Iowa 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 Iowa
In Iowa, flags are lowered by proclamation of the Governor and announced through the Governor’s newsroom feed. Iowa does not maintain a separate flag page, so the proclamation itself — not a summary — is the authoritative statement of which buildings are covered and for how long.
The flag of Iowa
Three vertical bars of blue, white, and red (echoing the French tricolor — Iowa was once French Louisiana territory). A bald eagle in the center carries a streamer with the state motto.
Iowa on the American flag
Iowa’s star joined the national flag on July 4, 1847 — the Fourth of July after admission, as the Flag Act of 1818 provides.
Sunrise and sunset in Des Moines
The flag is raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset. Today at the state capital:
How Iowa became a state
Carved from the Iowa Territory, the state joined the Union on December 28, 1846 as the 29th state. Iowa’s rich black soil made it one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country, and its presidential caucuses — held every four years since 1972 — kick off each campaign cycle.
Admitted December 28, 1846 — the 29th state.
Iowa at a glance
Did you know
- Iowa produces more corn than any other state and is a leading soybean producer.
- It is the only state name that begins with two vowels.
- Iowa has more pigs than people — by a wide margin.
- The Iowa State Fair inspired the novel and film “State Fair.”
Born or raised here: Herbert Hoover (31st President; West Branch) · John Wayne (actor; Winterset) · Glenn Miller (bandleader; Clarinda) · Buffalo Bill Cody (showman; Le Claire) · Ashton Kutcher (actor; Cedar Rapids)
Iowa in the American Record
Moments from the daily edition that happened in Iowa.
Official source
Orders are announced by the Governor’s office.
Common questions.
Is the flag at half-staff in Iowa today?+
The status above answers that for today. A national half-staff order applies in Iowa as it does everywhere else; the Governor can also lower flags within the state independently.
Who orders flags to half-staff in Iowa?+
In Iowa, flags are lowered by proclamation of the Governor and announced through the Governor’s newsroom feed. Iowa does not maintain a separate flag page, so the proclamation itself — not a summary — is the authoritative statement of which buildings are covered and for how long.
Does a county order mean the whole of Iowa 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, Iowa has no statewide order in effect regardless of any local one.
When should the flag be raised and lowered in Iowa?+
The flag flies from sunrise to sunset. Today at the state capital, Des Moines, 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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