The Montgomery City Council approved a new official flag for the City of Montgomery during Tuesday’s council meeting, marking the first redesign of the city flag since 1952.

The new flag will officially take effect on October 1, 2026.

According to the city, the redesign effort was led by the City Council’s Governmental Affairs & Administration Standing Committee, which launched a public contest inviting residents and designers to submit concepts representing Montgomery’s identity, history, and future.

The committee received 27 submissions, with 10 designs meeting contest guidelines. Five semifinalists were selected for additional review before the committee chose a design submitted by Joshua Gordon, incorporating several modifications into the final version.

City officials said the newly adopted flag includes several symbolic elements intended to reflect Montgomery’s heritage, leadership, and continued progress.

The design features red diagonal bands symbolizing momentum, movement, and the city’s evolving story, along with a blue ceremonial ribbon representing renewal, unity, and new beginnings.

Nine gold stars on the flag honor Montgomery’s nine City Council districts, while a central outlined star symbolizes Montgomery’s role as Alabama’s capital city and serves as a beacon of unity and leadership.

The design also incorporates olive branches above and below the central star to represent peace, resilience, growth, and goodwill among Montgomery residents.

The city said the new design will replace all existing official City of Montgomery flags beginning October 1, 2026.

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].