West Virginia 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 West Virginia
In West Virginia, flags are lowered by the Governor and announced through the Governor’s office. West Virginia orders commonly cover a single county in honour of a fallen first responder or service member, so the order text is where the actual scope is established.
The flag of West Virginia
A white field bordered in blue carries the state coat of arms: a boulder dated June 20, 1863 between a farmer and a miner, with crossed rifles and a Phrygian cap below — symbolizing liberty achieved through hard work.
West Virginia on the American flag
West Virginia’s star joined the national flag on July 4, 1863 — the Fourth of July after admission, as the Flag Act of 1818 provides.
Adopted July 4, 1863, to recognize West Virginia's admission. This was the flag of the Union during the decisive campaigns of Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Appomattox.
Sunrise and sunset in Charleston
The flag is raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset. Today at the state capital:
How West Virginia became a state
When Virginia seceded in 1861, the Unionist counties of its northwest split off to form West Virginia, joining the Union on June 20, 1863 as the 35th state — the only state created by seceding from a Confederate state during the Civil War.
Admitted June 20, 1863 — the 35th state.
West Virginia at a glance
Did you know
- West Virginia is the only U.S. state entirely within the Appalachian region.
- Almost 75% of the state is forested.
- The New River, despite its name, is one of the oldest rivers in the world.
- Mountaineer is the official state symbol — and is the only animate state symbol that votes.
Born or raised here: Pearl S. Buck (Nobel laureate; Hillsboro) · Chuck Yeager (test pilot; Myra) · Booker T. Washington (raised in Malden) · John Henry (folk hero; Big Bend Tunnel) · Jennifer Garner (raised in Charleston) · Bill Withers (musician; Slab Fork)
Official source
Orders are announced by the Governor’s office.
Common questions.
Is the flag at half-staff in West Virginia today?+
The status above answers that for today. A national half-staff order applies in West Virginia as it does everywhere else; the Governor can also lower flags within the state independently.
Who orders flags to half-staff in West Virginia?+
In West Virginia, flags are lowered by the Governor and announced through the Governor’s office. West Virginia orders commonly cover a single county in honour of a fallen first responder or service member, so the order text is where the actual scope is established.
Does a county order mean the whole of West Virginia 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, West Virginia has no statewide order in effect regardless of any local one.
When should the flag be raised and lowered in West Virginia?+
The flag flies from sunrise to sunset. Today at the state capital, Charleston, 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.
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