The current United States flag has 50 stars, representing the 50 states.
The 50-star design became official on July 4, 1960, after Hawaii joined the Union in August 1959. Alaska had become the 49th state earlier in 1959, so the flag briefly had 49 stars before the Hawaii-based design replaced it.
The flag also has 13 alternating red and white stripes. Those stripes represent the Thirteen Colonies that declared independence from Great Britain. The stars and stripes therefore combine the country’s original revolutionary history with its present number of states.
The flag’s design changed repeatedly as states entered the Union. The first official star arrangement followed the Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777, while the number of stripes was later returned to 13 by the Flag Act of 1818. The modern stars are arranged in nine horizontal rows, alternating between rows of six and five.