State Seal also changed. It now features a loon and wild rice, which is separate from the flag design.
- Retire Old Flags Respectfully: If you have an old flag, you don't have to throw it away, but many local historical societies are interested in preserved versions of the 1983-2024 iteration.
- Buy Local: If you’re purchasing a new flag, look for local manufacturers who are sticking to the official "Minnesota Blue" color specifications to ensure yours doesn't fade to a weird purple or teal in the sun.
The transition is basically complete. You'll see the new design on everything from driver's licenses to snowplows soon. It’s a bit of a "new era" for the state, focused on what unites the geography rather than the complicated politics of the past.