The government ratio is 10:19 — but your house flag isn't
Executive Order 10834 fixed the federal flag at a 10:19 ratio: the fly length is 1.9 times the hoist height. So a flag 10 feet on the pole is 19 feet long. This ratio is unique to the US and is required only for government and military flags — the flags most people fly at home follow a different standard.
10:19 is longer and thinner than a home flag
A residential 3x5 uses a 2:3 ratio (fly = 1.5 × hoist). The government 10:19 is noticeably more elongated. Set to the same 5-foot hoist, the two flags differ by a foot and a half of length.
Same height on the pole, but the government 10:19 flag streams 2 feet farther than a standard 2:3 house flag.
Standard sizes and pole pairings
| Flag size | Ratio | Use | Pole height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 × 5 ft | 2:3 | Residential | 15–20 ft |
| 4 × 6 ft | 2:3 | Large residential | 20–25 ft |
| 5 × 8 ft | 2:3 | Commercial | 25–30 ft |
| 6 × 10 ft | 2:3 | Large commercial | 30–40 ft |
| 5 × 9.5 ft | 10:19 | Casket | — |
| 10 × 19 ft | 10:19 | Government / military | 50 ft+ |
Match the flag to the pole: fly length should be about 25–33% of the pole height. Too big and the flag hangs without flying; too small and it disappears from a distance.
Getting the dimensions right
- Hoist and fly. Hoist is the height on the pole, fly is the length that flies out. For any US flag the fly is the longer side.
- Solve for either side. From a known hoist, fly = hoist × 19 ÷ 10 for a government flag, or hoist × 3 ÷ 2 for a 2:3 home flag.
- The casket flag is fixed. A burial flag is exactly 5 by 9.5 feet, which is the 10:19 ratio, and sized to fold into a triangle roughly 18 inches on a side.
Common questions
What is the official US flag ratio?
The government flag is 10:19, meaning the fly length is 1.9 times the hoist height. It was fixed by Executive Order 10834 in 1959 and applies to federal and military flags.
Why is my 3x5 house flag not 10:19?
The 10:19 ratio is only required for government flags. Almost every residential and commercial flag uses 2:3, so 3x5, 4x6 and 5x8 are all standard and perfectly legal for a home.
What size flag fits a 20-foot pole?
The flag should be about a quarter to a third of the pole height, so 5 to 6.7 feet on the fly. A 4x6 or 5x8 flag suits a 20-foot pole well.
What is the difference between hoist and fly?
Hoist is the height along the pole; fly is the horizontal length that streams out. Fly is always the longer of the two for a US flag.
