How many stars and stripes are on the current flag of the United States?

The current flag of the United States has 50 stars and 13 stripes.

The 50 stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The 13 alternating red and white stripes represent the original thirteen colonies that declared independence from Great Britain. This design connects the modern United States to the founding era while also reflecting the country’s later expansion.

The fiftieth star was added for Hawaii, which became the 50th state on August 21, 1959. The 50-star flag first became official on July 4, 1960, after Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union. It remains the longest-used United States flag design.

The stripes do not increase when new states join. Congress fixed their number at 13 in 1818, after earlier flags had temporarily added stripes for new states. The star field, or canton, changes when states are admitted. That distinction is a common source of confusion when people compare historic flags with the version used during the America250 anniversary.