Rochester, New York

Rochester
Country	United States
State	New York
Adopted	September 15, 1910 (unofficially) June 25, 1934 (officially)
Designed by	Hiram H. Edgerton
Proportions	3:5

The flag of Rochester, New York, is a horizontal tricolor of blue, white, and yellow, with the coat of arms of the Rochester Family in the center.

Symbolism

The blue represents the city's water and power, the white represents its cleanliness, and the yellow, its gold and wealth. The family's coat of arms commemorates the founder and recognizes his contributions to the city (his name was Colonel Nathaniel Rochester).

According to city historian Edward Foreman, the crane represents vigilance, the three crescents symbolize family and prosperity, the black bar represents a waistband, and the red border around the shield symbolizes military affiliation.

2004 NAVA survey

The flag scored 4.61 / 53rd out of 150 on the 2004 NAVA City Flag Survey, behind Fort Wayne, and ahead of Memphis.

City banner

The city banner of Rochester, New York, is a blue background with the city mark in white in the center, described as a "white five-petal lilac dissected by five lines representing a water wheel". The mark is encircled by the words "FLOUR CITY • FLOWER CITY • CITY OF ROCHESTER, N.Y." in gold.

The banner was designed and first used in 1979.

Proposed flag

On November 24, 2025, the city's mayor, Malik D. Evans, announced several planned events throughout 2026 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the city mark. To kick off the year-long commemoration, he shared plans to officially change the city's flag. The change will be considered during the City Council's meeting in December.

The proposed design is a dark blue background with the city mark in white in the center.