cleveland flag

This flag honors Cleveland's natural resources: Lake Erie; the Cuyahoga River; its excellent park system, known as the Metroparks; and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Cleveland is located on Lake Erie's southern shore in northeast Ohio. The blue field at the flag’s top represents Lake Erie and the city's relationship to it.

For years, Cleveland was known as the Forrest City. The nickname comes from Alexis de Tocqueville's two-volume 1835 book Democracy in America, in which the author calls Cleveland "...a highly sophisticated society amid a heavily forested environment..." That’s right, "...highly sophisticated..." The green field on the hoist side pays tribute to Cleveland's frontier beginnings and Forest City moniker. The crescent of blue cutting through the green represents the Cuyahoga River which winds through Cleveland and into Lake Erie. Both the lake and river played a major role in developing Cleveland's economy, as the water connected the city to the Great Lakes and the world. The green band in the circle's lower half represents Cleveland's Metropark system, often called Cleveland's emerald necklace, as the parks encircle the city. The white field represents the future. It is a blank page, full of promise and opportunity. The white arc at the circle's top represents the physical bridges that span the Cuyahoga River and bring Cleveland's east and west sides together and the metaphorical bridges of community and inclusion.

The natural palette of blue, green and white also represent Cleveland's seasons: blue, sunny skies; rain; verdant growth; and, yes, snow. This palette also signifies stewardship of the lake, river and parks for future generations.

This Cleveland flag redesign is built on a 1:4 grid. See how this Cleveland flag stacks up against other Ohio city flags.