Alaska Flag Status — Is the Flag at Half-Staff Today?
The current status could not be loaded just now. The national status is on the main flag page.
Who lowers the flag in Alaska
In Alaska, flags are lowered by the Governor’s order and announced through a dedicated flag-status feed on the Governor’s site. Alaska is one of relatively few states that publish flag notices as their own syndicated feed rather than burying them in general press releases, which makes the record easy to follow. The state’s enormous east–west span means sunrise and sunset differ by hours between Ketchikan and the Aleutians.
The flag of Alaska
Eight gold stars on a dark blue field — seven forming the Big Dipper (strength), and one standing as the North Star (Alaska’s northernmost-state position). Designed in 1927 by 13-year-old Benny Benson.
Alaska on the American flag
Alaska’s star joined the national flag on July 4, 1959 — the Fourth of July after admission, as the Flag Act of 1818 provides.
Adopted July 4, 1959, to recognize Alaska's admission as the 49th state. It was the official flag for only a single year before Hawaii's admission required another redesign.
Sunrise and sunset in Juneau
The flag is raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset. Today at the state capital:
How Alaska became a state
Purchased from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million — a deal mocked at the time as “Seward’s Folly” — Alaska’s strategic and resource value would prove enormous. It was admitted to the Union on January 3, 1959 as the 49th state.
Admitted January 3, 1959 — the 49th state.
Alaska at a glance
Did you know
- Alaska is the largest U.S. state by area — more than twice the size of Texas.
- It has the longest coastline of any state.
- Denali, at 20,310 feet, is the highest peak in North America.
- Each year, the state pays residents a dividend from oil revenue.
Born or raised here: Sarah Palin (governor, VP candidate; Wasilla) · Jewel (singer; Homer) · Susan Butcher (Iditarod champion; longtime resident) · Curt Schilling (baseball pitcher; Anchorage) · Irene Bedard (actress, voice of Pocahontas; Anchorage)
Alaska in the American Record
Moments from the daily edition that happened in Alaska.
Official source
Orders are announced by the Governor’s office.
Common questions.
Is the flag at half-staff in Alaska today?+
The status above answers that for today. A national half-staff order applies in Alaska as it does everywhere else; the Governor can also lower flags within the state independently.
Who orders flags to half-staff in Alaska?+
In Alaska, flags are lowered by the Governor’s order and announced through a dedicated flag-status feed on the Governor’s site. Alaska is one of relatively few states that publish flag notices as their own syndicated feed rather than burying them in general press releases, which makes the record easy to follow. The state’s enormous east–west span means sunrise and sunset differ by hours between Ketchikan and the Aleutians.
Does a county order mean the whole of Alaska lowers its flags?+
No. A county or single-facility order (the State Capitol, for instance) applies only where it says it does. This page shows those separately from the statewide status precisely so the two are never confused — if the status above reads full-staff, Alaska has no statewide order in effect regardless of any local one.
When should the flag be raised and lowered in Alaska?+
The flag flies from sunrise to sunset. Today at the state capital, Juneau, those times are shown above. On the final day of a half-staff order that runs "until sunset", the flag returns to full height at the local sunset — which is why the West Coast stays lowered a few hours after the East.
Flag status for every state, and the day in American history — one page, every morning.
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