Flags are an integral part of our history, both in the political and military spheres. Flags continue to be part of our present, often serving similar purposes to their ancestors of the past. However, now our flags play an additional but still integral part of our daily lives.
Nowadays, common flag purchases are driven not by the need to lead your forces into battle under a common sign but to display your pride and patriotism for the country you call home. In the United States, more people than you might expect adorn their spaces with the red, white, and blue symbol of freedom that is known all over the world. According to a July 2020 study, half of Americans display an American flag on their properties.
Flag poles range in size depending on the location and size of the flags being flown. Just like Americans, flag poles come in many different shapes and sizes. Read on to discover the hidden world and intricacies of flag pole height; the answer may just surprise you.
Homes
Are you one of the 50% of Americans who fly a flag at their home? Perhaps you already are and want to change up the look, feel, or maybe grandeur of your patriotic statement. Maybe you are looking to bring a bit of Old Glory to your porch and don’t know where to start.
No matter the case, there are several wonderful options to bring high-quality flags to your property. Installing a full-fledged flag on your land may seem intimidating, but it’s a wonderful way to take your patriotism to the next level.
The Homestead Flag Pole
The Allegiance 3’ x 5’ American flag is the perfect complement to your front yard. Typically, the size of this flag demands a flag pole height of 15’ to a maximum of 20’ high. These are perfect for a modern American home with some front yard space.
The Executive Flag Pole
If you own a larger home, a larger flag and flag pole might do the trick. A flag pole with a height of 20’ to 25’ should have a 4’ x 6’ Allegiance Flag Supply flag.
The Estate Flag Pole
Do you live on a large farm or estate with a lot of acreage? The 5’ x 8’ Allegiance Flag Supply flag is right for you. This size American flag requires a flag pole with a height of at least 25 feet. Flag poles of this height will likely require professional installation.
Flags that fly this high will serve as a beacon for your home. And because of how grand it would be, even your neighbors will see it as a staple to the community as a whole.
Rules and Regulations Surrounding Flag Poles
As a country, we are proud to think of our nation as the land of the free. However, some of our freedoms come with rules, regulations, and laws attached to them. That is helpful in preventing people from yelling “Fire!” in a movie theater and causing a potentially dangerous panic, but some laws are not quite as obvious as this one.
American flags, arguably the very symbol of freedom, are legislated (albeit somewhat loosely) with The United States Flag Code. This code informs us of the respectful ways to hang, treat, and even retire a flag. However, this set of rules are not the only ones that protect the flag and the people who love her.
Several years ago, the United States Congress passed a landmark piece of legislation called “The Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005.” This ruling protected private citizens from real estate management organizations like the Homeowner’s Association (HOA) and similar groups. Under this law, homeowners are allowed to fly an American flag on their property, and nobody is allowed to stop them.
While this 2005 law is significant, each state has specific requirements that elaborate on this Congressional decree. Not all states allow all types of military flags to be flown. Other states put restrictions on acceptable heights of flag poles.
For example, in Florida, homeowners are free to fly American and Florida state flags. However, Florida citizens may not install a flag pole higher than 20 feet. No matter where you live, it’s often in everyone’s best interest to check with their local HOA as well as their city or town before installing a flagpole.
A Simple Solution
If you live in an area with flag pole height guidelines, or perhaps you simply enjoy a mounted flag, look into a mounted American flag set. Made of Vermont White Ash, this American-made six-foot flag pole set comes with a 3’ x 5’ American flag that will undoubtedly delight your neighbors and lend a sense of cheer and patriotism to your neighborhood.
Another nice thing about a mounted flag pole is that it is not as permanent as a decorating choice involving concrete and construction to mount a tall free-standing flag pole.
Flying Flags on the High Seas
Flags are a massively critical aspect of world maritime history. In fact, even today, the laws on naval telecommunications procedures for flags, pennants, and customs are quite extensive and highly detailed.
Naval vessels don’t just fly the home flag of their country; there are flags for multitudes of reasons. For example, the Blue Peter was flown by merchant ships to alert the ship’s crew that their vessel is nearing its departure time and they all need to hurry back aboard.
Hopefully, you will never have to fly the November and Charlie flags (which are symbols of a ship’s distress), but there are still many great options for your private vessel.
When looking for a boat flag, you may not have a traditional wooden ship’s mast that we are familiar with from movies and novels. However, it is relatively easy to attach your patriotic symbol to your more modern boat.
To make matters simple and ensure your boat flag won’t be lost at sea, it is wise to buy a boat flag set. This boat flag set, in particular, comes with a majestic 16” x 24” flag. This flag pole is four feet long and constructed from ½” fiberglass for optimal support and reliability.
This four-foot flag pole can be installed in a dash; it sits snug in any fishing rod holder. The base of the flag pole is a gimbal base complete with adjustable clips as well as coming with a bungee cord. No matter if you take to the lake or the open seas, you can hoist your flag with pride, knowing that this boat set was made in America.
America’s Tallest Flag Poles
America is filled with wonderful veterans and civilians alike who all share a special reverence for the American flag. It is a symbol of our strengths and our struggles as a people, and that is why we especially like to see our flag fly as high as possible. Some places have taken this challenge to the extreme.
Standing Tall in Michigan
The tallest free-standing flag pole in America is 400 feet tall and is located in Michigan. The flag that is hoisted onto it is a staggering 120 feet wide and 60 feet tall. This was a massive undertaking and a massive success.
This unbelievable structure is a testament to American ingenuity and perseverance. During calm and normal weather, the flag that is flown weighs a whopping 220 pounds but still manages to fly gracefully.
The storm flag that is reserved for harsher weather conditions weighs 350 pounds! Storm flags are specifically tailored to withstand high winds and rainstorms. In order to paint the entire flag pole, it took 500 gallons of paint.
Silent Supporters
Flag poles are made of all kinds of materials, and some heights are suited better for certain flags than others. They all perform the honorable duty of helping our flag fly with grace and dignity.
Allegiance Flag Supply is a perfect companion to your American flag journey. After all, would a fancy, tall flag pole be worth it if the flag that was flying from it was made overseas? If you’re going to go through the trouble of installing a flagpole, you might as well buy a flag that comes from American workers.
Each flag that Allegiance Flag Supply creates has a little piece of the country’s soul, and it shows when seeing them blow in the breeze with those brilliant stars and stripes.
Sources:
Half of Americans have an American flag at home | YouGovAmerica
Naval Telecommunications Procedures | USHistory.org
The US Flag Code | Cornell University