The flag of Santa Clara County, in the United States state of California, consists of a blue (Pantone 2925) background, with a shape resembling a map of the county in the center of the flag in gold (Pantone 131). On the border of the flag are 26 gold five-pointed stars, arranged in a rectangle with six stars on the hoist and fly, and nine stars on the top and bottom. In the center of the flag, inside the Santa Clara map, is a white five-pointed star the same size as the other stars. Semicircling the Santa Clara map, on the top, are the words "SANTA CLARA COUNTY" in white, and semicircling the map on the bottom is the word "1850" in white.[1]
History[]
Santa Clara County had never had an official flag, until the county Historical Heritage Commission decided to sponsor a contest for one, in honor of the upcoming bicentennial of the United States. The contest received 175 entries. The winning entrant, Vincent Cetta, was an employee with the county assessor's office, and a trained draftsman. He did not hear of the contest until a week before the deadline. His original submission used the same colors as the United States flag, but the Board of Supervisors and the Historical Heritage Commission lightened the blue, and changed the red to gold.[2]
Symbolism[]
The Santa Clara County map, and the words "SANTA CLARA COUNTY", both represent (of course) Santa Clara County. "1850" is the year that California became a state, of which Santa Clara is one of the original counties. The 26 stars represent the limitless opportunities of the county. The gold is used because of California's history as the 'Golden State'.