The flag of the United States has 13 stripes.
The stripes alternate red and white and represent the original thirteen colonies that declared independence from Great Britain. The flag’s blue canton contains stars representing the states in the Union; the current design has 50 stars, one for each state. Thus, the stripes preserve the nation’s founding number while the stars change as statehood changes.
The Continental Congress specified the thirteen-stripe design in the Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777. That resolution called for thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. The arrangement of the stars was not standardized at first, so early flags appeared in several patterns, including circles and rows.
The number of stripes was briefly increased to 15 after Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union. The 15-star, 15-stripe flag flew from 1795 to 1818 and became the flag associated with the defense of Fort McHenry, inspiring “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Congress later restored 13 stripes while continuing to add stars for new states. Hawaii’s admission produced the present 50-star version in 1960.