For America250, the United States flag has 13 stripes representing the original thirteen colonies.
The flag’s seven red and six white horizontal stripes symbolize the thirteen British colonies that declared independence in 1776. The stars represent the states in the Union, so their number has changed as new states joined. Since 1960, the flag has displayed 50 stars, one for each state, while retaining 13 stripes.
The modern flag’s basic design developed over time. The Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777, specified thirteen alternating red and white stripes and a blue field with stars representing a new constellation. Later flags temporarily had 15 stripes after Vermont and Kentucky joined, but Congress returned the design to 13 stripes in 1818.
The stripes therefore do not count current states, territories, or signers of the Declaration. They refer specifically to the original colonies. America250’s 2026 commemoration uses the familiar 50-star, 13-stripe flag to connect the present-day United States with its revolutionary origins.