Hawaii 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 Hawaii
In Hawaii, flags are lowered by the Governor and announced through the Governor’s newsroom feed. Hawaii’s time zone puts it hours behind the mainland and it does not observe daylight saving, so on the final day of an order — which usually runs "until sunset" — flags in Honolulu remain lowered well after every other jurisdiction has raised theirs.
The flag of Hawaii
Eight horizontal stripes of white, red, and blue represent the eight major islands; the British Union Jack in the canton honors the early friendship between Hawaiʻi and Britain — making this the only U.S. state flag to incorporate a foreign national flag.
Hawaii on the American flag
Hawaii’s star joined the national flag on July 4, 1960 — the Fourth of July after admission, as the Flag Act of 1818 provides.
Adopted July 4, 1960, to recognize Hawaii's admission as the 50th state. The current design was created by Robert G. Heft, a seventeen-year-old high-school student from Lancaster, Ohio, as a class project — he reportedly received a B- on the assignment before his teacher agreed to raise the grade if the flag was adopted.
Sunrise and sunset in Honolulu
The flag is raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset. Today at the state capital:
How Hawaii became a state
United under King Kamehameha I in 1810, the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi was overthrown by American sugar planters in 1893 and annexed by the U.S. in 1898. Following the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and decades of territorial status, Hawaiʻi was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959 as the 50th state.
Admitted August 21, 1959 — the 50th state.
Hawaii at a glance
Did you know
- Hawaiʻi is the only U.S. state composed entirely of islands.
- It is the only state that grows coffee commercially.
- Hawaiʻiʻs Mauna Kea is the world’s tallest mountain measured from base to peak.
- The state has two official languages: English and Hawaiian.
Born or raised here: Barack Obama (44th President; Honolulu) · Liliʻuokalani (last queen of Hawaiʻi; Honolulu) · Duke Kahanamoku (Olympic swimmer; Honolulu) · Bruno Mars (singer; Honolulu) · Bette Midler (actress, singer; Honolulu) · Don Ho (singer; Kakaako)
Hawaii in the American Record
Moments from the daily edition that happened in Hawaii.
Official source
Orders are announced by the Governor’s office.
Common questions.
Is the flag at half-staff in Hawaii today?+
The status above answers that for today. A national half-staff order applies in Hawaii as it does everywhere else; the Governor can also lower flags within the state independently.
Who orders flags to half-staff in Hawaii?+
In Hawaii, flags are lowered by the Governor and announced through the Governor’s newsroom feed. Hawaii’s time zone puts it hours behind the mainland and it does not observe daylight saving, so on the final day of an order — which usually runs "until sunset" — flags in Honolulu remain lowered well after every other jurisdiction has raised theirs.
Does a county order mean the whole of Hawaii 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, Hawaii has no statewide order in effect regardless of any local one.
When should the flag be raised and lowered in Hawaii?+
The flag flies from sunrise to sunset. Today at the state capital, Honolulu, 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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