Urbandale Flag Project

The Urbandale Flag Project is a community engagement initiative to create a new flag for the City. Everyone is invited to participate in the process with their ideas and designs. The Mayor and City Council are launching this project to create a flag that unites all of Urbandale and inspires pride in those with a connection to our community. The new flag will be unveiled at the Mayor's State of the City Address in June 2024. Please note the timeline below is tentative and may be adjusted.

Help us design a new flag!

Designs for the new Urbandale flag should follow the five basic principles of good flag design published by the North American Vexillological Association:

Keep It Simple: A flag should be so simple it can be drawn from memory.
Use Meaningful Symbolism: A flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
Use 2-3 Basic Colors: Limit the number of colors on the flag to three which contrast well and come from the standard color set.
No Lettering or Seals: Never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal.
Be Distinctive or Related: Avoid duplicating other flags, but you can use similarities to show connections.

Next Steps:

Take the Flag Survey

An easy way to make your voice heard is by taking this five-question survey. The survey takes about two minutes to complete and your ideas and suggestions will be used to help guide the final design process. By submitting your ideas, you are donating concepts to the City of Urbandale. No concepts will be copyrighted. Any final design will be open for public use.

Submit Your Flag Design

Upload a design that you've created here. The submission period is open through January 31, 2024. By submitting your ideas, you are donating concepts to the City of Urbandale. No concepts will be copyrighted. Any final design will be open for public use.

Download Flag Design Form

Prefer to submit your ideas to us on paper? You can pick up a paper form from City Hall, or you can download and print the form here. Make sure to drop off your completed form to City Hall by 5 PM on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. By submitting your ideas, you are donating concepts to the City of Urbandale. No concepts will be copyrighted. Any final design will be open for public use.

Things to consider when designing the flag:

Urbandale was incorporated on April 16, 1917, with less than 300 residents. Urbandale is now home to about 47,000 residents.
Urbandale is home to six public school districts.
Urbandale is located in both Dallas and Polk Counties.
Urbandale is less than 15 minutes from downtown Des Moines and the state capital.
Urbandale is located in the northwest part of the Des Moines Metro Area at the intersections of Interstate 35, Interstate 80, and Iowa Highway 141.
What's it like to live in Urbandale?
The origin of the name "Urbandale" is not known. Read about more Urbandale's history here.

Anticipated Timeline:

A committee of community volunteers, the Mayor, and staff are helping guide the project process. The new flag will be unveiled at the Mayor's State of the City Address in June 2024. Please note that the timeline below may be adjusted based on specific needs or unforeseen circumstances that may arise during the project.

October 2023:

Flag Design Contest Announcement. Submission period opens late October.

November 2023:

Submission period open.

December 2023:

Submission period open.

January 2024:

Submission period closes Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

February - March 2024:

Compile and evaluate flag design submissions from the community.

April 2024:

Community review period opens.

May 2024:

City staff finalize details for new flag.

June 2024:

New flag design revealed at Mayor's State of the City Address.

Additional Resources and Information:

City Council Resolution

The City Council approved Resolution 200-2023 on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, setting in motion a process to design a new flag for Urbandale.

Educator Resources

The City of Urbandale has developed comprehensive educational materials to engage students in the flag design process. These materials are locally relevant and will provide Social Studies, History, Government, and Fine/Practical Arts teachers with helpful, engaging, and educationally-appropriate materials to make this flag design project a meaningful part of your students’ learning.

Flag Design Committee Members

Mayor Bob Andeweg
Pat Finnerty, Urbandale Historical Society; Imagine Urbandale Committee
Blake Rozendaal, Urbandale Public Art Committee
Emma Thomas-McGinnis, Graphic Designer
Derek Zarn, Director of Marketing & Communications
A.J. Johnson, City Manager
Curtis Brown, Assistant City Manager