The current United States flag has 13 stripes, representing the thirteen colonies that declared independence from Great Britain.
The stripes alternate red and white and remain fixed even as the number of states changes. The blue canton contains 50 white stars, with each star representing one state. This combination gives the flag its familiar “Stars and Stripes” identity.
Congress adopted the first official national flag design through the Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777. That resolution specified thirteen stripes and thirteen stars, but early flags used varied star arrangements. The present 50-star design dates from 1960, after Hawaii became a state.
The stripes are not a count of current states, nor do they represent every state that has ever joined the Union. Their meaning remains tied to the original thirteen colonies, linking the modern flag displayed for America250 with the revolutionary era.