California 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 California
In California, flags are lowered by order of the Governor and announced through the Governor’s newsroom. California has no standing flag-status page — orders appear as press releases — but the site publishes a working feed, so the record is at least machine-readable. Because California spans a wide longitude, a flag in Sacramento comes down noticeably later than one on the East Coast on the final evening of an order.
The flag of California
A white field bears a grizzly bear above a red star and a red bar along the bottom. The design originated with the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt against Mexican rule; the words “California Republic” appear beneath the bear.
California on the American flag
California’s star joined the national flag on July 4, 1851 — the Fourth of July after admission, as the Flag Act of 1818 provides.
Adopted July 4, 1851, to recognize California's admission after the Gold Rush. It flew through the decade of sectional crisis leading up to the Civil War.
Sunrise and sunset in Sacramento
The flag is raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset. Today at the state capital:
How California became a state
Ceded by Mexico to the United States by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, California exploded in population after the Gold Rush began that same year at Sutter’s Mill. It was admitted to the Union as a free state on September 9, 1850 — skipping the territorial stage entirely — as part of the Compromise of 1850.
Admitted September 9, 1850 — the 31st state.
California at a glance
Did you know
- California is the most populous U.S. state — about 39 million people.
- If California were a country, its economy would rank among the world’s top five.
- It contains both the highest (Mt. Whitney) and lowest (Death Valley) points in the contiguous U.S.
- Hollywood is the global center of the film industry.
Born or raised here: Richard Nixon (37th President; Yorba Linda) · Kamala Harris (49th Vice President; Oakland) · Steve Jobs (Apple co-founder; raised in Cupertino) · Walt Disney (longtime resident, Disney Studios) · Tiger Woods (golfer; Cypress) · Marilyn Monroe (Los Angeles)
California in the American Record
Moments from the daily edition that happened in California.
Official source
Orders are announced by the Governor’s office.
Common questions.
Is the flag at half-staff in California today?+
The status above answers that for today. A national half-staff order applies in California as it does everywhere else; the Governor can also lower flags within the state independently.
Who orders flags to half-staff in California?+
In California, flags are lowered by order of the Governor and announced through the Governor’s newsroom. California has no standing flag-status page — orders appear as press releases — but the site publishes a working feed, so the record is at least machine-readable. Because California spans a wide longitude, a flag in Sacramento comes down noticeably later than one on the East Coast on the final evening of an order.
Does a county order mean the whole of California 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, California has no statewide order in effect regardless of any local one.
When should the flag be raised and lowered in California?+
The flag flies from sunrise to sunset. Today at the state capital, Sacramento, 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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