The flag of Indianapolis was adopted on May 20, 1963. It was designed by Roger Gohl, at the time a student at the Herron School of Art

Herron School of Art

Herron School of Art and Design, a school of Indiana University, was ranked 45th overall by U.S. News and World Report among graduate schools of fine arts in 2008....

. The white star represents the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument

Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Indianapolis)

The Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is a tall neoclassical monument in the center of Indianapolis, Indiana that was designed by German architect Bruno Schmitz and completed in 1901....

, and its centralization the fact that Indianapolis

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

 is the state capital of Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

. The white circle and the red field within it depict Monument Circle. The color red also signifies "the driving energy and urge for progress that has made the City of Indianapolis race ahead." The four white stripes represent North and South Meridian Streets

Meridian Street (Indianapolis)

Meridian Street is the primary north-south street in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.Meridian Street was formerly aligned with US 31 for much of its length in the city of Indianapolis, before being re-routed to a segment of Interstate 465. The street delineates east addresses from west...

 vertically, and East and West Market Streets horizontally (the main streets of downtown Indianapolis). The four quadrants of dark blue symbolize the residential areas of the city. The colors of the flag are the same as the flag of the United States

Flag of the United States

The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...

.

A survey of flag design quality by the North American Vexillological Association

North American Vexillological Association

The North American Vexillological Association is a membership organization devoted to "vexillology as the scientific study of flags." Flag researchers, designers, collectors, activists, merchants, and other enthusiasts from the United States and Canada meet annually at NAVA meetings in order to...

ranked Indianapolis's flag 8th best of 150 American city flags. It earned a score 8.35 out of 10.