The current United States flag has 50 stars, representing the 50 states of the Union.
The stars appear in a blue canton, or upper hoist-side rectangle, and are arranged in nine alternating rows of six and five stars. The flag also has 13 horizontal red-and-white stripes, representing the original Thirteen Colonies.
The 50-star design became official on July 4, 1960, after Hawaii joined the Union. Alaska had already prompted a short-lived 49-star flag in 1959. This means the stars change when states are admitted, while the 13 stripes remain fixed.
The flag is sometimes confused with the Star-Spangled Banner, the historic flag that inspired the national anthem. That earlier flag had 15 stars and 15 stripes, reflecting the number of states in 1814.